Games Beaten 2019

by **marurun** Wed May 22, 2019 10:46 pm

Before we get too far down this rabbit-hole, everyone please re-familiarize yourselves with the rules, particularly section C.3:

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=19455

And in accordance with those rules, this topic is ok, but not in this thread. Elkinfencer10’s review mention of the issue is allowed here as it is part of his review and germane to his assessment of the game. OrdinaryGamer’s response and responses to their response do not belong in this thread as they risk derailing the thrust of this thread. So no more on that in here. Feel free to create a thread elsewhere, so long as the discussion is kept within the context of games and the immediate gaming community, and remains generally non-disruptive otherwise.

by **MrPopo** Thu May 23, 2019 1:32 am

1. Octopath Traveler - Switch
2. Dusk - PC
3. Forsaken Remastered - PC
4. Tales of Eternia - PS1
5. Resident Evil 2 (2019) - PC
6. Pokémon Trading Card Game - GBC
7. Metro Exodus - PC
8. Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales - PC
9. Project Warlock - PC
10. Magic: The Gathering - PC
11. Ghost 1.0 - PC
12. Call of Duty 2 - PC
13. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - PS4
14. Revelations: The Demon Slayer - GBC
15. Mechstermination Force - Switch
16. Shadow Warrior Classic Redux - PC
17. Lost Sphear - Switch
18. Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal - PC
19. Dragon Quest III - NES
20. Rage 2 - PC
21. Blood - PC

Ack's recent playthrough, the reset Nightdive source port, and wanting a palette cleanser for Rage 2 brought me to Blood. The third of the big three Build engine games, Blood is the first notable game by Monolith (the US company) and has a horror bent to it. You play Caleb, a disciple of the dark god Tchernobog who gets betrayed and buried alive. So, being rightly pissed off, you decide to go on a rampage. Remember when the 90s was all about objectively terrible people being the protagonists?

Now, unlike Duke 3D and Shadow Warrior, Blood is a bit slower paced. Enemies tend to have a bit more health and are a bit more threatening. Now, it's not to say this moves slowly, but it isn't blisteringly fast like other FPS's of the era. The game also leans into the horror with some of the level design. The levels are all incredibly well designed and evocative of real places, and specifically real places you might find in a horror movie. The game also combines it with some creepy music to keep you unsettled. My favorite part was in the Shining level; at one point I looked in a mirror in a bathroom and an axe zombie jumped out of the bathtub behind me.

Unfortunately, the first episode of the game has some major balance issues. The game uses the old style of every episode starts you off with no equipment, and does the thing where the first episode is a slow burn of equipment, while the other episodes give them to you quickly. This is a problem because the shockingly hard enemies combined with the clumsy initial weapons are a bad combination. The replacement for the pistol is a flare that does damage over time and sets enemies on fire when they take enough; this will one shot all the opening enemies, but after several seconds (which gives them time to nail you with their hitscan weaponry). The shotgun is a sawed off that requires a reload every two shots and is awful at range. Considering the early levels have a lot of open spaces you again will take a ton of damage. And the final thing that makes it bad is that the difficulty ramps up enemy accuracy and reactions extremely fast. I'd recommend you turn the game down a difficulty level. Once you get midway through episode 1 it's fine; you now have a decent hitscan weapon for ranged fights and you don't just lose random health for rounding corners, and the other episodes give you good weapons within the first level.

Balance issues aside, it's a great example of 90s FPS design that isn't overly long and has some of the best level design I've ever seen.

by **dsheinem** Thu May 23, 2019 9:08 am

Games Beaten 2019

Kentucky Route Zero Act 1 - PC
All Our Asias - PC
Shape of the World - Switch
Hidden Folks - PC
Hyrule Warriors - Wii U
Onrush - PS4
Assassin's Creed Origins - X1
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown -360
Metro Exodus - PS4
Split/Second - 360
Far Cry: New Dawn - PS4
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - X1 *new*
Marvel vs Capcom Infinite - PS4 *new*
Rage - PC *new*

Total: 14

Previously: 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is now my favorite "Castlevania" game in the 8/16-bit style. An enjoyable homage that is a blast to play through.

MvC:I was a 1cc replay through Arcade mode - it is still arguably the least interesting MvC game. :roll:

Rage does more wrong than right. The last few levels have more frentic and fun gunplay, but the story is a chore, the ending is a waste, and the more interesting guns/craftable items are not ever really needed. A giant meh. The good parts were enough to make me want to eventually play Rage 2...but only when I can find it super cheap.

This continues to be a very slow year for beating games. Maybe, now that summer is here, things will pick up a bit.

by **BoneSnapDeez** Thu May 23, 2019 12:41 pm

40. Lagoon (SNES)

Lagoon isn't exactly - shall we say - "well-liked." One-star reviews are both numerous and verbose, explicitly chronicling all the game's failings. It tops countless "Worst RPGs Ever" lists. Various YouTubers, those beacons of critical games analysis, have ripped Lagoon to shreds. As have the "pro" critics, 1991 to present. And I'll admit it - I wasn't sold on Lagoon at first. After repeated playthroughs I began to warm up, and have reached the point where I'm willing to call this a "decent game." One common complaint is that Lagoon pales in comparison to the likes of Secret of Mana, A Link to the Past, and other 16-bit action-RPG titans. This may be true, but Lagoon simply isn't that type of game. It's a computer action-RPG (albeit one that was ported to a console) and is thus infused with all the requisite elements of the genre: a lone hero, a short linear quest, a small cache of available items, rest-healing, rigid keyboard-y combat, the ability to save almost anywhere, and a heavy emphasis on grinding to the max level. This is not a AAA console RPG. It's the forgotten offspring of Xak, of Ys, of the big boss bumper Hydlide.

Lagoon was originally released on the brilliant Sharp X68000 in 1990. It's the second game developed by Zoom who is also responsible for the nigh-unplayable Genocide, the bizarrely-packaged Phalanx, and the blood-sucking simulator Mister Mosquito. The Super Famicom and SNES releases of Lagoon appeared in the same month (December 1991), which is a bit odd given how lengthy the JRPG localization process tends to be.

The protagonist, Nasir (a Square tribute, perhaps?), finds that the water supply of his hometown has been poisoned. He heads off to find out why, and eventually becomes embroiled in a quest of semi-epic proportions. Some friends are met along the way, including a guy named Thor who turns out to be - wait for it - some kind of god. Eventually it's revealed that a species of generic "great evil" is attempting to take over the world, but I can't remember the specifics. Things get a little too verbose (and nonsensical) as the story progresses.

The first town is arguably the weakest part of the game. Navigation is odd, especially since half the houses can't be entered. Those that can alternate between Ys style "pop-up windows" and actual explorable dwellings. There's a series of mini fetch quests and an ungainly heaping of dialogue. Eventually things get rolling. Lagoon features the traditional town-dungeon flow, but with a twist. Backtracking is not necessary or even feasible - most dungeons are double-ended and dump our hero out into a small "field" section which connects to the next town. There are several "point of no return" moments along the journey, though nothing essential can be missed.

The townsfolk vary by location. First it's humans, then elves, hobbits(!), dwarves, and gnomes (I think). NPCs are quite loquacious and plenty of weapons and armor are available for sale - though the best stuff is always located in dungeons. The dungeons themselves aren't bad. Most contain plenty of branching walkways, though it's difficult to get lost and the extra space provides ample opportunities for level-grinding.

Graphically, things are pretty solid - especially for 1991 standards. Everything is crisp and colorful and enemy sprites are well-drawn. There are also several anime cutscenes - typical for this type of game - which look great even if the artwork is a bit Manga 101. Some subtle touches spruce things up too - Nasir's sprite changes depending on what armor is equipped and every single dungeon key he obtains has a different design to it.

Music is unexpectedly awesome, probably the best attribute of Lagoon. Like Terranigma, it sometimes seems to verge on CD quality. Songs are fast and upbeat throughout, which meshes well with the game's general pacing and aesthetics. And like Soul Blazer there's some heavy abuse of slap bass, though it sounds a hundred times more appropriate here. In contrast, the game's scattered "shrines" showcase some gorgeous ethereal tunes.

For many, the biggest point of contention is Lagoon's combat. Notice how I said Nasir could buy "weapons" in town instead of "swords." This is because his blade of choice may not be a sword at all, but a toothpick. Its range is incredibly short and requires one to be right on top of enemies to make contact. Nasir is also right-handed and "pokes" his blade outwards rather than swinging it which makes things doubly difficult. I "got used to" this (always attack from the side and get a rhythm going) though many consider it game-breaking. Ultimately, Lagoon's combat rests in this weird gray area between the Ys bumping and the more traditional Zelda-esque swordplay. Either system would have worked out better here. And video footage tells me that things weren't so awkward on the Sharp X68000, where Nasir could opt to hold his blade out for extended periods of time.

There's also offensive magic, which ameliorates some of the dicey swordplay issues. The magic system is interesting; different spells are crafted by combining rods and elemental jewels. Early magic is the typical fire/ice projectile fare, while late-game spells are screen-fillers that can hit nearby enemies without aiming. The more powerful spells are actually worse, however. They're slow to cast, with excessive onscreen animation, and deduct massive chunks of MP from Nasir's total. Certain enemies are immune to certain spells, though there doesn't seem to be much logic to this system, and while it's not as irritating as the sword-swapping of Crystalis it's still intermittently frustrating. Additionally, there are rings to equip to boost various stats. These drain MP rapidly and are generally useless outside of boss battles.

Despite the inherent awkwardness present during combat, it's very difficult to be defeated by standard enemies. HP and MP slowly fill as long as Nasir remains motionless, and unlike Ys this occurs regardless of location of equipment. Let me emphasize the "slowly" part -- towards the end of the game a well-beaten Nasir will need to chill for about two real-life minutes before he's ready to roll again. Thankfully, due to enemy AI and respawn patterns it's always easy to find a "safe spot" within any given dungeon. All dungeons house at least one boss. They're huge, fast, ugly, and present quite the dilemma. The automatic healing is dropped during boss battles, naturally, but for some bizarre reason magic itself also becomes disabled. Even more confusing is the rings: some can be utilized during boss skirmishes, while others lose their effectiveness. Hitting the run-of-the-mill scoundrels that roam dungeon hallways is tough enough, but it pales in comparison to how terrible the boss hit detection is programmed. Even the largest foes have just one specific "spot" that needs to be sliced in order for damage to be dealt, and finding said area requires multiple tedious attempts. It's easiest to just throw all "strategy" out the window - grind excessively, and then run into each boss fight swinging your sword wildly and hope for the best. While this method generally "works" just fine, the final boss (or final cluster of bosses, actually) can only be beaten once Nasir's maximum XP level has been reached. This string of battles is exponentially more difficult than anything faced prior, and arguably somewhat broken. When the third-to-last boss is slain, the penultimate boss immediately spawns onscreen. Should Nasir find himself standing in the "wrong" place it's instant death and the whole posse must be faced again.

It's easy to rag on Lagoon, and I've surely done my part, but I ultimately enjoyed my ten hours with it. It's a delightfully grungy old RPG. It's weird, perplexing, and more-than-occasionally irritating - but it's also persistently charming. Probably more "historically interesting" than "good" I guess, but the ARPG nerd in me is totally cool with that. The music, history, and reputation alone make this one worth picking up at least one. It ain't Ys, that's for sure, but it also ain't worth skipping.

by **pook99** Thu May 23, 2019 1:37 pm

dsheinem wrote:Games Beaten 2019

Kentucky Route Zero Act 1 - PC
All Our Asias - PC
Shape of the World - Switch
Hidden Folks - PC
Hyrule Warriors - Wii U
Onrush - PS4
Assassin's Creed Origins - X1
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown -360
Metro Exodus - PS4
Split/Second - 360
Far Cry: New Dawn - PS4
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - X1 *new*
Marvel vs Capcom Infinite - PS4 *new*
Rage - PC *new*

Total: 14

Previously: 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is now my favorite "Castlevania" game in the 8/16-bit style. An enjoyable homage that is a blast to play through.

MvC:I was a 1cc replay through Arcade mode - it is still arguably the least interesting MvC game.

Rage does more wrong than right. The last few levels have more frentic and fun gunplay, but the story is a chore, the ending is a waste, and the more interesting guns/craftable items are not ever really needed. A giant meh. The good parts were enough to make me want to eventually play Rage 2...but only when I can find it super cheap.

This continues to be a very slow year for beating games. Maybe, now that summer is here, things will pick up a bit.

Bloodstained: COM is also one of my new favorite castlevania games, it is so authentic and well done that I add it to my rotation when I decide to play old castlevania games. There are so many different ways to play through it, and it probably has the best replay value of any classic castlevania game. I recently replayed it and the original castlevania, probably will play either 3 or 4 next.

@Bonesnapdeez: My brother used to love Lagoon, that and Drakkhen were probably his 2 favorite SNES games lol. I remember enjoying it as a kid but I haven't played it since I was 14.

by **prfsnl_gmr** Thu May 23, 2019 4:44 pm

God bless you, Bone. That’s dedication to your favorite genre! pook99...your brother had strange taste!

.....

First 25

26. Fantasy Zone (TG16)
27. Double Dragon V (SNES)
28. Fantasy Zone II (Famicom)
29. Street Fighter: The Movie (PS1)
30. Fire Fly (2600)
31. Pac Man (2600)
32. Extreme Sports with the Berenstain Bears (GBC)
33. Fantasy Zone (PS2)
34. Space Fantasy Zone (TG16)
35. Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf Fantasy Zone (Genesis)
36. Mega Man (GG)
37. Konami Pixel Puzzle (iOS)
38. Qix (Arcade/NES)

Mega Man (GG) is a lazy, short, and easy version of the NES’s worst Mega Man game. It’s completely superfluous, and all but the series’ most dedicated fans should skip it.

Konami Pixel Puzzle (iOS) is pretty much a perfect mobile game, and it’s been my go-to time waster for months. First, it’s completly free and completely ad-free. Second, it’s a series of 500(!) nonogram puzzles (i.e., Picross puzzles) based on classic Hudson and Konami games and set to classic Hudson and Konami game music. It includes some of the deep cuts too. In addition to games like Bomberman, Castlevania, Contra, Goemon, Gradius, Sunset Riders, Twinbee, etc., it has puzzles based on games like Esper Dream, Getsu Fuma Den, Knightmare, Milon’s secret Castle, Pooyan, Space Manbow, Tokimeki Memorial, and others. I’m a pretty big nerd for this stuff, and even I hadn’t heard of some of these games until I beat a puzzle based on them. It’s a great testament to the fantastic games Hudson and Konami have released over the years, and a sad reminder of how many great IPs Konami isn’t doing anything with today. Nonetheless, I hate to think about how many hours I poured into this absolutely spectacular love letter to classic gaming, and I really can’t recommend it highly enough, especially to the members of this forum. (Again...it’s COMPLETELY FREE. If you have a smartphone, there’s no reason not to get it.)

Qix is a brilliant, classic arcade game in which you score points by drawing lines to box off sections of the play field. You are pursued by “sparks” that rotate around the play field’s exterior, and if they touch you, you lose a life. They can’t follow you when you start drawing a box in the play field, but when you’re there, you can be killed by the dreaded Qix, a series of lines (reminiscent of a Windows 3.1 screensaver) that flies around the screen randomly. If the Qix touches any part of a line before you finish drawing it, you lose a life. (It’s wild movements make it a truly terrifying, indestructible foe.) You can draw lines fast or slow, and drawing them slowly results in a higher score multiplier. You finish a level when you box out a 75% of the play field, and you get a massive multiplier for boxing off more than that. The issue is that, as you box off more of the play field, the space in which the Qix is contained shrinks, making it progressively more dangerous to draw lines.

The game is incredibly tense, but addictive. As you play, you develop some strategies for handling it. Also, you can’t REALLY beat it, since it just loops after the first level (but adding more Qix on the third field). My score improved progressively, and I eventually doubled the default high high score of 30,000 points. I also “split” the Qix on the third level for a massive multiplier. Accordingly, I determined that: (1) I’m now a pretty good Qix player; and (2) I’ve done everything you can do in the game. Accordingly, I consider it “beaten” now. I also “beat” the NES version, which is pretty much exactly the same as the arcade version, but with a rad late ‘80s/early ‘90s aesthetic. The simple, abstract graphics have aged wonderfully, and the game still plays great. Very highly recommended.

by **BoneSnapDeez** Thu May 23, 2019 5:53 pm

pook99 wrote:My brother used to love Lagoon, that and Drakkhen were probably his 2 favorite SNES games lol.

oh dear how did this happen

by **Ack** Thu May 23, 2019 6:48 pm

BoneSnapDeez wrote:
pook99 wrote:My brother used to love Lagoon, that and Drakkhen were probably his 2 favorite SNES games lol.

oh dear how did this happen

To be fair, the SNES port is the best version of Drakkhen...though it's still Drakkhen

by **pook99** Thu May 23, 2019 7:04 pm

Yeah, I used to watch him play Drakkhen for hours and just wonder how he was enjoying himself, even 13 year old me knew that game sucked, and I was a kid who genuinely enjoyed ET for atari 2600.

by **pook99** Thu May 23, 2019 7:05 pm

prfsnl_gmr wrote:God bless you, Bone. That’s dedication to your favorite genre! pook99...your brother had strange taste!

.....

First 25

1. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary (NDS)
2. Reigns (iOS)
3. Castlevania: The Adventure (GB)
4. Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge (GB)
5. Castlevania Legends (GB)
6. Yankai’s Triangle (iOS)
7. Mega Man III (GB)
8. Mega Man IV (GB)
9. Mega Man V (GB)
10. Sin & Punishment (N64)
11. Love You to Bits (iOS)
12. Mega Man Powered Up - Old Style (PSP)
13. Mega Man Powered Up - New Style (PSP)
14. Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA)
15. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (NDS)
16. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! (NDS)
17. Detective Pikachu (3DS)
18. Super Fantasy Zone (Genesis)
19. Fantasy Zone Gear (GG)
20. Fantasy Zone - The Maze (SMS)
21. Fantasy Zone (Famicom)
22. Fantasy Zone (NES)
23. Kung Fu Master (2600)
24. Kid Dracula (Famicom)
25. Kid Dracula (GB)

26. Fantasy Zone (TG16)
27. Double Dragon V (SNES)
28. Fantasy Zone II (Famicom)
29. Street Fighter: The Movie (PS1)
30. Fire Fly (2600)
31. Pac Man (2600)
32. Extreme Sports with the Berenstain Bears (GBC)
33. Fantasy Zone (PS2)
34. Space Fantasy Zone (TG16)
35. Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf Fantasy Zone (Genesis)
36. Mega Man (GG)
37. Konami Pixel Puzzle (iOS)
38. Qix (Arcade/NES)

Mega Man (GG) is a lazy, short, and easy version of the NES’s worst Mega Man game. It’s completely superfluous, and all but the series’ most dedicated fans should skip it.

Konami Pixel Puzzle (iOS) is pretty much a perfect mobile game, and it’s been my go-to time waster for months. First, it’s completly free and completely ad-free. Second, it’s a series of 500(!) nonogram puzzles (i.e., Picross puzzles) based on classic Hudson and Konami games and set to classic Hudson and Konami game music. It includes some of the deep cuts too. In addition to games like Bomberman, Castlevania, Contra, Goemon, Gradius, Sunset Riders, Twinbee, etc., it has puzzles based on games like Esper Dream, Getsu Fuma Den, Knightmare, Milon’s secret Castle, Pooyan, Space Manbow, Tokimeki Memorial, and others. I’m a pretty big nerd for this stuff, and even I hadn’t heard of some of these games until I beat a puzzle based on them. It’s a great testament to the fantastic games Hudson and Konami have released over the years, and a sad reminder of how many great IPs Konami isn’t doing anything with today. Nonetheless, I hate to think about how many hours I poured into this absolutely spectacular love letter to classic gaming, and I really can’t recommend it highly enough, especially to the members of this forum. (Again...it’s COMPLETELY FREE. If you have a smartphone, there’s no reason not to get it.)

Qix is a brilliant, classic arcade game in which you score points by drawing lines to box off sections of the play field. You are pursued by “sparks” that rotate around the play field’s exterior, and if they touch you, you lose a life. They can’t follow you when you start drawing a box in the play field, but when you’re there, you can be killed by the dreaded Qix, a series of lines (reminiscent of a Windows 3.1 screensaver) that flies around the screen randomly. If the Qix touches any part of a line before you finish drawing it, you lose a life. (It’s wild movements make it a truly terrifying, indestructible foe.) You can draw lines fast or slow, and drawing them slowly results in a higher score multiplier. You finish a level when you box out a 75% of the play field, and you get a massive multiplier for boxing off more than that. The issue is that, as you box off more of the play field, the space in which the Qix is contained shrinks, making it progressively more dangerous to draw lines.

The game is incredibly tense, but addictive. As you play, you develop some strategies for handling it. Also, you can’t REALLY beat it, since it just loops after the first level (but adding more Qix on the third field). My score improved progressively, and I eventually doubled the default high high score of 30,000 points. I also “split” the Qix on the third level for a massive multiplier. Accordingly, I determined that: (1) I’m now a pretty good Qix player; and (2) I’ve done everything you can do in the game. Accordingly, I consider it “beaten” now. I also “beat” the NES version, which is pretty much exactly the same as the arcade version, but with a rad late ‘80s/early ‘90s aesthetic. The simple, abstract graphics have aged wonderfully, and the game still plays great. Very highly recommended.

I feel like I learn about a new mega man almost every time you post. Never knew there was a GG version and even though it sucks I feel like I need to play it anyway, its still Bad to the bone in together retro right?

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