Games Beaten 2016

[Xeogred]

finally got to Galaxy 2

I keep forgetting to play that. I'll have to make it my next Wii game.

It blows Galaxy away, and Galaxy was amazing.

I love that Mario is getting simpler again. In Galaxy 2 each level had less stars also like 3D World, so it was more about awesome new levels back to back, each somehow having their own creative idea or gimmick that made them original, and it consistently never lets up. I would say it has less "adventure" or forced collect-a-thoning in your face, which to me is a good thing. The less times I have to replay a level, the better. This and 3D World were perfection to me.

All I want in platformers is an onslaught of cool levels and the simple objective of needing to get from point A to the point B!

[Sarge]

Yep, Galaxy 2 is amazing. Even though the first game really rekindled my love of 3D platforming, Galaxy 2 might be the better game just for being more of the first game. Both are spectacular, though. It also proved that a Wii game could look splendid and simultaneously beat pretty much anything else that came out that year as far as fun factor.

And yes, 3D World is amazing, too! That's the game that had me purchase a Wii U. Worth every penny. It's so much more creative than 3D Land, and 3D Land is amazing in its own right.

[Exhuminator]

All I want in platformers is an onslaught of cool levels and the simple objective of needing to get from point A to the point B!

Amen.

[Ack]

All I want in platformers is an onslaught of cool levels and the simple objective of needing to get from point A to the point B!

Amen.

Does this count then?

[flash1987]

1. Grim Dawn (PC)
2. Dragon Ball GT: Transformation. (GBA)
3. Sunset Riders (MAME)
4. Garou: Mark of the Wolves (Fightcade)
5. Dungeons & Dragons: Shadows over Mystara (MAME)
6. Mystic Warriors (MAME)
7. Hero Siege (PC)
8. One Way Heroics (PC)
9. Golden Axe (MAME)
10. Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (MAME)
11. Strikers 1945-3 (Android)
12. Strikers 1945-2 (Android)
13. X-COM 2 (PC)

NEW

14. Middle Earth: Shadows of Mordor (PC)

I bought this back at release but was playing a load of other things and was pretty bored with the 3rd person open world action games at the time... and only recently rediscovered I had it.

SoM is a real quality addition to the genre though and takes the Batman arkham series style and refines it into something slightly different and a little more apt.

The Nemesis system in particular was really refreshing and fun to see the enemies forces evolve as you assassinated, recruited and died to Uruk captains.

The narrative was interesting and use of characters like Gollum helped to tie it closer to the main series although by the end of the game you are a little bit godlike and it doesn't really fit the universe.

My only major complaints are the QTEs, never a welcome addition, and the ludicrous move the analogue into a circle and then enter a button press annoyed the hell out of me and took me out of the action. Load times were also a little too frequent and lengthy.

Enjoyed this far more than I expected to.

[ElkinFencer10]

It blows Galaxy away, and Galaxy was amazing.

I disagree. I know I'm in a SMALL minority, but I actually enjoyed Galaxy more than Galaxy 2. Maybe it was just the initial experience of being blown away by the ingenious level design and beautiful graphics (even with 480i resolution, Nintendo managed to make those games look damn good), but for whatever reason, I'm a bigger fan of the first Galaxy than the second.

That aside, though, I'm still praying to every god in every religion for a Galaxy 3 on NX.

[Flake]

Here's a trick for the last fight that makes it easy:

That's a really good tip. I wish I'd found that out before I reached the level of 'fuck it' that I did. I almost never use built-in cheats but after the 15th time in a row losing that fight on my first attempt to damage Robotnik, I definitely didn't care anymore. I finished 98% of the game playing by the rules. Time to round up!

3/19: Sonic Generations (3DS)
3/22: Sonic Colors (Wii)
4/10: Sonic Adventure DX (GCN)
4/17: Knuckles in Sonic 2 (SG/WiiVC)
4/18: Sonic Advance (GBA)

Okay...maybe NOW I am Sonic'd out. Sonic Advance was a nice and easy diversion after two weeks of getting my but kicked by Sonic 2. I played through Amy's version of the game - I probably shouldn't as she is apparently the hardest character to clear the game with. I breezed through and now I don't feel compelled to play through with the other characters at this time.

Sonic Advance is a weird cross of the Genesis Sonic games and Sonic Adventure. It's not a perfect game - it really is not a great game, either. It is inconsistent and feels incomplete. At the same time, the art work for this game meets every standard I've ever had for sprite based games, even 14 years after it was released. The characters have a lavish number of frames of animation, for every action. Even causing Amy Rose to simply duck seems to have at least 4 separate pieces of art - all without causing any delay in responsiveness. Astonishing.

[Markies]

1. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GCN)
2. Max Payne (XBOX)
3. Eternal Poison (PS2)
4. Dragon Warrior III (NES)
5. Arkanoid: Doh It Again(SNES)
6. Super Mario Brothers 2 (NES)

I beat Super Mario Brothers 2 this evening!

I am fairly torn on this game. On the one hand, I really the inclusion of all 4 characters and assigning different attributes. I really like the music and the unique enemies that are throughout the game. The music is top notch and the graphics are so bright and vivid.

But, on the other hand, the controls seem really slippery. Finding potions and then mushrooms in the later levels is incredibly difficult unless you know where to exactly place them. So, most of the time, you are running around with only two hits. I had way too many cheap deaths because of mean enemy placement.

I understand all the history of the game, but I just kind of wish that they spent a little more time with Doki Doki Panic before releasing it. It's good, but not one of my favorite Mario games.

[PartridgeSenpai]

Yoshi's Island (SNES) (Repeat)

The main reason I played through this game again, is to compare it to Yoshi's New Island while it was still fresh in my mind, and the main differences I came across are music, and level design.

The level design in the new one is okay, but it focuses a lot more on hiding the red coins and flowers than the older one. It focuses a lot on putting lots of hidden passages and floaty clouds to hide those collectables, while the main level itself feels actually quite small if you completely ignore the collectables. Compare that with the original, and the collectables really feel like an after-thought. The levels are focused on being sprawling and flowing very quickly and smoothly and the red coins are so scatter-shot that sometimes there's just groups of five of them at once, right near the end. In summary of that, the old game feels more like the collectables were put in well after the levels designed, where in the new one it almost feels like the levels were designed with hard-to-find collectables in mind. This is the biggest sin I can say that Yoshi's New Island commits.

Aside from that, the composer in YNI really just can't compare to Koji Kondo, because DAMN her soundtracks are so good. YNI has much more relaxed and passive music, where the original's really feels exciting, and like you're on an adventure. Perhaps you could chalk this up to where the original was designed for console while the new one was designed for handhelds, although that could be easily tested with a replay of the DS game (which I'm not quite in the mood for right now, methinks).

The conclusion is still the same: Yoshi's New Island isn't as good at the original. However, having a more concrete answer of why is definitely very satisfying.

[Exhuminator]

can't compare to Koji Kondo, because DAMN her soundtracks are so good

FYI Koji Kondo is a dude.
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Name: Alpha Protocol | Played On: Xbox 360 | Released: 2010 | Time Spent: 12 hours 20 minutes

Alpha Protocol attempts to be a tactical espionage RPG, incorporating Splinter Cell influenced gameplay with a Mass Effect inspired conversational system. Alpha Protocol utterly fails at adequately emulating either of these influences, and ends up being a pale imitation of the real things. Its lackluster graphics, banal music, and yawn inducing plot do nothing to bolster the archaic third person shooting and terrible infiltration mini-games. Despite a laundry list of game design issues and boneheaded writing, Alpha Protocol at least manages to be playable from start to finish with its latest patch. I'll give Obsidian Entertainment credit for a great concept in theory, but I don't care to ever play a Beta Protocol.

Ex's Rating: 5/10