Previous Years: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
1. Underworld Ascendant - PC
2. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - PS3
3. Ni no Kuni - PS3
4. Operencia: The Stolen Sun - PC
5. RPM Racing - PC
6. Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem - PC
7. Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Switch
8. Ni no Kuni II - PS4
9. Everspace - PC
10. PowerSlave Exhumed - PC
11. Horizon Forbidden West - PS5
12. Elden Ring - PS5
13. Shadow Warrior 3 - PC
14. Ghostrunner: Project_Hel - PC
15. Triangle Strategy - Switch
16. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - PC
17. Nightmare Reaper - PC
18. Kur - PC
19. Gundam Versus - PS4
20. BIOTA - PC
21. Chantelise - PC
22. Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii
23. Forgive Me Father - PC
24. Xenoblade Chronicles X - Wii U
25. Steel Assault - Switch
26. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Switch
27. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Switch
28. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country - Switch
29. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Switch
30. Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron - Genesis
31. Postal Brain Damaged - PC
32. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth - PSP
33. Super Cyborg - Switch
34. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 - Switch
35. Stray - PC
36. Live A Live - Switch
37. Subwar 2050 - PC
38. Radical Dreamers - Switch
39. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Switch
40. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 - Switch
41. Soul Hackers 2 - PS5
42. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - NES
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan - GB
44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers - GB
45. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - Genesis
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - SNES
The SNES Tournament Fighters is the game closest to Street Fighter II, both in aesthetics and gameplay. Characters move a bit more like Street Fighter, compared to the Genesis game's very short jump range. There's also more moves that fit into the general Street Fighter kit. It still falls short of Street Fighter, but it's probably the technically best of the three games, even if I enjoyed my time with the NES game more.
The game has both an arcade mode where you randomly fight the rest of the cast, capped off with the non-playable final boss, and a story mode, which adds a bit of structure. The story mode consists of three fights in a random order, then Shredder, then three more fights in a random order, then the mirror match. After that is the final boss. You start off by picking one of the four turtles, with the rest of the playable cast being bad guys, most of whom are bit characters.
The AI isn't as brutal as the Genesis game, but it definitely starts reading your inputs as you get further along. It's actually pretty egregious at times, as you can do things like do a sweep when the enemy is multiple body lengths away and they'll instantly crouch block. Your best bet once again involves AI loops, like forcing a block and immediately throwing during recovery. It feels a bit less fair than Street Fighter II on the SNES did, but still leagues better than the Genesis game.
If you're going to play with friends, then the SNES version is the best version available. But for you vs. the CPU, I'd say the NES version is best, as the restricted move sets gives the CPU less tools to dick you over with.
Games Beaten 2022
Re: Games Beaten 2022
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
Re: Games Beaten 2022
Previous Years: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
1. Underworld Ascendant - PC
2. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - PS3
3. Ni no Kuni - PS3
4. Operencia: The Stolen Sun - PC
5. RPM Racing - PC
6. Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem - PC
7. Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Switch
8. Ni no Kuni II - PS4
9. Everspace - PC
10. PowerSlave Exhumed - PC
11. Horizon Forbidden West - PS5
12. Elden Ring - PS5
13. Shadow Warrior 3 - PC
14. Ghostrunner: Project_Hel - PC
15. Triangle Strategy - Switch
16. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - PC
17. Nightmare Reaper - PC
18. Kur - PC
19. Gundam Versus - PS4
20. BIOTA - PC
21. Chantelise - PC
22. Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii
23. Forgive Me Father - PC
24. Xenoblade Chronicles X - Wii U
25. Steel Assault - Switch
26. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Switch
27. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Switch
28. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country - Switch
29. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Switch
30. Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron - Genesis
31. Postal Brain Damaged - PC
32. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth - PSP
33. Super Cyborg - Switch
34. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 - Switch
35. Stray - PC
36. Live A Live - Switch
37. Subwar 2050 - PC
38. Radical Dreamers - Switch
39. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Switch
40. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 - Switch
41. Soul Hackers 2 - PS5
42. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - NES
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan - GB
44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers - GB
45. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - Genesis
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - SNES
47. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue - GB
Radical Rescue is the most ambitious of the Game Boy turtles games; it's a Metroidvania. Unfortunately, it also has awful balance, with the bosses being absolute bastards and the game lacks a save system (just a password that puts you at the last rescued turtle). And the worst part is the end of the game is a boss rush and two bars of health on Shredder, which means you need to pretty much do them all perfect so you have enough health for Shredder.
The setup is that Shredder draws out three of the turtles while Mike is out doing a pizza run and ends up capturing them. Mike returns to the lair to find a note from Shredder taunting him. So Mike must go on a radical rescue to save his brothers and Splinter. This involves traversing through a mine and an enemy base inside the mine, defeating four bosses to get the keys to the cells and collecting keycards to get to later areas of the map.
Each turtle shares a health bar, so no swapping shenanigans like TMNT NES. What sets them apart is their special mobility skills. Mike can use his chucks like a helicoptor to slow fall and get across long gaps, while Leo can tunnel through certain floors. Ralph can get into his shell and basically be the morph ball, and finally Don can climb walls (and you'll note that once you get him the walls tend to have lots of hazards on them). There are four heart containers to collect (and you want them), and there are full pizzas that restore you to full health on death (though you can only have one at a time; collecting one when you already have one refills your health, but they also respawn when you screen transition).
The game suffers from the usual Game Boy "enemies off screen get you" problems, but there's also the fact that the bosses are utterly evil. They have a large amount of health and do big damage; you can't trade hits with them. They also are hugely mobile, so you end up needing them to do certain patterns so you can even get in safe hits. And the worst part is they're all nobodies.
Overall, Radical Rescue falls far short of its ambition. With better balance it could have been an utter classic; an early Metroidvania with a solid license. But as it stands, it's a major exercise in frustration. But compared to the preceding game, at least this one feels worthwhile.
1. Underworld Ascendant - PC
2. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - PS3
3. Ni no Kuni - PS3
4. Operencia: The Stolen Sun - PC
5. RPM Racing - PC
6. Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem - PC
7. Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Switch
8. Ni no Kuni II - PS4
9. Everspace - PC
10. PowerSlave Exhumed - PC
11. Horizon Forbidden West - PS5
12. Elden Ring - PS5
13. Shadow Warrior 3 - PC
14. Ghostrunner: Project_Hel - PC
15. Triangle Strategy - Switch
16. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - PC
17. Nightmare Reaper - PC
18. Kur - PC
19. Gundam Versus - PS4
20. BIOTA - PC
21. Chantelise - PC
22. Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii
23. Forgive Me Father - PC
24. Xenoblade Chronicles X - Wii U
25. Steel Assault - Switch
26. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Switch
27. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Switch
28. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country - Switch
29. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Switch
30. Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron - Genesis
31. Postal Brain Damaged - PC
32. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth - PSP
33. Super Cyborg - Switch
34. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 - Switch
35. Stray - PC
36. Live A Live - Switch
37. Subwar 2050 - PC
38. Radical Dreamers - Switch
39. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Switch
40. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 - Switch
41. Soul Hackers 2 - PS5
42. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - NES
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan - GB
44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers - GB
45. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - Genesis
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - SNES
47. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue - GB
Radical Rescue is the most ambitious of the Game Boy turtles games; it's a Metroidvania. Unfortunately, it also has awful balance, with the bosses being absolute bastards and the game lacks a save system (just a password that puts you at the last rescued turtle). And the worst part is the end of the game is a boss rush and two bars of health on Shredder, which means you need to pretty much do them all perfect so you have enough health for Shredder.
The setup is that Shredder draws out three of the turtles while Mike is out doing a pizza run and ends up capturing them. Mike returns to the lair to find a note from Shredder taunting him. So Mike must go on a radical rescue to save his brothers and Splinter. This involves traversing through a mine and an enemy base inside the mine, defeating four bosses to get the keys to the cells and collecting keycards to get to later areas of the map.
Each turtle shares a health bar, so no swapping shenanigans like TMNT NES. What sets them apart is their special mobility skills. Mike can use his chucks like a helicoptor to slow fall and get across long gaps, while Leo can tunnel through certain floors. Ralph can get into his shell and basically be the morph ball, and finally Don can climb walls (and you'll note that once you get him the walls tend to have lots of hazards on them). There are four heart containers to collect (and you want them), and there are full pizzas that restore you to full health on death (though you can only have one at a time; collecting one when you already have one refills your health, but they also respawn when you screen transition).
The game suffers from the usual Game Boy "enemies off screen get you" problems, but there's also the fact that the bosses are utterly evil. They have a large amount of health and do big damage; you can't trade hits with them. They also are hugely mobile, so you end up needing them to do certain patterns so you can even get in safe hits. And the worst part is they're all nobodies.
Overall, Radical Rescue falls far short of its ambition. With better balance it could have been an utter classic; an early Metroidvania with a solid license. But as it stands, it's a major exercise in frustration. But compared to the preceding game, at least this one feels worthwhile.
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
-
prfsnl_gmr
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 12202
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:26 pm
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Re: Games Beaten 2022
First 50
51. Super Cable Boy (Switch)
52. Rainbow Laser Disco Dungeon (Switch)
53. Elden Ring (Xbox)
Many people have written a lot of things about Elden Ring, and I don’t have much to add to them. It’s an ARPG masterpiece; the best open-world game since Breath of the Wild; and arguably the greatest work of high-fantasy since The Lord of the Rings. I spent 191 hours(!) exploring The Lands Between, and I loved every minute of it. I’m a bit at loose ends now that I’ve seen (almost) everything the game has to offer, having felled every Enemy, Great Enemy, Legend, God, etc. it’s just such a great, great game and easily my GOTY.
For those of you who’ve also played it, here are, IMO, the ten hardest bosses:
51. Super Cable Boy (Switch)
52. Rainbow Laser Disco Dungeon (Switch)
53. Elden Ring (Xbox)
Many people have written a lot of things about Elden Ring, and I don’t have much to add to them. It’s an ARPG masterpiece; the best open-world game since Breath of the Wild; and arguably the greatest work of high-fantasy since The Lord of the Rings. I spent 191 hours(!) exploring The Lands Between, and I loved every minute of it. I’m a bit at loose ends now that I’ve seen (almost) everything the game has to offer, having felled every Enemy, Great Enemy, Legend, God, etc. it’s just such a great, great game and easily my GOTY.
For those of you who’ve also played it, here are, IMO, the ten hardest bosses:
Re: Games Beaten 2022
Previous Years: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
1. Underworld Ascendant - PC
2. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - PS3
3. Ni no Kuni - PS3
4. Operencia: The Stolen Sun - PC
5. RPM Racing - PC
6. Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem - PC
7. Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Switch
8. Ni no Kuni II - PS4
9. Everspace - PC
10. PowerSlave Exhumed - PC
11. Horizon Forbidden West - PS5
12. Elden Ring - PS5
13. Shadow Warrior 3 - PC
14. Ghostrunner: Project_Hel - PC
15. Triangle Strategy - Switch
16. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - PC
17. Nightmare Reaper - PC
18. Kur - PC
19. Gundam Versus - PS4
20. BIOTA - PC
21. Chantelise - PC
22. Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii
23. Forgive Me Father - PC
24. Xenoblade Chronicles X - Wii U
25. Steel Assault - Switch
26. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Switch
27. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Switch
28. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country - Switch
29. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Switch
30. Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron - Genesis
31. Postal Brain Damaged - PC
32. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth - PSP
33. Super Cyborg - Switch
34. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 - Switch
35. Stray - PC
36. Live A Live - Switch
37. Subwar 2050 - PC
38. Radical Dreamers - Switch
39. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Switch
40. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 - Switch
41. Soul Hackers 2 - PS5
42. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - NES
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan - GB
44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers - GB
45. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - Genesis
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - SNES
47. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue - GB
48. Molek-Syntez - PC
Molek-Syntez is another game from Zachtronics, so you know what you're in for; lots of puzzle solving with a procedural interface that requires your solution to not just work once, but over and over again. I actually found this to be the easiest of the Zachtronics games I've played so far; only the last couple puzzles required me to back up and restart my approach. The interface is a bit opaque at the start, but once you know what is required it's pretty easy to get into.
The setup is that you have a machine that can take various common industrial chemicals and rearrange them at the molecular level. Thie goal is to use them to create various pharmacological agents. The board is a hex grid in a hex shape, with a manipulator in each corner pointing in towards the center. You start off by placing chemicals from your supply onto the board. If the space a chemical inhabits ever fully empties during processing a new one will spawn; this is important both for loop iterations but also to be aware of mid-processing; this can block the line of sight of your manipulators if you order things wrong.
The manipulators have a few functions. The most important one is adding and removing hydrogen atoms attached to other atoms; those who remember their organic chemistry will see that this allows you to manipulate the bonds between the other atoms; if an atom is completely filled it is standalone, while having one or more empty hydrogen slots allow for single, double, or even triple bonds. The other two functions allow you to manipulate bonded molecules; you can push or pull them one hex toward/away from the emitter, or you can rotate them around the targeted atom. You have the option to move them along the track that makes up the perimeter of the play area. Note that the emitters do not rotate; you'll need to make use of this to hit the various hex sides to do your manipulation. And finally, there are two options that remove stuff from the board. One submits the targeted molecule as a finished product and will fail if you didn't make the right thing. The other erases whatever molecule is targeted; this is important to clear away deadwood at times so that you can respawn inputs.
You set up these commands on a track on the side of the screen. Each row is a time tick, and all commands for the manipulators in a given tick execute at the same time, with a consistent priority (hydrogen manipulation before molecule movement before molecule removal). When it reaches the last of your commands it will loop around again. Each level has you create 120 of a given chemical, which serves to force you to make sure your state is clean after submission; you need to make sure manipulators are in their original position, all chemicals have respawned, and any leftover atoms/molecules are cleaned up (theoretically you can have a continuously advancing state, but good luck with that). The game allows you to test by going through each step, allowing you to see how everything evolves, as well as a fast forward to rapidly churn through everything.
Like I said, this ended up being the easiest of the Zachtronics games. I was able to complete the main campaign in just over four hours. There is a bonus campaign that was created after the game launched, with new input chemicals, not necessarily being bound to organic chemistry (one of the first ones available is sulfur hexafluoride), and many of the puzzles being submitted by players.
1. Underworld Ascendant - PC
2. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - PS3
3. Ni no Kuni - PS3
4. Operencia: The Stolen Sun - PC
5. RPM Racing - PC
6. Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem - PC
7. Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Switch
8. Ni no Kuni II - PS4
9. Everspace - PC
10. PowerSlave Exhumed - PC
11. Horizon Forbidden West - PS5
12. Elden Ring - PS5
13. Shadow Warrior 3 - PC
14. Ghostrunner: Project_Hel - PC
15. Triangle Strategy - Switch
16. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - PC
17. Nightmare Reaper - PC
18. Kur - PC
19. Gundam Versus - PS4
20. BIOTA - PC
21. Chantelise - PC
22. Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii
23. Forgive Me Father - PC
24. Xenoblade Chronicles X - Wii U
25. Steel Assault - Switch
26. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Switch
27. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Switch
28. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country - Switch
29. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Switch
30. Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron - Genesis
31. Postal Brain Damaged - PC
32. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth - PSP
33. Super Cyborg - Switch
34. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 - Switch
35. Stray - PC
36. Live A Live - Switch
37. Subwar 2050 - PC
38. Radical Dreamers - Switch
39. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Switch
40. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 - Switch
41. Soul Hackers 2 - PS5
42. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - NES
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan - GB
44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers - GB
45. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - Genesis
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - SNES
47. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue - GB
48. Molek-Syntez - PC
Molek-Syntez is another game from Zachtronics, so you know what you're in for; lots of puzzle solving with a procedural interface that requires your solution to not just work once, but over and over again. I actually found this to be the easiest of the Zachtronics games I've played so far; only the last couple puzzles required me to back up and restart my approach. The interface is a bit opaque at the start, but once you know what is required it's pretty easy to get into.
The setup is that you have a machine that can take various common industrial chemicals and rearrange them at the molecular level. Thie goal is to use them to create various pharmacological agents. The board is a hex grid in a hex shape, with a manipulator in each corner pointing in towards the center. You start off by placing chemicals from your supply onto the board. If the space a chemical inhabits ever fully empties during processing a new one will spawn; this is important both for loop iterations but also to be aware of mid-processing; this can block the line of sight of your manipulators if you order things wrong.
The manipulators have a few functions. The most important one is adding and removing hydrogen atoms attached to other atoms; those who remember their organic chemistry will see that this allows you to manipulate the bonds between the other atoms; if an atom is completely filled it is standalone, while having one or more empty hydrogen slots allow for single, double, or even triple bonds. The other two functions allow you to manipulate bonded molecules; you can push or pull them one hex toward/away from the emitter, or you can rotate them around the targeted atom. You have the option to move them along the track that makes up the perimeter of the play area. Note that the emitters do not rotate; you'll need to make use of this to hit the various hex sides to do your manipulation. And finally, there are two options that remove stuff from the board. One submits the targeted molecule as a finished product and will fail if you didn't make the right thing. The other erases whatever molecule is targeted; this is important to clear away deadwood at times so that you can respawn inputs.
You set up these commands on a track on the side of the screen. Each row is a time tick, and all commands for the manipulators in a given tick execute at the same time, with a consistent priority (hydrogen manipulation before molecule movement before molecule removal). When it reaches the last of your commands it will loop around again. Each level has you create 120 of a given chemical, which serves to force you to make sure your state is clean after submission; you need to make sure manipulators are in their original position, all chemicals have respawned, and any leftover atoms/molecules are cleaned up (theoretically you can have a continuously advancing state, but good luck with that). The game allows you to test by going through each step, allowing you to see how everything evolves, as well as a fast forward to rapidly churn through everything.
Like I said, this ended up being the easiest of the Zachtronics games. I was able to complete the main campaign in just over four hours. There is a bonus campaign that was created after the game launched, with new input chemicals, not necessarily being bound to organic chemistry (one of the first ones available is sulfur hexafluoride), and many of the puzzles being submitted by players.
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
Re: Games Beaten 2022
Games since last update are in bold.
- Elkin and I tackled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) on the Nintendo Switch release of the Cowabunga Collection. It's a solid port. Most of the music is intact, the presentation is solid, and the network play (for two people, at least) was good. This was a game I played many a time at Pizza Hut as a kid but I never had the pocket change to clear the game, so this was a bit of a bucket list playthrough for me.
- Splatoon 3 is absolutely amazing. The story is bonkers. It jumps the shark. It's the plots of Raiders of the Lost Arc, Armageddon, Sharknado, Kick Ass, and 12 Monkeys all in one batshit crazy experience.
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
Xbox Series S|X
Blood Stained: Curse of the Moon
Blood Stained: Curse of the Moon 2
Megaman 7
Cyberpunk 2077
- Elkin and I tackled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) on the Nintendo Switch release of the Cowabunga Collection. It's a solid port. Most of the music is intact, the presentation is solid, and the network play (for two people, at least) was good. This was a game I played many a time at Pizza Hut as a kid but I never had the pocket change to clear the game, so this was a bit of a bucket list playthrough for me.
- Splatoon 3 is absolutely amazing. The story is bonkers. It jumps the shark. It's the plots of Raiders of the Lost Arc, Armageddon, Sharknado, Kick Ass, and 12 Monkeys all in one batshit crazy experience.
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
Xbox Series S|X
Blood Stained: Curse of the Moon
Blood Stained: Curse of the Moon 2
Megaman 7
Cyberpunk 2077
Maybe now Nintendo will acknowledge Metroid has a fanbase?
-
Markies
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 1415
- Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 4:29 pm
- Location: St. Louis, Missouri
- Contact:
Re: Games Beaten 2022
Markies' Games Beat List Of 2022!
*Denotes Replay For Completion*
1. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (PS3)
2. Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne (XBOX)
3. Streets of Rage 4 (NS)
4. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Master Quest (GCN)
5. Dirge Of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (PS2)
6. Darkstalkers (PS1)
7. Evolution: The World Of Sacred Device (SDC)
8. Ogre Battle 64: Person Of Lordly Calibur (N64)
9. Draogn Quest VI (SNES)
10. Batman: The Video Game (GEN)
11. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES)
12. Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)
13. Pokemon Red (GB)
14. Wii Sports (Wii)
15. Splatoon (WiiU)
16. Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2)
***17. Final Fantasy IX (PS1)***
***18. Out Run (GEN)***
19. Assassin's Creed (PS3)
20. RBI Baseball 2 (NES)
21. Puzzle Kingdoms (Wii)
22. Operation C (GBC)
***23. Illusion Of Gaia (SNES)***
***24. Super Mario Brothers 2 (NES)***
I completed Super Mario Brothers 2 on the Nintendo Entertainment System this evening!
As a kid, Super Mario Brothers 3 was my favorite out of the Mario games. Now, Super Mario World is my favorite Mario game by far. But, I am not really good at platformers, so the original Super Mario Brothers just kind of frustrated me. I never really beat the game until I discovered the Backloggery, which was in my late 20's. But, I absolutely loved Super Mario Brothers 3 and beat it as a teenager. We just kind of skipped over Super Mario Brothers 2. I remember renting it a few times and thought it was weird, but that was about it. I would get to the Desert Level and just die and that was about it. Many years later, I finally bought the game and beat it for myself. I used warps to do it, but I always wanted to do a warpless run. So, I finally sat down and after many tries, I was finally able to accomplish it.
Obviously, the best part about Super Mario Brothers 2 is that the attributes that they give to the characters. From Luigi's jump to Peach's floatiness, those attributes are with those characters to this day. It is impressive to see them stick to it on such a game with a weird history. I also really like the different amount of enemies. After SMB1, it was nice to see something else besides Goombas and Koopas. They are all distinct and have unique personalities. It repeats a bit too much, but the music is also quite timeless.
I just wish the game controlled well. I have never played a Mario game where the characters are so slippery. Every time I grab a vine, I immediately fall off. Also, it is nearly impossible to do precise jumps with the floaty characters as well. Even Mario and Toad are floaty and slippery. It's like the entire game is on ice. Also, the power up system is quite brutal. You have to find these hidden mushrooms to gain Hit Points, but they go away after each level. The mushrooms become harder and harder to find that you only have two hits by the end of the game with almost impossible to find health pickups.
Overall, I respect Super Mario Brothers 2 for what it did to the series, but I am not a big fan of actually playing the game. It is very interesting and the game is quite iconic, but the controls and difficulty make it my least favorite Mario game on the NES. Well, except for Lost Levels/Super Mario Brothers 2 Japan. That game is just punishing and miserable.
*Denotes Replay For Completion*
1. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (PS3)
2. Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne (XBOX)
3. Streets of Rage 4 (NS)
4. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Master Quest (GCN)
5. Dirge Of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (PS2)
6. Darkstalkers (PS1)
7. Evolution: The World Of Sacred Device (SDC)
8. Ogre Battle 64: Person Of Lordly Calibur (N64)
9. Draogn Quest VI (SNES)
10. Batman: The Video Game (GEN)
11. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES)
12. Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)
13. Pokemon Red (GB)
14. Wii Sports (Wii)
15. Splatoon (WiiU)
16. Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2)
***17. Final Fantasy IX (PS1)***
***18. Out Run (GEN)***
19. Assassin's Creed (PS3)
20. RBI Baseball 2 (NES)
21. Puzzle Kingdoms (Wii)
22. Operation C (GBC)
***23. Illusion Of Gaia (SNES)***
***24. Super Mario Brothers 2 (NES)***
I completed Super Mario Brothers 2 on the Nintendo Entertainment System this evening!
As a kid, Super Mario Brothers 3 was my favorite out of the Mario games. Now, Super Mario World is my favorite Mario game by far. But, I am not really good at platformers, so the original Super Mario Brothers just kind of frustrated me. I never really beat the game until I discovered the Backloggery, which was in my late 20's. But, I absolutely loved Super Mario Brothers 3 and beat it as a teenager. We just kind of skipped over Super Mario Brothers 2. I remember renting it a few times and thought it was weird, but that was about it. I would get to the Desert Level and just die and that was about it. Many years later, I finally bought the game and beat it for myself. I used warps to do it, but I always wanted to do a warpless run. So, I finally sat down and after many tries, I was finally able to accomplish it.
Obviously, the best part about Super Mario Brothers 2 is that the attributes that they give to the characters. From Luigi's jump to Peach's floatiness, those attributes are with those characters to this day. It is impressive to see them stick to it on such a game with a weird history. I also really like the different amount of enemies. After SMB1, it was nice to see something else besides Goombas and Koopas. They are all distinct and have unique personalities. It repeats a bit too much, but the music is also quite timeless.
I just wish the game controlled well. I have never played a Mario game where the characters are so slippery. Every time I grab a vine, I immediately fall off. Also, it is nearly impossible to do precise jumps with the floaty characters as well. Even Mario and Toad are floaty and slippery. It's like the entire game is on ice. Also, the power up system is quite brutal. You have to find these hidden mushrooms to gain Hit Points, but they go away after each level. The mushrooms become harder and harder to find that you only have two hits by the end of the game with almost impossible to find health pickups.
Overall, I respect Super Mario Brothers 2 for what it did to the series, but I am not a big fan of actually playing the game. It is very interesting and the game is quite iconic, but the controls and difficulty make it my least favorite Mario game on the NES. Well, except for Lost Levels/Super Mario Brothers 2 Japan. That game is just punishing and miserable.
-
Green_Warrior
- Newbie
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2022 7:31 pm
Re: Games Beaten 2022
Games Beaten:
1. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (GCN)
2. Star Fox Assault (GCN)
3. Luigi's Mansion (GCN)
4. Wario World (GCN)
I continued my Gamecube run with Rogue Squadron 2, but stopped playing about halfway through. It still looks great today, but the game just didn't jive with me. I was hoping for something akin to Star Fox's all-range mode, and I think it ended up being more like a dogfight flight sim. I tried forcing my way through because 2000s Star Wars video games are the golden era to me, but I was not enjoying myself. I was also terrible at it which never helps.
Next I moved on to Wario World. You'd think I would have played a 3D game by Treasure sooner, just out of curiosity, but I never knew they had developed the title until recently. Why? Because their logo isn't even on the game box! Was Nintendo ashamed of their effort? Were they ashamed of their effort?? Whatever the case, I thought it was a pretty good showing by Treasure. It comes nowhere near blowing the mind and gameplay innovations (Which one might expect from Treasure) are non-existent except for how dying and lives are handled.
At its core, Wario World is almost a 1:1 transition of Wario from 2D to 3D. He has a similar move set to the Gameboy games, levels are mostly linear with some exceptions, you have limited camera control, and many of the gameplay hooks involve money. Most platformers of the time either went with an exploratory, open level concept like Mario, or they gave up on having platforming be the main focus and decided to home in on other things, like the Jak & Daxter sequels or Ratchet & Clank. Wario World does neither of these things. It's a straight 3D platforming challenge, and I appreciated that.
Instead of unlocking abilities like the aforementioned titles, Wario can do different things with different enemies he picks up in order to progress. In level 1, you have every single ability that Wario is ever going to have in this game. But the game gets around this with its enemies. If Wario picks up an enemy and spins them around, for example, they can be used to unlock gates or raise platforms. Some enemies need to be driven into a steel latch in order to gain access to the platforming challenges where players can obtain crystals that unlock the boss of the level. There are also mini-bosses that can only be defeated in certain ways. Figuring out their patterns/weaknesses are like small puzzles in and of themselves.
One aspect of Wario World that will remind people of Mario is how many collectables there are. There are the boss crystals, pieces of Wario statues, Wario's "stuff" that was stolen from him at the beginning of the game, little gnome-like creatures that are trapped in boxes, and heart fragments. It's definitely an attempt to have players going back and extending playtime, because otherwise, it's a short game. I didn't mind the length at all, though, because by the end, the game was starting to wear out its welcome.
Wario World makes an excellent first impression. The enemies are wacky, the level locations and designs are fun, its take on players dying is interesting (Wario gets sent to a Pac-Man-like underworld where ghosts shake him down for money until he can find a spring back up to the level), and Wario himself is such a character. He'll pick up enemies and while throwing them, shout, "Have a rotten day!" After defeating the final boss of a world, the camera zooms in on him like he's about to do a heroic pose, but then he does his usual evil laugh, as if to remind you that he's not so much a hero as he is a protagonist. I've noticed that people have started memeing Wario from this game a bit and it's easy to understand why. I laughed or had a stupid grin on my face many-a-time while playing. And remember how I said the enemies were wacky? Each boss in this game is either creepy or hilarious to look at. There's no shortage of creativity with these bosses. I enjoyed every single one of them.
But as mentioned before, the game started to lose its appeal toward the end. Falling off the stage became a more frequent occurrence and I found myself wishing it would just take a life away instead of making me look around for a spring while avoiding ghosts. The sound design is also... how do I put this... intentionally annoying. Pause the game at your own peril, and those gnome-like creatures make a shrill crying noise that will immediately make you think of Navi from Ocarina of Time or Baby Mario from Yoshi's Island. Yep, it's that tier of annoying. Enemies in the final world are often just reskins of older enemies, and the increase in challenge is merely swarming you with more of them in confined spaces. The last full level of the game also attempts to make itself more open, and it just didn't work. You need a functioning camera for something like that.
Outside of getting old a bit quickly, my biggest criticism of the game is the lack of story. Now, Nintendo doesn't often have heavy story-focused games, so that was never my expectation. What I'm saying is that, even compared to something like Mario, Wario World's story is bare bones. The beginning of the game explains to you via text that Wario's stuff was stolen by an evil dark crystal. It took everything from him including his castle. There's no explanation of why he's visiting these four world, what the enemies or bosses have to do with the dark crystal, and you don't even see the dark crystal until the final boss battle of the game! Imagine playing Mario 64 and it's never explained why all the levels are paintings and you don't see Bowser or hear from Peach until the end of the game. That's essentially what Wario World did here. There are some fun, wacky concepts, but none of it feels connected.
Still, outside of those things, Wario World is a fun game in short bursts. It's yet another GC title where the developers never got a chance to improve on things with a sequel. I have fond memories of the Cube, but it was a time of turmoil for Nintendo, too. Wario World feels like their attempt to capture an edgier teen audience, and maybe it would have worked if it had been given more of a chance to succeed. Maybe they just needed a follow-up game or more development time (This game feels very rushed, in spots). I wouldn't put it on Mario's level, but the sheer spectacle and wackiness of Wario World warrants at least one play, if you have the opportunity!
Took me a long time to play through this one. Not because the game was bad, just a lack of free time. I think I'll stick with Gamecube and either go with Mario Sunshine or Custom Robo next!
1. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (GCN)
2. Star Fox Assault (GCN)
3. Luigi's Mansion (GCN)
4. Wario World (GCN)
I continued my Gamecube run with Rogue Squadron 2, but stopped playing about halfway through. It still looks great today, but the game just didn't jive with me. I was hoping for something akin to Star Fox's all-range mode, and I think it ended up being more like a dogfight flight sim. I tried forcing my way through because 2000s Star Wars video games are the golden era to me, but I was not enjoying myself. I was also terrible at it which never helps.
Next I moved on to Wario World. You'd think I would have played a 3D game by Treasure sooner, just out of curiosity, but I never knew they had developed the title until recently. Why? Because their logo isn't even on the game box! Was Nintendo ashamed of their effort? Were they ashamed of their effort?? Whatever the case, I thought it was a pretty good showing by Treasure. It comes nowhere near blowing the mind and gameplay innovations (Which one might expect from Treasure) are non-existent except for how dying and lives are handled.
At its core, Wario World is almost a 1:1 transition of Wario from 2D to 3D. He has a similar move set to the Gameboy games, levels are mostly linear with some exceptions, you have limited camera control, and many of the gameplay hooks involve money. Most platformers of the time either went with an exploratory, open level concept like Mario, or they gave up on having platforming be the main focus and decided to home in on other things, like the Jak & Daxter sequels or Ratchet & Clank. Wario World does neither of these things. It's a straight 3D platforming challenge, and I appreciated that.
Instead of unlocking abilities like the aforementioned titles, Wario can do different things with different enemies he picks up in order to progress. In level 1, you have every single ability that Wario is ever going to have in this game. But the game gets around this with its enemies. If Wario picks up an enemy and spins them around, for example, they can be used to unlock gates or raise platforms. Some enemies need to be driven into a steel latch in order to gain access to the platforming challenges where players can obtain crystals that unlock the boss of the level. There are also mini-bosses that can only be defeated in certain ways. Figuring out their patterns/weaknesses are like small puzzles in and of themselves.
One aspect of Wario World that will remind people of Mario is how many collectables there are. There are the boss crystals, pieces of Wario statues, Wario's "stuff" that was stolen from him at the beginning of the game, little gnome-like creatures that are trapped in boxes, and heart fragments. It's definitely an attempt to have players going back and extending playtime, because otherwise, it's a short game. I didn't mind the length at all, though, because by the end, the game was starting to wear out its welcome.
Wario World makes an excellent first impression. The enemies are wacky, the level locations and designs are fun, its take on players dying is interesting (Wario gets sent to a Pac-Man-like underworld where ghosts shake him down for money until he can find a spring back up to the level), and Wario himself is such a character. He'll pick up enemies and while throwing them, shout, "Have a rotten day!" After defeating the final boss of a world, the camera zooms in on him like he's about to do a heroic pose, but then he does his usual evil laugh, as if to remind you that he's not so much a hero as he is a protagonist. I've noticed that people have started memeing Wario from this game a bit and it's easy to understand why. I laughed or had a stupid grin on my face many-a-time while playing. And remember how I said the enemies were wacky? Each boss in this game is either creepy or hilarious to look at. There's no shortage of creativity with these bosses. I enjoyed every single one of them.
But as mentioned before, the game started to lose its appeal toward the end. Falling off the stage became a more frequent occurrence and I found myself wishing it would just take a life away instead of making me look around for a spring while avoiding ghosts. The sound design is also... how do I put this... intentionally annoying. Pause the game at your own peril, and those gnome-like creatures make a shrill crying noise that will immediately make you think of Navi from Ocarina of Time or Baby Mario from Yoshi's Island. Yep, it's that tier of annoying. Enemies in the final world are often just reskins of older enemies, and the increase in challenge is merely swarming you with more of them in confined spaces. The last full level of the game also attempts to make itself more open, and it just didn't work. You need a functioning camera for something like that.
Outside of getting old a bit quickly, my biggest criticism of the game is the lack of story. Now, Nintendo doesn't often have heavy story-focused games, so that was never my expectation. What I'm saying is that, even compared to something like Mario, Wario World's story is bare bones. The beginning of the game explains to you via text that Wario's stuff was stolen by an evil dark crystal. It took everything from him including his castle. There's no explanation of why he's visiting these four world, what the enemies or bosses have to do with the dark crystal, and you don't even see the dark crystal until the final boss battle of the game! Imagine playing Mario 64 and it's never explained why all the levels are paintings and you don't see Bowser or hear from Peach until the end of the game. That's essentially what Wario World did here. There are some fun, wacky concepts, but none of it feels connected.
Still, outside of those things, Wario World is a fun game in short bursts. It's yet another GC title where the developers never got a chance to improve on things with a sequel. I have fond memories of the Cube, but it was a time of turmoil for Nintendo, too. Wario World feels like their attempt to capture an edgier teen audience, and maybe it would have worked if it had been given more of a chance to succeed. Maybe they just needed a follow-up game or more development time (This game feels very rushed, in spots). I wouldn't put it on Mario's level, but the sheer spectacle and wackiness of Wario World warrants at least one play, if you have the opportunity!
Took me a long time to play through this one. Not because the game was bad, just a lack of free time. I think I'll stick with Gamecube and either go with Mario Sunshine or Custom Robo next!
Re: Games Beaten 2022
Previous Years: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
1. Underworld Ascendant - PC
2. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - PS3
3. Ni no Kuni - PS3
4. Operencia: The Stolen Sun - PC
5. RPM Racing - PC
6. Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem - PC
7. Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Switch
8. Ni no Kuni II - PS4
9. Everspace - PC
10. PowerSlave Exhumed - PC
11. Horizon Forbidden West - PS5
12. Elden Ring - PS5
13. Shadow Warrior 3 - PC
14. Ghostrunner: Project_Hel - PC
15. Triangle Strategy - Switch
16. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - PC
17. Nightmare Reaper - PC
18. Kur - PC
19. Gundam Versus - PS4
20. BIOTA - PC
21. Chantelise - PC
22. Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii
23. Forgive Me Father - PC
24. Xenoblade Chronicles X - Wii U
25. Steel Assault - Switch
26. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Switch
27. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Switch
28. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country - Switch
29. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Switch
30. Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron - Genesis
31. Postal Brain Damaged - PC
32. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth - PSP
33. Super Cyborg - Switch
34. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 - Switch
35. Stray - PC
36. Live A Live - Switch
37. Subwar 2050 - PC
38. Radical Dreamers - Switch
39. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Switch
40. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 - Switch
41. Soul Hackers 2 - PS5
42. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - NES
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan - GB
44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers - GB
45. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - Genesis
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - SNES
47. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue - GB
48. Molek-Syntez - PC
49. Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria - PS2
Valkyrie Profile 2 serves as the perfect sort of generational sequel to the original game; it extends upon the ideas of the first, adds a bunch, and cleans up the storytelling to not be so opaque and hidden. It also adds a ton of new complexity, some of which feels unnecessary, but that's what you get when you're in Tri-Ace land.
The game serves as a prequel to the first game. At the onset the Valkyrie Silmeria had been sealed in the form of a human for not being a fan of Odin's methods. However, unlike normal, here she shared the body with the human consciousness, Alicia, rather than being completely dormant. This allows Alicia and Silmeria to work together. And as the game begins it's discovered that there is something going wrong in Alicia's home country and you need to step in and keep things from escalating into a full war between humans and the gods.
The game continues to use the "one character mapped to each button" combat system of the first, with an emphasis on comboing, but there is a new wrinkle. Instead of the combat being on a fixed screen with a "you go, they go" style, you are now on a free roaming battlefield once you encounter an enemy. The enemies do not move unless you do, so you have time to figure out how you're going to approach the combat. Nearly every combat can be ended by defeating the leader of the formation, and you'll want to focus on this to conserve resources. You can see enemy attack cones as you move around, and if you overlap they'll attack you. You also have a dash move that doesn't cause time to progress, but does use AP.
And AP is the biggest change of all. You have a max of 100 and each attack drains it (different amounts for different attacks). Walking replenishes it, as well as sitting still and hitting a button (but that also lets enemies move). When you are in range of an enemy you can hit one of your attack buttons and begin the combat sequence; this shifts to a side view and lets you activate your warriors to combo the enemy and maybe get a soul crush. These attacks all drain your AP, so if you have everyone with three attack weapons and burned some AP dashing to get into position then you won't be able to use them all. Once you're finished attacking then any enemies with an attack cone overlapping you can attack (or they can switch to a self-centered AOE, in the case of certain enemies). There's an additional consequence of this system; if you get behind an enemy and only use one character to attack you can get in several cycles before they can turn around and counter. This means that a very effective strategy is to only use a single character, as now you have a lot of AP to spam attacks with. Combine with some very good power buffs (which includes buffs for your party being dead) and getting 4x the experience and I found the solo experience (which I switched midway through) to be much easier than using a full party.
The game still lets you drop the various einharjer that you gain. Whereas in the first game it was to get some items and keep from game overing, here it's used to get stat boosting items. You can release an einharjer after it has gained 5 levels since recruitment, and it will give stat boosting items based on its stats on release (so give it good gear and you get good stat items). This is another great way to get some power for your characters.
The game's equipment and skill system is where the other complexity comes in. It's reminiscent of Final Fantasy IX's skill system, but more complicated. You have nine gear slots forming a diamond shape, five of them being specific weapons/armor and the other four being generic accessories. Each piece of gear has a color and a rune. If you an form an unbroken chain of gear of the same color then all of the runes are active. Skills can be learned if you have activated the right runes. You do several battles to learn the skill once it is active, at which point you can equip them (though you have a certain capacity that restricts you to only a few). In addition, the chain of gear of the same color will also buff the stats of that gear; at a full nine pieces it will multiply any special stat buffs by 4x, which is pretty huge. You have to balance learning skills with getting a good gear set, and sometimes you are forced to decide between going for an eight or a nine (as a given weapon class is locked to a color, so that character can only nine in a single color).
Overall, the game is an improvement to the first game in basically every way. Instead of a story hidden behind arbitrary flags that are easy to miss, the game has a more straightforward plot that ties in well with the first game's. If you liked the first then you'll most likely enjoy this one.
1. Underworld Ascendant - PC
2. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - PS3
3. Ni no Kuni - PS3
4. Operencia: The Stolen Sun - PC
5. RPM Racing - PC
6. Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem - PC
7. Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Switch
8. Ni no Kuni II - PS4
9. Everspace - PC
10. PowerSlave Exhumed - PC
11. Horizon Forbidden West - PS5
12. Elden Ring - PS5
13. Shadow Warrior 3 - PC
14. Ghostrunner: Project_Hel - PC
15. Triangle Strategy - Switch
16. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - PC
17. Nightmare Reaper - PC
18. Kur - PC
19. Gundam Versus - PS4
20. BIOTA - PC
21. Chantelise - PC
22. Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii
23. Forgive Me Father - PC
24. Xenoblade Chronicles X - Wii U
25. Steel Assault - Switch
26. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Switch
27. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Switch
28. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country - Switch
29. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Switch
30. Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron - Genesis
31. Postal Brain Damaged - PC
32. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth - PSP
33. Super Cyborg - Switch
34. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 - Switch
35. Stray - PC
36. Live A Live - Switch
37. Subwar 2050 - PC
38. Radical Dreamers - Switch
39. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Switch
40. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 - Switch
41. Soul Hackers 2 - PS5
42. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - NES
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan - GB
44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers - GB
45. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - Genesis
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - SNES
47. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue - GB
48. Molek-Syntez - PC
49. Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria - PS2
Valkyrie Profile 2 serves as the perfect sort of generational sequel to the original game; it extends upon the ideas of the first, adds a bunch, and cleans up the storytelling to not be so opaque and hidden. It also adds a ton of new complexity, some of which feels unnecessary, but that's what you get when you're in Tri-Ace land.
The game serves as a prequel to the first game. At the onset the Valkyrie Silmeria had been sealed in the form of a human for not being a fan of Odin's methods. However, unlike normal, here she shared the body with the human consciousness, Alicia, rather than being completely dormant. This allows Alicia and Silmeria to work together. And as the game begins it's discovered that there is something going wrong in Alicia's home country and you need to step in and keep things from escalating into a full war between humans and the gods.
The game continues to use the "one character mapped to each button" combat system of the first, with an emphasis on comboing, but there is a new wrinkle. Instead of the combat being on a fixed screen with a "you go, they go" style, you are now on a free roaming battlefield once you encounter an enemy. The enemies do not move unless you do, so you have time to figure out how you're going to approach the combat. Nearly every combat can be ended by defeating the leader of the formation, and you'll want to focus on this to conserve resources. You can see enemy attack cones as you move around, and if you overlap they'll attack you. You also have a dash move that doesn't cause time to progress, but does use AP.
And AP is the biggest change of all. You have a max of 100 and each attack drains it (different amounts for different attacks). Walking replenishes it, as well as sitting still and hitting a button (but that also lets enemies move). When you are in range of an enemy you can hit one of your attack buttons and begin the combat sequence; this shifts to a side view and lets you activate your warriors to combo the enemy and maybe get a soul crush. These attacks all drain your AP, so if you have everyone with three attack weapons and burned some AP dashing to get into position then you won't be able to use them all. Once you're finished attacking then any enemies with an attack cone overlapping you can attack (or they can switch to a self-centered AOE, in the case of certain enemies). There's an additional consequence of this system; if you get behind an enemy and only use one character to attack you can get in several cycles before they can turn around and counter. This means that a very effective strategy is to only use a single character, as now you have a lot of AP to spam attacks with. Combine with some very good power buffs (which includes buffs for your party being dead) and getting 4x the experience and I found the solo experience (which I switched midway through) to be much easier than using a full party.
The game still lets you drop the various einharjer that you gain. Whereas in the first game it was to get some items and keep from game overing, here it's used to get stat boosting items. You can release an einharjer after it has gained 5 levels since recruitment, and it will give stat boosting items based on its stats on release (so give it good gear and you get good stat items). This is another great way to get some power for your characters.
The game's equipment and skill system is where the other complexity comes in. It's reminiscent of Final Fantasy IX's skill system, but more complicated. You have nine gear slots forming a diamond shape, five of them being specific weapons/armor and the other four being generic accessories. Each piece of gear has a color and a rune. If you an form an unbroken chain of gear of the same color then all of the runes are active. Skills can be learned if you have activated the right runes. You do several battles to learn the skill once it is active, at which point you can equip them (though you have a certain capacity that restricts you to only a few). In addition, the chain of gear of the same color will also buff the stats of that gear; at a full nine pieces it will multiply any special stat buffs by 4x, which is pretty huge. You have to balance learning skills with getting a good gear set, and sometimes you are forced to decide between going for an eight or a nine (as a given weapon class is locked to a color, so that character can only nine in a single color).
Overall, the game is an improvement to the first game in basically every way. Instead of a story hidden behind arbitrary flags that are easy to miss, the game has a more straightforward plot that ties in well with the first game's. If you liked the first then you'll most likely enjoy this one.
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
-
prfsnl_gmr
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 12202
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:26 pm
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Re: Games Beaten 2022
Great review, Green_Warrior! I love the other Wario games, and I need to play that as soon as I hook my GameCube back up.
…..
First 50
51. Super Cable Boy (Switch)
52. Rainbow Laser Disco Dungeon (Switch)
53. Elden Ring (Xbox)
54. Rite (Switch)
Rite is an indie precision platformer with absolutely stupendous controls. Seriously, the controls are among the best I’ve experienced in any platformer. This fact is critical because the game, and especially the later levels, requires extreme precision. Each of the game’s many levels fits on a single screen, and each can be completed in 15-45 seconds. Outside the opening, however, each level will likely take many attempts, and collecting each of the twenty coins in each level will take many more. Accordingly, there’s quite a bit of content, especially if (like me) you’re a completionist. Obtaining all of the coins in the game opens up some bonus content, The Rite of the Gods. (The last few levels were difficult enough, and I noped out on Rite of the Gods since, and while the game’s still a new release, the current world-record speed run still requires more than a dozen attempts on some of the later levels…) I enjoyed Rite, and while it’s been getting really good reviews, I can’t recommend it to everyone. The last few levels are bracing, even if you’ve played a lot of games like this. Accordingly, fans of the genre should check it out, but those new to the genre may want to start with something else.
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First 50
51. Super Cable Boy (Switch)
52. Rainbow Laser Disco Dungeon (Switch)
53. Elden Ring (Xbox)
54. Rite (Switch)
Rite is an indie precision platformer with absolutely stupendous controls. Seriously, the controls are among the best I’ve experienced in any platformer. This fact is critical because the game, and especially the later levels, requires extreme precision. Each of the game’s many levels fits on a single screen, and each can be completed in 15-45 seconds. Outside the opening, however, each level will likely take many attempts, and collecting each of the twenty coins in each level will take many more. Accordingly, there’s quite a bit of content, especially if (like me) you’re a completionist. Obtaining all of the coins in the game opens up some bonus content, The Rite of the Gods. (The last few levels were difficult enough, and I noped out on Rite of the Gods since, and while the game’s still a new release, the current world-record speed run still requires more than a dozen attempts on some of the later levels…) I enjoyed Rite, and while it’s been getting really good reviews, I can’t recommend it to everyone. The last few levels are bracing, even if you’ve played a lot of games like this. Accordingly, fans of the genre should check it out, but those new to the genre may want to start with something else.