Games Beaten 2022

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MrPopo
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by MrPopo »

Year in review time.

This year I didn't do nearly as many games as last year, but still a respectable number at over 70. I was noticing the trend line wasn't looking good for breaking 100 and did some analysis earlier in the year; what I found is that while the overall ratio of genres was looking similar to what it was last year, the games were much longer. Let's look at platforms:

32X - 1
3DS - 1
GB - 3
GBA - 1
Genesis - 2
NES - 1
PC- 27
PS2 - 1
PS3 - 2
PS4 - 2
PS5 - 5
PSP - 1
SNES - 1
Switch - 18
Wii - 1
Wii U - 2
WiiWare - 1

My non-PC retro stuff has gotten pretty thin over the years; I have single digit unbeatens on most of those platforms, so with my focus on always beating new stuff (vs. replaying) I continue to find that it's mostly onsies and twosies. The current gen consoles have a lot more, though PC again takes the lead, and frankly it always will. Now for the genre breakdown:

Action - 1
Action Adventure - 4
Beat em Up - 1
Fighting - 3
FPS - 13
Metroidvania - 2
Platformer - 9
Puzzle - 4
Racing - 1
Rhythm - 1
RPG - 17
Run n Gun - 3
Simulation - 6
SRPG - 4
Visual Novel - 1

I think it's instructive to compare these lists with last year. My traditional top genres are RPGs and FPSs, so we'll compare those two. Last year I did 18 FPS's and 37 RPG's. This year it's 13 and 17. Comparing the rest of the list I see the same smattering of other genres, at approximately the same rates. I beat 38 fewer games this year than last, but over half that difference was in the RPG total by itself. It's clear that this was a case of this being a year of very long games. Here's a list of the heaviest games I played:

Elden Ring - 126 hours
Xenoblade Chonicles 2 - 90+ hours across main + DLC
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - 140+ hours
X Rebirth - 90 hours
X4: Foundations - 184 hours
Tactics Ogre Reborn - 70 hours

I can do about 40-50 hours of gaming a week, which means these all took 2-4 weeks to beat with me focusing on just them. Considering that if you want to hit 100 you need to do two games a week this definitely accounts for why my total is low this year. If you cut the playtime of each of these in half that gives me another two ish months. Comparing with last year I had finished 88 games with two months to go, and I did another 21 games in those two months. That gets me within spitting distance of 100, so you're looking at the individual game style variance at that point (I am slowly running out of bite sized games or old saves I can pick up). So the longass games this year definitely were a major factor in my total.
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PartridgeSenpai
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by PartridgeSenpai »

Partridge Senpai's 2021 Beaten Games:
Previously: 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
* indicates a repeat

1. Dandy Dungeon: The Legend of Brave Yamada (Switch)
2. Dandy Dungeon 2: The Phantom Bride (Switch)
3. Mon Amor (Switch)
4. Terraria (PC)
5. Puppeteer (PS3) *
6. Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon (PS1)
7. Project Altered Beast (PS2)
8. Devil Summoner II: Soul Hackers (Saturn)
9. Kirby Star Allies: Heroes in Another Dimension (Switch)
10. Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB)
11. Tales of Vesperia (PS3) *
12. Art Style: BOXLIFE (DSi)
13. Super Robot Wars F (Saturn)
14. Super Robot Wars F Final (Saturn)
15. Super Robot Wars 64 (N64)
16. Knight Gundam Monogatari (SFC)
17. Knight Gundam Monogatari 2 (SFC)
18. Mega Man Legends 2 (PSP)
19. Mighty No. 9 (PC)
20. Mega Man Xtreme (GBC)
21. Mega Man Xtreme 2 (GBC)
22. Super Robot Wars Alpha (PS1)
23. Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden (PS1)
24. Vampire Hunter D (PS1)
25. Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 (PS2)
26. Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 (PS2)
27. Super Robot Wars 2: Complete Box Edition (PS1)
28. Super Robot Wars 3: Complete Box Edition (PS1)
29. Super Robot Wars EX: Complete Box Edition (PS1)
30. Super Robot Wars IV Scramble (PS1)
31. Biohazard (PS1)
32. Hero Senki: Project Olympus (SFC)
33. Shin Super Robot Wars (PS1)
34. Gaia Saver (SFC)
35. Super Robot Wars A (GBA)

36. Real Robots Final Attack (PS1)

Before I started something else longer once more, I decided to play through this odd little fighting game I came across. I actually originally bought this to stream on Twitch at some point, but after realizing that it both has no story and that I'm fuck-awful at it, that seemed like a less ideal use for it XD. I ended up just playing through it myself a few times on the easiest difficulty to unlock the characters and see what the final boss was like to play as. I played it on real hardware and I spent about 3.5 hours with it in total~.

This game really has no story to speak of. There's the slightest pretense of this alien invader thing that's drawing all of these universes or somewhat together, but to the best I can tell it's entirely in the manual. All you'll find in the actual game is a mysterious cutscene at the start informing you this boss exists, and another at the end informing you that there are still many more than the one you beat. It's not a complaint, given this is just a fighting game from 1998, but I still would've liked little story modes for the characters, even if that wasn't the most common thing in the world for a fighting game at the time.

The gameplay is where more or less all the content here is, and it's a Virtual On-style 3D mech fighting game~. Two third-person perspective robots enter, one will leave! Now I've never actually played Virtual On, so I can only kinda guess at how this controls compared to that, but given that this was designed for a normal PS1 controller (no analog controls here, despite the year it was released) and not the twin-stick setup that Virtual On has, I assume they're at least a little different. The game's controls are the bit I had the hardest time getting used to. You have a square button, a ranged attack button, a melee attack button, and a boost button to boost in whatever way you're holding the D-pad at the moment you boost. Holding R2 or L2 to spin the camera while you boost will keep the camera not spinning, but locked on your target, and you'll need this because you really never wanna not be boosting (because standing still means death). You really need that lack of control during boosting, because, not unlike Smash Bros., what direction you're holding on the D-pad indicates which variant of your melee and ranged attacks you'll actually do, so to do the side-hold ranged attack but not actually move to the side, you'll wanna be boosting.

The block feature can be used as a dash cancel, and you can also press R1 to jump, but I never really got the hang of that. With the jumping in particular, having to use R2 and L2 to be my constant lock on buttons meant that my fingers were rarely free to think about hitting R1 or L1 (L1 very confusingly being a duck button, though I have no idea why you'd want to ever use that). Circle strafing around people and avoiding bashing into the walls of the stage as best I could was my best strategy, but even then I ran into trouble just with how the game is balanced. Some characters (particularly the final boss, unsurprisingly) are just outright better than others, and the game's balance is not that great. Being able to fire projectiles with less cooldown (like the final boss can really disgustingly well) is your winning strategy, as melee was always far too fiddly to be worth it (though the payoff is certainly pretty impressive). I imagine someone better at fighting games than me could delve deep enough into these systems to get a much better idea on exactly how useless or not melee is compared to ranged attacks, but for me, I thought the mechanics as a whole were OK. Controlling it is awkward enough that I think most people save for those already interested in the Super Robot Wars-esque crossover nature of the game will probably be turned off at them and just play Virtual On instead <w>.

The aesthetics of the game are quite good for a 1998 PS1 game. Loading times aren't too long, and the 3D models are generally pretty good likenesses of their original mechs, though there is some very noticeable clipping with models and flickering of polygons present. The music is also pretty darn good in how they recreate the original themes of the shows, though there are some confusing music choices. The absolute banger of a main theme of Metal Armor Dragonar isn't used, and I actually have no idea what song they're using for that. The SRX team, Banpresto's original characters introduced in Shin SRW a couple years earlier, have their second ever appearance here as well, but very confusingly their main theme isn't used for them at all. The music used for them is some super forgettable entirely original thing, and it's absolutely baffling to me why they didn't just use the main SRX theme for this game, a theme Banpresto definitely have and have the rights to, for any of their own original characters. At the very least, I certainly appreciated the choice to have all 4 unlockable characters be original ones and not the licensed ones, so anyone buying this game based on a guy they saw on the cover would be able to pick up and play him immediately~.

Verdict: Hesitantly Recommended. I'd like to give this a higher recommendation, but I'm not really confident in my ability to judge fighting games enough to judge it mechanically, and the aesthetics and story aren't enough to hold things up otherwise. I think this is a perfectly fine game and a good time if you want super robot-y goodness but in a Virtual On-shaped package, and you really barely need any Japanese ability at all to be able to enjoy it as well. Pack that in with how the 4 unlockable characters (giving you a roster of 11) are unlocked with passwords, not gameplay, and you have something that's super easy to just hop into and mess around with if you want some crossover fighting game fun, even if it's not the easiest thing to control~.
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prfsnl_gmr
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by prfsnl_gmr »

First 70
1. Space Warrior (Switch)
2. Itta (Switch)
3. Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn (Switch)
4. Mask of Mists (Switch)
5. Metagal (Switch)
6. Foxyland 2 (Switch)
7. Submerged (Switch)
8. Back to Bed (Switch)
9. Thoth (Switch)
10. 140 (Switch)
11. Infinite: Beyond the Mind (Switch)
12. Ninja Striker (Switch)
13. Kid Tripp (Switch)
14. Miles & Kilo (Switch)
15. Neon Junctions (Switch)
16. Golf Zero (Switch)
17. 198X (Switch)
18. Macbat 64 (Switch)
19. Kiwi 64 (Switch)
20. Toree 3D (Switch)
21. Toree 2 (Switch)
22. #RaceDieRun (Switch)
23. Micetopia (Switch)
24. Tomena Sanner (Wii)
25. Contra ReBirth (Wii)
26. Unstrong Legacy (Switch)
27. Quarantine Circular (Switch)
28. Infernax (Switch)
29. Cosmos Bit (Switch)
30. Ape Out (Switch)
31. Return of the Double Dragon (Super Famicom)
32. Contra (Famicom)
33. Summer Carnival ‘92 RECCA (Famicom)
34. Bionic Commando (Arcade)
35. Shinobi (Arcade)
36. Super Meat Boy (Switch)
37. Chex Quest HD (Switch)
38. King’s Field II (PSX)
39. Mechstermination Force (Switch)
40. Swords and Bones (Switch)
41. The Solitaire Conspiracy (Switch)
42. Super Cyborg (Switch)
43. Blazing Chrome (Switch)
44. Son Wukong v. Robot (Switch)
45. King’s Field III: Pilot Style (PS1)
46. Kirby’s Dreamland 2 (GB)
47. Metal Gear (NES)
48. Vampire Killer (MSX)
49. Super Skelemania (Switch)
50. Just Shapes & Beats (Switch)
51. Super Cable Boy (Switch)
52. Rainbow Laser Disco Dungeon (Switch)
53. Elden Ring (Xbox)
54. Rite (Switch)
55. Journey of a Broken Circle (Switch)
56. Don’t Touch This Button! (Switch)
57. Back Again (Switch)
58. What Remains of Edith Finch (Switch)
59. Bleed (Switch)
60. Tunic (Switch)
61. Beeny (Switch)
62. Fatum Betula (Switch)
63. Once Upon a Time on Halloween (Switch)
64. Hatchwell (Switch)
65. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (Switch)
66. The Turing Test (Switch)
67. Bug Honey on Adventure Island (Famicom)
68. Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World (Switch)
69. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (Switch)
70. Debtor (Switch)

71. Aborigenus (Switch)
72. Roar of Revenge (Switch)
73. Crawlco Block Knockers (Switch)
74. Elec Head (Switch)
75. Lunistice (Switch)
76. Super Kiwi 64 (Switch)
77. The Adventures of Elena Temple (Switch)
78. Super Squidlit (Switch)


I’m loving the top ten lists! I’ll put together my own later tonight or tomorrow. First, though, four last minute reviews!

…..

Lunistice is a very well-reviewed throwback 3D platformer that blends together elements from Nights Into Dreams, Sonic Adventure, and Super Mario Galaxy. It looks like something Sega would have released in the mid-90s for the Saturn if it had released a good Sonic game for its 32-bit console. The controls were a little slippery for my taste, but the platforming was otherwise delightful. Moreover, the game has plenty of content, and it encourages replaying levels. At $4.99, it’s an incredible bargain, and anyone who enjoys either 3D platformers or Sega Saturn aesthetics should give it a shot. Highly recommended.

Similarly, Super Kiwi 64 is inspired by N64 collect-a-thon platformers, like Banjo Kazooie. Like the developer’s other games (e.g., Toree 3D, Toree 2, and Macbat 64), this one is also incredibly short. Like Macbat 64, but unlike Toree 3D and Toree 2, it’s completely devoid of challenge. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s very relaxing. So…if you’re in the mood for a collect-a-thon, but also want to relax a bit too, this wil be a good game for you. Also, it’s only $1.99.

The Adventures of Elena Temple is a fun little budget tombs-and-treasures platformer. It features three dungeons, and the game provides a cute story for each of its graphical filters. (Apparently, and unfortunately, The Adventures of Elena Temple was released for the off-brand version of each major console and PC.) Nothing mind-blowing, but I still really enjoyed it for what it is.

Super Squidlit is the sequel to Squidlit, a very fun tribute to classic monochrome Gameboy games. Super Squidlit is, similarly, a tribute to Gameboy Color platformers. It is four times longer than its predecessor, and features slightly more complex platforming mechanics. It also features some interesting first-person sections, which provide some insight into what a Gameboy Color FPS might have been. (Like Faceball 2000, apparently.) It’s fun, and I enjoyed it, even if it’s not quite as charming as the original. (That said, one particularly charming aspect of this game is that, by finding collectibles, you unlock actual recipes. Not recipes to make things in the game; recipes for things you can actually cook. The developer also enjoys baking, apparently.). Recommended.
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prfsnl_gmr
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by prfsnl_gmr »

alienjesus wrote:AJ's Top 10 Games of 2022:

Honourable Mentions: Yakuza Kiwami, Metroid Dread, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 HD, Return of the Obra Dinn, Dragon Quest Builders 2, Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams, Real Bout Fatal Fury

10. Blue Reflection: Second Light

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Blue Reflection is a pretty simple RPG by Gust but one which I felt had a lot of charm. It’s quite a pretty game and I grew attached to the characters throughout. It was let down a little by being way too easy, but I enjoyed my time with it for sure.

9. Pokemon Legends Arceus

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The first step this year to reinventing the Pokémon formula, Pokemon Legends was a breath of fresh air. I actually quite like the art style which is far more attractive than the later Scarlet & Violet, and the new capture mechanics are great. I do prefer the classic Pokemon battle system, but I really enjoyed exploring the world of Hisui.

8. Tales of Arise

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One of my most played games of my teenage years was Tales of Symphonia, but I haven’t played another game in the series since then, until I played through Arise this year. And trope-filled and predictable as the story was, I had a blast. I loved the characters, the combat was fun throughout and it’s rekindled my interest in the series for sure.

7. Yakuza Kiwami 2

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Last year I chose Yakuza Zero as my game of the year, and this year I followed up by playing the next 2 games in the series on PS4. Although it has less side content than Zero or Kiwami, Kiwami 2 felt like a really refined and polished entry in the series and the newer engine looks fantastic. The story was really great too, and Goda was a charismatic and interesting villain for the series. Looking forward to playing the next entries in the series soon.

6. Astro’s Playroom

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I loved Astro Bot Rescue Mission on PSVR, and I completed it earlier this year too, getting the platinum trophy. This list is made up entirely of games which are new-to-me though, and I was delighted to get the chance to play some more Astro Bot when I picked up my PS5 earlier this year. It’s only a few hours long, but it’s still probably the best exclusive on PS5 to date – and you get it for free!

5. Kirby & The Forgotten Land

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I’ve been a fan of the Kirby series for some time, but it’s never been in the upper echelons of my favourite franchises. That said, the latest entry in the series really clicked for me and I adored playing through it. It converts the Kirby formula into 3D in an almost flawless way that makes you wonder what took them so long. The only downside is it’s just a bit too short – I wanted more.

4. Pokémon Violet

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Although Legends Arceus was more innovative, prettier and reinvented the formula more, I still prefer the classic Pokemon formula, whether through nostalgia or otherwise. So despite the well documented issues with the latest Pokémon games, I found them addictive and put easily 60-70 hours into beating the game and completing the pokedex. I think I’d want to see some more improvements and ideas in future to have the new formula not go stale, but I enjoyed what I’ve played of this so far.

3. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

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13 Sentinels is an odd mix of an easy-but-fun strategy game and a super interesting and compelling visual novel adventure game told with Vanillaware’s beautiful art, and I loved both elements of the game. I’ve heard people say the strategy stuff bored them, but I thought it was super fun, if a little lacking in challenge. The story was full of twists and turns and always made me want to do just one more bit. If you haven’t played this yet, you should.

2. Fire Emblem: Thracia 776

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Fire Emblem Thracia 776 is the final entry in the series on Super Famicom, and is regarded as one of the hardest in the series. I thoroughly disagree with that, but I would definitely rate it as one of my favourite entries in the series I’ve played, thanks to the unique mechanics like fatigue and capturing systems that make you play this Fire Emblem game unlike any other in the series. It’s a bit easy after the halfway point, and it has a few too many ‘gotcha’ moments to be considered perfect, but damn if I didn’t enjoy myself all the way through. It was a tough choice between this and my number 1 game for top spot this year.

1. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

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I do love me some Ace Attorney games, and so finally getting these 2 previously unlocalised 3DS games as one switch compilation was a major treat. And then finding that they are easily contenders for the best entries in the entire franchise was icing on the cake. The games tell one continuous story and feel like they were always meant to be one long (60 hours or so!) game, and so the Switch version is possibly the best way to play. Absolutely must play if you like Ace Attorney, or just great Adventure titles.


prfsnl’s Top 10 Games of 2022:

Honorable Mentions: Elec Head, Hatchwell. Mechstermination Force, Super Cyborg, Super Meat Boy, Toree 3D/Toree 2, What Remains of Edith Finch

10. Crawlco Block Knockers

The game’s risqué content probably turned off more people than it turned on, which is a shame because the game’s mashup of second generation arcade gameplay is absolutely spectacular. I’d love to see the developer employ the same mechanics in a more family-friendly manner.

9. Miles and Kilo

This delightful platforming gem is a bit like Adventure Island, but insanely fun. Despite its brevity, the game really stuck with me, and I couldn’t put it down until I’d played the game to completion.

8. Tunic

This isometric ARPG has some great ideas and really plays with classic video game conventions in a lot of interesting ways. With challenging combat and devious puzzles, this game is easily one of 2022’s best.

7. Just Shapes and Beats

Just Shapes and Beats is video gaming at its purest. Simple mechanics and simple graphics - you’re a blue box dodging the color pink - somehow results in amazingly deep and satisfying gameplay. (The absolutely banging soundtrack helps, I’m sure.)

6. Blazing Chrome

Blazing Chrome is pretty much Contra III, but somehow even more fun and satisfying. I loved it, and it’s easily my new favorite run ‘n gun.

5. King’s Field II

A From Software classic, King’s Field II (or just King’s Field in NA) is a first-person ARPG metroidvania. The movement is sluggish, and the graphics are dated. The atmosphere, challenge, and mystery are tough to beat, both figuratively and literally.

4. Infernax

Infernax is a loving (but blood-soaked) tribute to Castlevania II that’s challenging, fun, and funny. It’s brimming with secrets, has nearly a half-dozen endings, and plays like a dream.

3. #RaceDieRun

Despite its goofy title and budget price, #RaceDieRun is an exceptional game. Mashing up the best elements of F-Zero (i.e., extreme speed) and Super Meat Boy (i.e., extreme challenge, quick death, quick respawn), #RaceDieRun challenged me like no other game this year (or ever, really). It is so intense, I’d finish sections with my hands shaking and sweating. That may not appeal to everyone, but I loved it.

2. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Is not only the best game in the Wonder Boy series, but also one of the very best metroidvanis. It is beautifully animated and lovingly crafted, and I loved every minute of it.

1. Elden Ring

I poured nearly 200 hours into this stunning ARPG, and it supplanted The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as my very favorite game. Elden Ring is a masterpiece, and easily the very best game I played this year.
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Markies
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by Markies »

2022 was a strange year for me in regards to gaming. I beat my Backlog, but I also purchased many games afterwards. I started replaying some of my older games for Completion and that has been incredibly enjoying. Also, there were a few games that I replayed or had played before with a friend or a HD Remaster, so many of my games on the Top 10 are affected by that. But, for me, a brand new game that took over my life took the top prize.

So, here is the list of my favorite games that I played in 2022.

10. Shadow Hearts (PS2)
9. Forza Motorsport (XBOX)
8. Shovel Knight (WiiU)
7. Super Mario Strikers (GCN)
6. Borderlands: Game Of The Year Edition (PS3)
5. Evolution: The World Of Sacred Device (SDC)
4. Pokemon Red (GB)
3. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (PS3)
2. Streets of Rage 4 (NS)
1. Ogre Battle 64: Person Of Lordly Calibur (N64)
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by Flake »

I slacked a lot on keeping this updated but here's where I stand at the end of 2022.

It wasn't my most prolific year but I did manage to get some long term backlog games finished as well as some pretty lengthy RPGs. There were quite a few old favorites I revisited too, either because they were re-released on a new platform (Time Spinner, Megaman: Power Battles) or because there were parts of 2022 that were not kind and I needed my comfort food (Megaman 1-10, Ultra Street Fighter 2).

In 2023 I'm going to try hard to focus on some back log clearing. I will probably have even fewer games because I intend to target some RPGs that have been on my shelf forever but I hope to have more platform diversity since everything was just Switch and Series S|X this year.

Switch
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Super Mario Bros U Deluxe
Time Spinner
Fire Emblem 3 Houses
Super Mario Galaxy
Dragonball Z Kakarot
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
Fire Emblem Warriors 3 Hopes
Megaman
Megaman 2
Megaman 3
Megaman 4
Megaman 5
Megaman 6
Megaman: The Power Battles
Megaman: The Power Fighters
Hyper Street Fighter II
Street Fighter Alpha
1942
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Bayonetta 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Arcade
Splatoon 3
Bayonetta 3
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7


Xbox Series S|X
Blood Stained: Curse of the Moon
Blood Stained: Curse of the Moon 2
Megaman 7
Cyberpunk 2077
Megaman 8
Megaman 9
Megaman 10
Maybe now Nintendo will acknowledge Metroid has a fanbase?
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Syndicate
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by Syndicate »

...I wrapped up 2022 by finishing Mass Effect Andromeda. This one was a super slow burn, I feel like it too around 5-6 hours for the story to get interesting and then it didn't feel like a real Mass Effect story wise until near the end of the game. I'm honestly pretty happy w/where the game went in its final chapter and the combat is the best in the series. However, I think it's a shame the story will likely never see any closure...I think it was a decent to a new trilogy and sequels could have been pretty solid. Hopefully the next ME games times some of the loose ends up from Andromeda.
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by Note »

For 2022, I didn't finish as many games as I was hoping, and my final total was 29 games for the year. During the first half of the year I spent a lot of time on card games and other hobbies, but I eventually played through some great games that I really enjoyed! I started playing through more titles beginning in the summer, due to the motivation of the Summer Games Challenge.

While it looks like I didn't spend much time on the Genesis this year, I actually played a lot of the console, but was unable to beat most of the titles I spent time on! The Genesis toughness definitely got to me this year.

To break it down, I finished games on the following platforms:

SNES - 8
PS2 - 5
Switch - 5
Arcade - 3
Genesis - 3
N64 - 2
360 - 1
SMS - 1
Saturn - 1

I also finished games in the following genres:

Beat ‘em up - 10
RPG - 4
Platformer - 3
Action RPG - 2
Fighting games - 2
Light gun games - 2
Shoot 'em up - 1
Racing - 1
Puzzle - 1
On-rail shooter - 1
Action/Adventure (3D) - 1

My top five games of the year are as follows:

5. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (PS2) - My partner and I played this game co-op together and had a blast. The graphics have aged well for when it was released, the gameplay and combat system is fun, and the story has some entertaining moments. I'm on the look out for the sequel!

4. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - This is one of the most unique games I've ever played. Really impressive gameplay and very cool enemy designs for the colossus. I was always looking forward to coming across the next huge boss. Was a ton of fun exploring the calm world and hanging on for dear life as you try to reach the weak points of each colossus.

3. Shining the Holy Ark (SAT) - Going into this game, I wasn't certain I was going to like it, as I previously hadn't taken to dungeon crawlers. But I'm a big fan of Camelot, and wanted to see what this had to offer. I got pretty absorbed by this game, spending long hours during the weekends traversing dungeons, grinding, and finding the best weapons and hidden items.

2. Soul Blazer (SNES) - I had a feeling I would click with this game, as I'm a big fan of action RPG titles from the 16-bit era, and Soul Blazer has a mix of addictive arcade style gameplay, kind of similar to Gauntlet, along with the ability to improve your character's stats and equipment. This is one of those titles where I looked forward to spending time with it every evening.

1. Shadowrun (SNES) - This was an unlikely title to become my favorite game of the year, but once I started this game up and got used to the unorthodox control scheme, I just couldn't put it down. While this game took quite a bit of grinding, I ended up binging through it and finishing it in only a week. I got absorbed by the mysterious story and really enjoyed the cyberpunk setting. Really an awesome and unique experience on the SNES.

Some honorable mentions that were just outside of my top 5:

Kirby's Adventure (Switch) - I heard good things about this game over the years and used the Switch online service to finally check it out. I ended up binging through the whole game in one long session, and really enjoyed it. Kirby's Adventure really showed what the NES could do when pushed to the limit and was a ton of fun.

Ratchet & Clank (PS2) - I haven't played through many 3D platformers, so this was a fun change of pace, and I ended up really enjoying this title a lot. The funny story and ability to use all different types of gadgets and weapons to get through certain environmental obstacles and enemies combined for a fun and memorable experience. I'd like to play some of the other titles in this series!

Final Fantasy II (SNES) - This was the first RPG I ever tried out when I was a kid, so it really was a fun experience to go back and finish this game all these years later. Quite an adventure with a lot of twists and turns, and a memorable cast of characters.
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prfsnl_gmr
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by prfsnl_gmr »

Great reviews, Note. That’s a rocking list.
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Ack
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Re: Games Beaten 2022

Post by Ack »

It might be time to revive that cyberpunk lit thread for Note...
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