Games Beaten 2016

[Sarge]

Well, it's under 20 hours, at any rate. If you have an AR/Gameshark, you can use a code to bypass the cart check. I'd consider backing the save up after each session.

If you're emulating, you want to use an older version of SSF (0.09, I think?) to avoid the end-game freeze.

[Key-Glyph]

I need to start taking notes on this thread, because by the time I catch up on the latest thirty pages I've forgotten what I wanted to say. Fascinated by Everblue, PartridgeSempai said something funny... something something... thought Human Revolution was cool. Anyway.

01. MagMax (NES)
02. World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (GEN) [2-player]
03. Sonic Spinball (GEN)*
04. Sonic Spinball (GEN)* [complete]
05. Comix Zone (GEN)*
06. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
07. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Manhattan Project (NES)
08. WCW World Championship Wrestling (NES)
09. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
10. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)
11. Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii)
12. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)
13. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (GEN)* [2-player]
14. Gunstar Heroes (GEN)

15. Columns III: Revenge of Columns (GEN)

Columns. Something I had long known of, but never known anything about. I'm told that the first Columns game was a straightforward affair: line up three colored jewels and survive as long as you can.

If this is true, Columns III: Revenge of Columns takes things up to eleven. And not just the number eleven; we're talking the eleventh power.

So I know a bunch of you have just been playing Puyo Puyo. The gameplay in that puzzle series is my favorite, hands-down. I've been playing Mean Bean Machine since I was eight and can beat it on the hardest difficulty (with continues, of course). My point is, some of my red blood cells might actually be tiny jellybeans.

Columns is like learning an entirely different language -- and coming from a place of puyo familiarity and/or fluency will make it worse. First, you have columns of three jewels that drop from the top of the screen instead of puyo's two beans, so already you're losing some comparative flexibility. Then, these three jewels always stay vertically aligned and cannot be rotated into a horizontal bar. Then, you can shift the order of the jewels, but only in a downward direction -- meaning if you have a dropping column stacked from top to bottom as

red
green
blue,

you can only cycle it to

blue
red
green,

from there to

green
blue
red,

etcetera etcetera, repeat as needed.

And THEN, Revenge throws in an elaborate system of power-ups for saving yourself and/or directly screwing your opponent. The screwover mechanic is absolutely integral to your success. And it gets complicated.

If you know from Puyo, getting chain reactions automatically dumps a certain amount of transparent beans on top of your opponent's stuff, which they then have to hustle to clear away. In Columns, the threat is not garbage being dropped on top of your carefully laid plans, but a platform called the Crush Bar pushing your piles up from below. The more points you score from chaining, the more layers you can jack up in your opponent's Crush Bar (with a max of three layers in one crush). The only way to lower your Crush Bar is to crush your opponent back, and activating a crush also destroys your opponent's current descending jewels.

And this brings me to the most important and fascinating difference in this gameplay: your attacks are not passive. You activate them manually, after waiting for the most Opportune Moment for Complete Assholery. This means you are not only trying to navigate your own side of the competition, but you are constantly glancing at your opponent's window, or listening for the tell-tale chime of their power-ups waiting in the wings, so that you can time your strike and crush their incoming hopes as vindictively as possible.

This game is not about defense. This game is about ruining friendships.

I'm not going to get into the other power-up systems, but suffice it to say you can activate randomized temporary effects on your enemies like flipping their window upside-down, turning all of their jewels to greyscale, removing their ability to cycle their jewels, and so on.

I mean, I loved this game. It is so addictive, and downright exciting once you get the hang of it. But it is also unfair at times. Obviously, changing my window to greyscale is going to compromise my abilities more than it will an AI's (I'm sure the AI does "worse" when the effects are activated, but that only goes so far). Also, you get items after your matches that do various beneficial things in your own window, but some are much more helpful than others, and which item you pick up after most matches seems random. Sometimes you don't even get an item at all!

And then of course there is the continues problem. You can only get a maximum of three continues in this game. And not three continues at any given time; I mean three total, for your entire run. I would get through the lackeys all right just to have Normal Mode's last boss absolutely slaughter me and my continues (there is a reason his level's stone-cold jam is called Scene of Carnage), or at best I would only be able to pull off one match out of three. Then it was back to the beginning, do it again, hope you get some solid items and have a good run. Seriously, this game is brutal. And yet I always looked forward to my nightly attempts, because really, this game is great.

I'm thinking this title is best as a group game against your buddies who aren't magical gem-destroying algorithms. In fact, the game boasts a TON of crazy multiplayer modes that I wish I could try out (a 5-player versus?!).

My only other wish is that I could change the background music. This game has one of my favorite VGM tunes of all time in it, but it's reserved for one of the multiplayer modes. Guess I'll just have to get a Sega Tap someday.

* = replay

[ElkinFencer10]

1. Shadow Warrior - Playstation 4 - January 1
2. The Order: 1886 - Playstation 4 - January 2
3. Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop - Wii - January 3
4. NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits - WiiWare - January 4
5. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd - Vita - January 5
6. Shadow the Hedgehog - Gamecube - January 9
7. Fairy Bloom Freeia - Steam - January 10
8. Petit Novel Series: Harvest December - 3DS - January 13
9. Gas Guzzlers Extreme - Steam - January 14
10. Muramasa: The Demon Blade - Wii - January 16
11. Project Zero 2: Wii Edition - Wii - January 19
12. Killzone: Liberation - PSP - January 20
13. Sin & Punishment: Star Successor - Wii - January 20
14. Kirby's Epic Yarn - Wii - January 24
15. Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love - Wii - January 25
16. Corpse Party - PSP - January 25
17. Freedom Planet - Wii U - January 25
18. Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space - Vita - January 25
19. Silent Hill: Homecoming - Xbox 360 - January 26
20. Life is Strange - Playstation 4 - January 28
21. Corpse Party: Book of Shadows - PSP - February 2
22. Megadimension Neptunia VII - Playstation 4 - February 12
23. Dr. Discord's Conquest - NES - February 13
24. Corpse Party: Blood Drive - Vita - February 17
25. If My Heart Had Wings - Steam - February 18
26. Missing: An Interactive Thriller - Steam - February 18
27. Her Story - Steam - February 18
28. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright - 3DS - February 26
29. Saints Row 2 - Steam - March 1
30. Saturday Morning RPG - Playstation 4 - March 3
31. Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest - 3DS - March 6
32. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Wii U - March 8
33. Pokken Tournament - Wii U - March 20
34. Moe Chronicle - Vita - March 22
35. Tom Clancey's The Division - Playstation 4 - March 23
36. Yoshi's New Island - 3DS - March 28
37. Alien Rage - Steam - April 1
38. Alien Breed: Impact - Steam - April 2
39. Alien Breed 2: Assault - Steam - April 3
40. Alien Breed 3: Descent - Steam - April 3
41. Bravely Second: Ballad of the Three Cavaliers - 3DS - April 6
42. Quantum Break - Xbox One - April 7
43. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric - Wii U - April 8
44. Akai Katana - Xbox 360 - April 9
45. Otomedius Excellent - Xbox 360 - April 9
46. Chasing Dead - Wii U - April 10
47. Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation - 3DS - April 14
48. Ratchet and Clank - Playstation 4 - April 20
49. Starfox Zero - Wii U - April 23
50. Aero Fighters 2 - NeoGeo - May 8
51. Bravely Second: End Layer - 3DS - May 11
52. Uncharted: Golden Abyss - Vita - May 15
53. Doom - Playstation 4 - May 20
54. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - Playstation 4 - May 22



Jesus Christ, this game is pretty. Like, that's the first thing that stands out to me. DAMN, this game is visually arousing. The lighting effects, the facial features, the water effects, the damn particle effects - everything just looks incredible. Being the fifth game in the Uncharted series (including Golden Abyss), players familiar with the series know EXACTLY what to expect from Uncharted 4. It's the same formula we're used to; it's just prettier and further develops the characters we've come to know and love.



In terms of gameplay, there's really not a whole lot that stands out when compared to the other games in the series. Being on an 8th gen console, it obviously plays better than its predecessors, but it feels mostly the same. A little more polish, a little bit more depth with the platforming and combat, but all in all, it's like upgrading from a 2010 Honda Civic to a 2014 Honda Civic; it's the exact same thing, just better.



From everything I've read and heard, this is the final entry in Naughty Dog's Tomb-Raider-with-a-penis series, and I'm really sad to see it go. It's a fitting end - the game was great and didn't overstay its welcome - but it's one of the few series that, even after five entries, has yet to disappoint me at all. I know that it's best for it to end before it DOES disappoint, but it's still a bittersweet moment.



(mild epilogue spoilers here)

I do hope that Naughty Dog will try a spin-off series with Cassie. It seems odd to me that they'd have you play as Nathan's daughter in the epilogue of the last game and never see anything with the series again, but it would be SO easy to fuck up a spin-off/sequel like that.

If you like the Uncharted series, you need to play this game. It's a great entry, and it really wraps up the story well. It's not groundbreaking necessarily, but it's damn good.

[BoneSnapDeez]

15. Columns III: Revenge of Columns (GEN)

Nice work. Now play Columns II.

[Xeogred]

Jesus Christ, this game is pretty. Like, that's the first thing that stands out to me. DAMN, this game is visually arousing. The lighting effects, the facial features, the water effects, the damn particle effects - everything just looks incredible. Being the fifth game in the Uncharted series (including Golden Abyss), players familiar with the series know EXACTLY what to expect from Uncharted 4. It's the same formula we're used to; it's just prettier and further develops the characters we've come to know and love.

Is this in-game?

[isiolia]

Is this in-game?

Cutscene, but yeah, that's in-engine/real time.

Kotaku had a compilation of art/art links for the game that includes some of the 3D models.

It really does look stunning.

(mild epilogue spoilers here)

I do hope that Naughty Dog will try a spin-off series with Cassie. It seems odd to me that they'd have you play as Nathan's daughter in the epilogue of the last game and never see anything with the series again, but it would be SO easy to fuck up a spin-off/sequel like that.

Seems like they left that as a strong possibility, at least as an option. Though it could also just be simply illustrating that they did, in fact, live happily ever after (or at least for another ~15+ years or so). Stayed together (Elena waifu is best waifu), stayed above board, Nadine didn't come kill them, etc.

It'd also be a possible way to shift the series away from the shooting elements too. Since, as the game establishes, the Drake family runs a legit salvage business. If Naughty Dog wanted to make the game all about diving/exploring and so on, without killing a small army in the process...they more or less established the setup to do it.

[pierrot]

15. Columns III: Revenge of Columns (GEN)

Nice work. Now play Columns II.

Are you suggesting that Key pay real money for Columns Arcade Collection? It is four games in one, after all.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Well I was waiting for her to ask "b-but how does one play that?" before heroically busting out that GameFAQs link but you stole my thunder!

[prfsnl_gmr]

1. Ultimate NES Remix (3DS)
2. Space Invaders Infinity Gene (iOS)
3. World of Goo (iOS)
4. A Dark Room (iOS)
5. Shovel Knight (WII U)
6. The Room (iOS)
7. Mega Man 10 (PS3)
8. The Room Two (iOS)
9. Braid (PS3)
10. Kung Fu Fight! (WII U)
11. Kung Fu Rabbit (WII U)
12. Escape Goat (360)
13. Canabalt (iOS)
14. Leo's Fortune (iOS)
15. King's Field: The Ancient City (PS2)
16. Grim Fandango Remastered (iOS)
17. Dust: An Elysian Tale (360)
18. Shantae (GBC)
19. 3D Space Harrier (3DS)
20. 3D After Burner II (3DS)
21. 3D Classics: Kid Icarus (3DS)
22. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (GB)
23. Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut (WII U)
24. Final Fantasy Adventure (GB)
25. Furdemption (iOS)
26. Virtua Fighter Remix (SATURN)
27. Manos The Hands of Fate (iOS)
28. Virtua Fighter 2 (PS3)
29. Fighting Vipers (PS3)
30. Ikari Warriors (PS3)
31. Virtua Cop (SATURN)

I knocked out quite a few games for the summer games challenge, and I already feel like a more accomplished retro-gamer!

Briefly...Virtua Fighter 2 is one of the very best fighting games. I love it, and I actually prefer it to Virtua Fighter 4. It is simply amazing, and now that I can get through the single-player mode pretty quickly, I wish I could find someone to play against online. Alas...I am the only person in the world playing this game right now.

Fighting Vipers is also pretty awesome. It feels much more like a game in the Tekken series than a game in the Virtua Fighter series, and it is very accessible and fun (even if the final boss is ridiculously over-powered). I enjoyed it, but I doubt I will go back to it as much as I will go back to Virtua Fighter 2. (If I want the experience offered by Fighting Vipers, I will probably just play a modern Tekken game.)

Ikari Warriors is designed to eat as many quarters as possible, and that's OK. It is still pretty fun, and I suspect it is even more fun with two players. The PS3/PSP Mini port is pretty great, and unlike the version contained on SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 0, it allows you to continue. It is also "arcade perfect" but, unfortunately, does not allow for co-op play. I powered through it in about 30 - 45 minutes, and it took me about $8 in credits get through it. Not counting the 1 million points I received for beating the game, however, I was able to absolutely crush the default high score (in addition to viewing the ending). Accordingly, I consider this game doubly-beaten, and I probably won't go back to it unless I see an original cabinet somewhere.

Virtua Cop is a tremendously fun rail-shooter. It was easily the best rail-shooter on the market when it was released; it is drastically better than games like Area 51, Lethal Enforcers, and Maximum Force, its competition at the time; and it clearly inspired the House of the Dead series. Sadly, I am playing the game with a controller - my Stunner doesn't work on my current TV - which increases the challenge exponentially. Accordingly - and since the Saturn port also does not allow for free-play - I had to set the game to "easy" to get through it. (I almost made it through on "normal" a few times, but I just can't drag the cursor across the screen fast enough to get through some sections unscathed.) I am really looking forward to diving into the sequel tonight, and like I feel about the games in the Panzer Dragoon series, I really, really wish these games had been ported to the Wii.

[fastbilly1]

1. Portal DS - DS
2. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People: Episode 4 - Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective - PC
3. Metal Slug - Coop - MVS
4. Mario and Luigi RPG 3 - Inside Bowser Story - DS
5. Payday 2 - PC
6. Akalabeath - PC
7. Kings Quest 2 – PC
8. Kings Quest 3 – PC
9. Kings Quest 4 – PC
10. Kings Quest 5 – PC
11. Kings Quest 6 – PC
12. Battle Block Theater – Coop – PC
13. Lode Runner – Apple ][ Plus
14. Space Eggs – Apple ][ Plus
15. SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium - NGPC
16. Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender Bender - PC

New
17. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People: Episode 5 - 8bit is enough

For the final Strong Bad game, they pulled out all the stops. This is the best early TT as far as writing, gameplay has some of the same issues the others had. Strong Bad has to go into the Trogdor machine to fix the videogame worlds. You get to see Peasant Quest (Modeled after EGA Kings Quest), Gel-Arshie Game (a hori bullet dodger), Stinkoman 20X6 (Megaman), and Videlectrix's Halfathlon with Soviet Semi-Athlete Putchnya Shotski (Atari Track and Field inspired. The concept is sound, the one liners are awesome, and the last part of the game is an "FPS" inspired by doom.


That is, until you beat Trogdor and have to fight ULTIMATE TROGDOR. Then it goes all 5th gen:


If I go back to play any of the Strongbad games, 2 and 5 will be the choices. I recommend the series to anyone who is a Homestar fan, but they are obviously early attempts with the TT engine and suffer for it.