Games Beaten 2023

Post by **Raging Justice** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 2:14 am

Oh, one more shitty level in Super Mario 3d World I forgot to mention. Hands-On Hall. I imagine 95% of players will never find the hidden stamp without consulting a guide or youtube video. The other 5% (including me) probably just got lucky. There's nothing clever or smart about the way it's hidden. It's just bullshit.

Post by **MrPopo** » Mon Dec 25, 2023 7:37 pm

Previous Years: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

First 50:

51. This Way Madness Lies - PC
52. Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries: The Dragon's Gambit - PC
53. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - PC
54. Sprawl - PC
55. Zortch - PC
56. Ion Fury: Aftershock - PC
57. Spider-Man 2 - PS5
58. Alan Wake II - PC
59. Ghostrunner II - PC
60. RoboCop: Rogue City - PC
61. Super Mario RPG - Switch
62. Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold - PC
63. Turbo Overkill - PC
64. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince - Switch
65. Sigil II - PC
66. Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion - PC
67. Elderand - Switch
68. Front Mission 2 - Switch

Finally making its English debut, Front Mission 2 was originally on the PS1 and introduces a lot of the systems that we would see in future entries. However, these are all in a very rough state, and the game definitely feels like a transition point between the original Front Mission and all the later games, which are more similar to each other.

Set several years after the first game, this time the events are in the country of Alordesh (future Bangladesh). A military coup occurs, trying to eject the oversight of the OCU, though it turns out there's more to it than that. You initially start off with a group of OCU soldiers who escape the destruction of their base, trying to find a way out, though later on an OCU military intelligence officer infiltrates the country to track down a dangerous secret that has been left behind. These two groups eventually hook up and try to get to the bottom of things. And all of this is facilitated by giant robots shooting at each other.

Like in the rest of the series, you build your mechs by combining body, arms, and legs, picking the parts that give you the parameters you want (do you emphasize health or move speed?) This game gives a much wider variety of weapons; shotguns alongside machine guns (hit all parts equally rather than random per bullet), rockets alongside missiles (shorter range but more rounds), and the introduction of dedicated anti-air weapons (which get quietly dropped in future games because they're too niche).

New to the series is the AP system, which would continue to be used in future games. It costs one AP to move a tile, and using a weapon requires a variable amount of AP depending on the weapon. Here it's a simple fight vs. short vs. long, with long requiring a very large 6 AP (when you start with 8, restricting your ability to move). AP is also needed for counter attacking, or for deciding to dedicate yourself to trying to block with your shield. Here the shield always can be randomly used, but selecting it increases the chance of it blocking things. This ends up being an absolutely infuriating feature of the game; you can launch what should be a lethal attack on an enemy who randomly decides to block the attack and then still get to use the counter attack he queued up. This feature was dropped in future entries and thank goodness.

Talking about some transition point stuff, the game has a fixed roster like future games, but here the roster is a big 12 people like your deploy cap from the first game. This ends up creating battles that take too long, as the enemy forces need to be much larger to provide you challenge given your sheer numbers. The game extends the skill system of the first game with a giant pile, but most of them are worthless. You always get them in a specific order, so you can plan around it, but it also means you're going to be extremely samey. By contrast future games give you a lot more control over gaining skills, giving your characters much more uniqueness.

All told, Front Mission 2 is the weakest of the mainline games I've played (I still have 5 on my backlog). It definitely stumbles trying to add complexity to the formula, but they do manage to get that figured out better in the following games (though each one does still have some bits that probably could have been left out). I'd call it only for dedicated fans of the series.

Post by **Markies** » Tue Dec 26, 2023 11:21 pm

Markies' Games Beat List Of 2023!
***Denotes Replay For Completion***

***1. Dragon Valor (PS1)***
2. Breath Of Fire (GBA)
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (NS)
4. World Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse And Donald Duck (GEN)
5. XIII (GCN)
6. NES Remix Pack (WiiU)
7. Dr. Mario (GBC)
***8. Bully (PS2)***
9. Dragon's Crown (PS3)
10. Bangai-O (SDC)
11. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
12. Destruction Derby (PS1)
13. X-Men Legends II: Rise Of Apocalypse (XBOX)
14. Vice: Project Doom (NES)
***15. Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm (PS2)***
16. Terranigma (SNES)
***17. Super Street Fighter II (GEN)***
18. Guitar Hero II (PS2)
19. Kirby's Dream Land (GBC)
***20. Gunbird 2 (SDC)***
***21. Stella Deus: The Gate Of Eternity (PS2)***
22. I Am Setsuna (NS)
23. DuckTales: Remastered (WiiU)
***24. The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past (SNES)***
***25. Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers 2 (NES)***
26. Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade (GBA)
27. Prince Of Persia: The Two Thrones (XBOX)
28. Baten Kaitos Origins (GCN)
29. Virtua Racing (GEN)
**30. Breath Of Fire III (PS1)***
31. Metroid II: Return Of Samus (GBC)
***32. Chameleon Twist (N64)***
33. Resident Evil 4 (Wii)
34. College Slam (SNES)
35. Hyrule Warriors (WiiU)
36. Tengen Tetris (NES)
***37. Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (PS2)***
38. Golden Sun (GBA)
***39. Streets Of Rage 4 (NS)***
40. Super Mario Land (GBC)
41. Brave Fencer Musashi (PS1)

I beat Brave Fencer Musashi on the Sony Playstation this evening!

Brave Fencer Musashi has always been in the back of my mind. It is a Square game on the PS1, so I was very interested in the game. I would find it sporadically throughout my times, but I never stopped and actually picked it up for myself. Well, over the Summer, my local game store posted a picture of some games they got in. I was very interested in four of them and one of them was Brave Fencer Musashi. Unfortunately, one was taken, but the other three were available and that is how I finally ended up with a copy for my own. Looking for a PS1 game to play, I decided to play it over Parasite Eve II as I wanted a more light-hearted affair.

At least I was right about the light-hearted game as the game does not take itself very seriously. You are summoned to save the Allucaneet Castle who are being invaded by the ThirstQuencher Empire. Those two names perfectly describe the story and the characters of the game as each name is a Pun on either food or drinks. With excellent voice acting and very clever writing, the cutscenes and characters are the highlight of the game. It is quite joyous and always a got a good chuckle from the scenes. You spend most of your time looking for scrolls, defeating bosses and saving the townsfolk. With a day and night cycle, the town has a lived in feeling that makes it feel alive as you populate it with more people. It's a simple concept, but it is done very well.

Unfortunately, anything revolving around combat, dungeons or bosses is incredibly infuriating. Musashi has one of the smallest swords I have ever seen in a video game. You have to be right next to the enemy to do damage and with very little invisibility frames, it is easy to lose health at every cost. The game is mostly a platformer though, but with annoying jumps and little checkpoints, I had to redo several parts in dungeons many times over. Bosses at the end of the dungeon only take a few hits, but the window to hit them is so small and then you get to wait several minutes for the window to open up again.

Overall, I had mixed feelings about Brave Fencer Musashi. At times, I really liked the game. However, at other times, I was incredibly frustrated and wanted to quit. It's an interesting and unique game, but I just wish they did some tweaks when it came to combat, dungeons and bosses. If you are interested, it is worth a try, but make sure to go in with caution!

Post by **Note** » Wed Dec 27, 2023 10:40 am

1. Kirby's Dream Land (GB)
2. River City Girls (Switch)
3. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)
4. The Simpsons (Arcade)
5. Illusion of Gaia (SNES)
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Switch)
7. Shining Force III [Scenario 1] (SAT)
8. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (SNES)
9. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PS1)
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (GEN)
11. X-Men Legends (PS2)
12. Snatcher (SCD)
13. Smash Remix (N64)
14. Golden Axe III (GEN)
15. Iridion II (GBA)
16. Fatal Fury Special (SNES)
17. Harmful Park (PS1)
18. Gunbird (SAT)
19. DoDonPachi (SAT)
20. Gley Lancer (GEN)
21. Streets of Rage 4 (Switch)*
22. Water Margin: A Tale of Clouds and Wind (GEN)
23. Demons of Asteborg (GEN)
24. Super Mario Land (GB)
25. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II (PS2)
26. Final Vendetta (Switch)
27. Way of the Samurai (PS2)
28. Ys Book I & II (TGCD)
29. Double Dragon Advance (GBA)
30. Riot Zone (TGCD)

31. Operation C (GB)

Operation C is actually one of the first video games I ever owned as a kid! This also makes it my first experience with the Contra series. I didn't have a NES back then, but I did receive a Game Boy one Christmas and Operation C was one of the few games my parents picked out as a gift alongside the handheld console. Good work Mom and Dad! However, when I was younger, I never got past a certain point in the game, so I thought it'd be fun to revisit it and see if I could finally beat it.

Operation C is a run and gun style game, which plays very similar to the NES entries. The game is fairly short, consisting of only five stages. The stages alternate, with three of the levels being horizontal and two stages being top down. I'm aware the top down stages aren't well liked, but I don't have any issues with them, as I think they add some variety to the mix. Regarding weapons and upgrades, rapid fire is an automatic function here and you're able to find spreadshot, flame, and homing upgrades. The spreadshot can be further upgraded as well. My favorite weapon out of the bunch is the homing weapon, so I tried to hold onto that for as long as possible.

Graphics wise, I think Konami did a great job of transitioning the sprite work from the console entries to this handheld release. Even with the Game Boy's limitations, all of the character and enemy sprites look fairly detailed and it's easy to distinguish what's going on. There are some cool looking bosses here! Enemy bullets are also easy to discern, so I didn't have an issue being blindsided by enemy attacks. The soundtrack, sound effects, and various jingles are all very well done too. I really enjoy the soundtrack to this game, especially the song for the first level, which is quite iconic and memorable to me and sets the tone for the rest of the game.

Overall, Operation C is a short and fun run and gun, that I think is worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre or Contra series, or simply a fan of the original Game Boy. It's great to finally beat a childhood favorite of mine as well. The game isn't as fast or have as many enemies on screen as the home console versions, but there's still a challenge here and it's impressive to see a game like this on Nintendo's handheld. Give this one a go if you haven't already!

Post by **PartridgeSenpai** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 7:53 am

Partridge Senpai's 2023 Beaten Games:
Previously: 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
* indicates a repeat

1~51

52. Gyakuten Saiban 3 (GBA) *
53. Pokemon Gold (GBC)
54. Beltlogger 9 (PS1)
55. 64 De Hakken!! Tamagotchi: Minna De Tamagotchi World (N64)
56. Koudelka (PS1)
57. Pilotwings 64 (N64)
58. Mickey's Speedway USA (N64)
59. Boku No Natsuyasumi (PS1)
60. Pokemon Stadium: Gold & Silver (N64)
61. Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Switch)
62. Pokemon Stadium 2 (N64)
63. Pokemon Yellow (GB) *
64. Pokemon Stadium (N64)
65. Batman (GB)
66. Pokemon Snap (N64) *
67. Diddy Kong Racing (N64)
68. Wipeout XL (PS1)
69. Bomberman 64 (2001) (N64)
70. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (N64)
71. A Short Hike (PC)

72. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (N64)

Known in Japan under the hilarious title of "VIOLENCE KILLER: Turok New Generation", after I finished The first Turok, it was logically time to progress onto the other one that came out here. I wasn't a *super* huge fan of the original Turok, but I had more than enough fun with it that I was looking forward to this one, especially since I'd heard this was the better of the two. While my first impression wasn't amazing, I ultimately ended up having a pretty good time with it, especially after I finally ditched the super sensitive aftermarket joystick that I was using for Turok 1 and actually used a proper N64 controller for this one XD. It took me around 25 hours to complete the normal difficulty of the Japanese version of the game on original hardware using a guide a couple times and without using any cheats.

Where Turok 1 had almost no story in the actual game, Turok 2 has a fair bit more. Going away from the more mystical aspects of Turok and towards the more sci-fi parts, this starts a new holder of the title of Turok getting summoned to the Lost Land to save it (and the universe) once again. An ancient alien entity called the Primagen is attempting to destroy the universe with the help of several clans from across space and time, and it's up to Turok to stop them. It's pretty standard for the time and really nothing special, as basically all of the story here is just exposition, and when it isn't it's sequel baiting XD. That said, I do have to give massive props to Acclaim for actually dubbing the game into Japanese! This is the only western-developed game on the N64 I know that did this (and it wasn't super common on the PS1 either, in my experience anyhow), and I definitely want to give credit where credit is due for another excellent localization for the region when most companies barely bothered. Ultimately, the story is fun and good enough for what it's here to do. It's here to facilitate fun dinosaur & alien shooty-bang action, and that's just what it does.

The gameplay of Turok 2 is fairly similar to the first game but also VERY different in a lot of ways that matter. On the more similar end, we have a shooter with several levels (6 this time instead of 8 like last time) with three bosses + a final boss. In each level, you have to collect a number of keys to unlock more worlds, and there are oodles of guns you can find and use to kill the oodles of enemies that are here to mess you up. On the somewhat different side, we now have mission objectives to complete in each stage, and you can't leave the level until the mission objectives are all complete. You also have holy eagle feathers to find to use to unlock special talismans that bestow special powers.

However, all of that extra stuff is *effectively* just keys with extra steps. The mission objectives may as well just be more keys with how it's just more finding hidden stuff, and the talismans can only be used at certain points to access content you need to access (usually) anyhow for progression, so even though Turok 2 is dressed up like a more complicated game, this is just as much a key hunt as the first game. The level design overall is by and large better and more forgiving than the first game. There's a LOT less first-person platforming, thank gods, and there are also certain ammo and health points in each level that respawn resources infinitely, making it a lot less scary to go hog-wild with your big, fun guns than it ever was in the original Turok. That said, a key hunt is still a key hunt, and if you didn't like it in the last game, you're very likely not going to like it here either no matter how much better polished the level design is.

The guns and such are switched up quite a bit too, but in ways that aren't obvious at first. We've toned down the number of weapons and also made UI improvements that make switching between upgrades to old guns as well as different ammo types WAY easier in a way that's really good. Certain guns like the mini-gun (or what approximates it in this game, anyhow) have also gotten HUGE buffs in power while others like the super OP grenade launcher from the first game have gotten insanely huge nerfs. Explosive weapons on the whole were things I found almost completely useless with how wimpy they were, and that was a big disappointment in just how much it limited my arsenal.

On the topic of guns though, the big reason I had to switch to a controller with a proper joystick was because this game actually gives you a crosshair to aim with! This game on the whole requires you to have FAR more accuracy than the first game did, so it's a good thing it does. While there *is* still auto aim (which you can turn on and off whenever you want in the options menu) that is very helpful, things like head shots are now possible, and dynamically damaging enemies for different point values depending on where you shoot them can make them explode and die in all sorts of lovingly animated ways. However, that also brings about another big problem.

The new "damage based on where they're shot" thing is ultimately more trouble than it's worth for my money, as it mostly just lead to enemies sometimes dying in just one shot, while other times they'd take half of the max ammo for a gun to kill because the game just decided that they hadn't been hit in quite the right way for whatever reason. It's a neat idea, but on the N64's hardware just doesn't allow for the degree of accuracy you'd need to really have a system like this pay off. On the subject of hardware, this is also a good time to bring up just how bad the slowdown can be, because especially when you're moving fast and there are a lot of enemies on screen (which happens quite often), it can be REALLY hard to actually tell what's going on because the framerate just tanks that badly. This wouldn't be *so* bad if actions weren't linked to framerate, as you'll often start moving more slowly while enemies get slowed down less, making the player get punished by taking more damage whenever the framerate starts to dip. It's not a game-destroying problem, but the framerate and inconsistent damage stuff were both things that annoyed me very greatly the whole game, and it's something even the most fun and powerful guns in the game couldn't fix.

Graphically, Turok 2 is quite a nice looking game. We're firmly into the mid-life of the N64 by this point, and we've also got the RAM expansion pak to play with, so Turok actually has some really nice looking resolutions to play with if you've got it. Oddly enough, the resolution actually gives you more to *see* on screen, as it effectively zooms you in if you're on low resolution mode, and even more oddly, your resolution mode doesn't seem to have any impact whatsoever on improving the framerate (sadly). Enemies are animated and designed really well, and all six levels have very unique and cool looks to them too, and I also loved the music. There are some really wild picks for the songs in this game, and it's overall a really diverse soundtrack compared to what I would've otherwise expected, with some levels having stuff that sounds like it'd be right at home in a Zelda game, and others sounding like they've been pulled right out of a Rare platformer.

Verdict: Hesitantly Recommended. As much as this absolutely is better than the first game, and it does pick up a fair bit once you hit level 3 or so and start getting some access to bigger and more fun guns, this game has way too many issues to recommend very confidently. Just how difficult it is to aim as well as how frustrating the framerate issues so often make combat makes this a far more frustrating time than it really feels is necessary. The newer remaster is honestly SO different that it's frankly closer to a modern reimagining than a simple remaster, but it takes these pieces and does things that are so much more geared towards a modern notion of a fun time with an FPS that it's really hard to recommend not just picking up the newer remaster unless you're a really big retro FPS fan and simply must see what it's like on the original hardware.

-----

73. Super B-Daman: Battle Phoenix 64 (N64)

Continuing my journey through the weird and wild pile of N64 games I picked up earlier this month, I decided to give a go on this one I picked up fairly spur of the moment. I hadn't originally planned to get this, but it was so cheap that I figured heck, why not take a chance on a weird anime game. It's not like the N64 has terribly many of these, after all, and this one is even developed by HudsonSoft! It took me around 2-ish hours to beat the game and unlock all the characters on original hardware.

This game doesn't really have a story, as such. For those unaware, B-Daman is a Japanese toy series that's all about little toys that fire marbles at other little toys (basically). It dates back to the early 90's, but it's never managed to gain much traction outside of Japan. Your main goal here is to beat all three ranks of the JBA B-Daman tournament, and you have a roster of characters from the Super B-Daman manga series to play as to do it. They have some banter with each other between stages (like in a fighting game), but overall there's just really little story here in the first place. However, it's hard to call that much of a bad thing for what's basically a glorified mini-game collection, and it sets up what it needs to do just fine.

The actual gameplay is split across two main modes. On the battle mode, you have a 2 to 4 player mini-game that's something quite close to the block falling game from Kirby 64's multiplayer mode, where you move around a floating board packed with obstacles and try to bump each other off into oblivion. It's honestly really fun, and it definitely would've been the mode I played the most if I'd had this to play with friends as a kid.

On the other side of things, you've got the single player mode which is also effectively a dueling mode if you're playing with another player. These consist of 11 different one-on-one mini-games, and each tier of the three tournaments just consists of beating AI opponents (of increasing difficulty) in three, seven, or all eleven of them. Their quality is bit of a mixed bag, but they're overall quite solid, and most of them would feel right at home in something like Mario Party 3's duel mode mini-games. Against another player, they'd all be quite good fun, but against the AI, the biggest issue is that there are some games they're good at and some games they're awful at, and if you picked a character with bad stats in a particular field (as each one has their own stat pool) some games are really horribly difficult to clear with certain characters. This reviewer's humble recommendation is to pick someone with an even balance in everything so you won't get screwed over by a game you happen to have bad stats for, since the AI will never be playing games they don't have good stats for (as each AI character always plays a certain game when you face them).

The graphics are quite good and fun for what they are. They're very anime of the time, but they capture the style of the original art well. It has a very Mario Party vibe to it (though this game does actually predate that series by a little bit) from the mini-games to the music, and it's all around a really competently done thing.

Verdict: Hesitantly recommended. This is honestly a really hard one to recommend, but also a really easy one. If you have friends to play it with and have a menu guide, this can be a pretty fun time! It sucks that you've gotta get through a decent bit of the story mode to unlock a lot of the duel mini-games, but they're still plenty fun for what they are. The biggest sticking point is that there's so little content that you're far better off just playing one of the three Mario Party games on the system. What's here is generally good fun, but there's so little of it that you're probably going to be left wanting, and I imagine for virtually anyone reading this that the license attached to it isn't going to be much of a pull factor for you anyhow ^^;

Post by **SpaceBooger** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 10:53 am

Lufia and the Fortress of Doom (SNES) 1/21/23
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (SEGA CD) 4/1/23
Crystalis (NES) 4/21/23
Life on Mars (GEN) 4/30/23
Illusion of Gaia (SNES) 5/31/23
Wonderboy in Monster World (Genesis) 6/15/23
Final Fantasy Legend (GB) 7/2/23
Metroid Prime (Wii) 7/21/23
Donkey Kong Country (SNES) 7/29/23
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (XBOX One) 11/20/23
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA) 12/1/23
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (SNES) 12/28/23

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (SNES) 12/28/23
I started the year off with Lufia and decided to wrap up 2023 with the sequel. I loved this game but from the stats at How Long To Beat I spent almost double the time of the average completion with 41 hours instead of 25... and I didn't even do the Ancient Cave. Maybe this has to do with me only playing 30ish minutes a morning before work, so I did grind a ton having to escape and warp out of dungeons often, but it made the final bosses easy with my characters leveled up to the upper 60s. I loved the first game but the story in the second was not as engaging as the puzzles, I loved the puzzles. So I'm not sure which of the Lufia games I liked better the puzzles of the second were awesome but the story was not as fun as the first. Anyway, this is probably the last game I beat this year so it was fun starting and ending 2023 with a Lufia game.

Post by **MrPopo** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 12:54 pm

If you do decide to try the Ancient Cave, be aware it is LONG. My final successful run took about two hours, and there were several runs prior where I farmed up blue chests. It's basically its own game.

Post by **Note** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 9:54 am

1. Kirby's Dream Land (GB)
2. River City Girls (Switch)
3. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)
4. The Simpsons (Arcade)
5. Illusion of Gaia (SNES)
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Switch)
7. Shining Force III [Scenario 1] (SAT)
8. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (SNES)
9. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PS1)
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (GEN)
11. X-Men Legends (PS2)
12. Snatcher (SCD)
13. Smash Remix (N64)
14. Golden Axe III (GEN)
15. Iridion II (GBA)
16. Fatal Fury Special (SNES)
17. Harmful Park (PS1)
18. Gunbird (SAT)
19. DoDonPachi (SAT)
20. Gley Lancer (GEN)
21. Streets of Rage 4 (Switch)*
22. Water Margin: A Tale of Clouds and Wind (GEN)
23. Demons of Asteborg (GEN)
24. Super Mario Land (GB)
25. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II (PS2)
26. Final Vendetta (Switch)
27. Way of the Samurai (PS2)
28. Ys Book I & II (TGCD)
29. Double Dragon Advance (GBA)
30. Riot Zone (TGCD)
31. Operation C (GB)

32. Ghost Chaser Densei (SFC)

While reading up on 16-bit beat 'em ups that I might have missed, I came across a description of Ghost Chaser Densei in the RacketBoy article titled "The Best Undiscovered Beat 'Em Ups" -- I wasn't familiar with the port or the original arcade game titled Denjin Makai, but the art style looked impressive at first glance, and the game received a fair amount of praise, so I decided to check it out, and I'm glad I did!

The game has three characters to choose from, including Makai, the balanced character, who has a few special moves that will remind you of techniques you've seen in Street Fighter, there's also Iyo, who is the weaker but quicker character of the bunch, who is equipped with a mace throughout the adventure, and lastly there's the robot Belva, who is the strong bruiser character. For this playthrough, I chose Makai. Ghost Chaser Densei gives the player access to a serious amount of moves! Each character has a few different special moves, combos, and throws. Also, you have a secondary bar which is specifically for using your special moves, and they do not take away from your health bar like most beat 'em ups. If you attempt to use a special move while your bar is low or empty, your character will instead be dazed and you'll see star icons above them. Another cool feature, that I did not get to take advantage of, is that there are two-player special moves.

Regarding the graphics, the character designs are all really unique, which is a big plus for this genre, and there are some interesting and varied levels as well. The game has a bit of a futuristic cyberpunk feel to it, with robots, lasers, computer networks, and criminals known as "ghosts" all encountered or mentioned in the cutscenes. The character portraits in the cutscenes are also well done. Another visual effect I liked in the game specifically for the Makai character, was when you use successfully catch an enemy with Makai's flame kick, the enemy character gets engulfed in fire, similar to how one of Dhalsim's foes would appear in Street Fighter II. While the effect is borrowed, it still looks awesome here. Sound wise, I wasn't totally impressed with the soundtrack, I found it mostly mediocre but the "Mission Complete" music and the songs "Girulian" and "Perfect Girulian" that are heard later in the game were both really good.

Overall, I think Ghost Chaser Densei is a solid beat 'em up that brings a lot of unique gameplay elements and is worth checking out. It's a shame we never got this one in the States! I would enjoy playing this again in couch co-op with a friend to see the various two-player special moves that I missed out on this time around. If you've played most of the other great beat 'em ups the console has to offer, give this one a go!

Post by **Note** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 12:10 pm

SpaceBooger wrote:I started the year off with Lufia and decided to wrap up 2023 with the sequel. I loved this game but from the stats at How Long To Beat I spent almost double the time of the average completion with 41 hours instead of 25... and I didn't even do the Ancient Cave. Maybe this has to do with me only playing 30ish minutes a morning before work, so I did grind a ton having to escape and warp out of dungeons often, but it made the final bosses easy with my characters leveled up to the upper 60s. I loved the first game but the story in the second was not as engaging as the puzzles, I loved the puzzles. So I'm not sure which of the Lufia games I liked better the puzzles of the second were awesome but the story was not as fun as the first. Anyway, this is probably the last game I beat this year so it was fun starting and ending 2023 with a Lufia game.

That's awesome you finished both Lufia games on the SNES in 2023. I'm currently playing through the first game and I'm a good way into it. I'm up to the part where you have to hop around the various islands and collect the Alumina pieces. My goal is to try to finish both games next year!

MrPopo wrote:If you do decide to try the Ancient Cave, be aware it is LONG. My final successful run took about two hours, and there were several runs prior where I farmed up blue chests. It's basically its own game.

Appreciate the tip about the Ancient Cave. I want to attempt it during my playthrough.

Post by **MrPopo** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:46 pm

Previous Years: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

First 50:

51. This Way Madness Lies - PC
52. Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries: The Dragon's Gambit - PC
53. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - PC
54. Sprawl - PC
55. Zortch - PC
56. Ion Fury: Aftershock - PC
57. Spider-Man 2 - PS5
58. Alan Wake II - PC
59. Ghostrunner II - PC
60. RoboCop: Rogue City - PC
61. Super Mario RPG - Switch
62. Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold - PC
63. Turbo Overkill - PC
64. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince - Switch
65. Sigil II - PC
66. Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion - PC
67. Elderand - Switch
68. Front Mission 2 - Switch
69. Warhammer 40000: Rogue Trader - PC

Rogue Trader is a CRPG set in the 40k universe. You play as the newest titular Rogue Trader, heir to the von Valencia dynasty, as you attempt to navigate the treacherous space of the Koronus Expanse in the ass end of the galaxy. You'll need luck, skill, and the assistance of a motley retinue to succeed.

Now, it's important to understand the 40k universe if you're going to play an RPG in it. The 40k universe is incredibly hostile, and as a result humanity has had to become only slightly less evil than that which it combats. On one hand you have the forces of Chaos; literal manifestations of all living being's darkest natures, and on the other you have the fanaticism of humanity's creed. The moral choice system in this game lets you follow either of these, or try to take a third path that most resembles current day morality. However, this is considered just as bad as that of Chaos to the structures of power in the universe. Do not expect to be able to do nothing but good deeds in this game.

Gameplay-wise, it has the familiar XCOM-derived tactical combat system many modern CPRGs use. Your action points are split between movement and actions. You can do one attacking action per turn (by default), and as many supporting actions as you have points for. An attacking action spends remaining movement (by default), while you can do supporting actions and go back to using your remaining movement. Half and full cover is important, and paying attention to the turn order (interleaved) is critical to keep damage down. The game uses cone of fire mechanics for burst-shot ballistics, a la the original X-COM, so you need to be cognizant of things like overpenetration or your friendly units being in the cone of a burst attack.

The game has four base classes which turn into six advanced classes (which are a combination of two base classes) and a final "just be better at what you already were doing" class. Interestingly, the magic system (psychers) is tied to a character's background, not their class. The classes are melee fighter, ranged fighter, debuffer, and buffer. And as it turns out, the buffer class is broken in half. See, it comes with the ability to spend two action points to give another unit a bonus turn with two action points, no move points. But there are a variety of mechanisms to take free actions, gain movement points, and the like, so these bonus turns produce far more actions. A kitted out ranged fighter can chain extra turns and wipe out an entire enemy force if they are positioned right (for getting multiple kills on a heavy burst). The really nice thing, though, is that the game's mechanics are designed in such a way that the things that seem good really are good, rather than some games where you need to do advanced planning to get some synergy.

The game also has some space combat, which is of the form of slow moving ships with wide turning radii and limited firing arcs. You need to do some planning ahead for your actions (such as launching torpedoes, which start moving next turn), but it mostly serves as a diversion. The rewards for space combat are better gear for space combat, so it's fairly self contained. You will want to succeed at it, though, as there are several required fights and you don't want to be under-geared for them.

While the game doesn't have the same production values as Baldur's Gate 3, it captures the feeling of the setting and has a fun combat system. And you really feel great when you start rolling with your skills and gear and become death incarnate. That said, you really do need to be a fan of the setting to enjoy it, because the setting is very polarizing and can be very off putting for people.

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