Games Beaten 2016

[Xeogred]

Back to the superior Demon's I hope.

- Use a spear or something with range if you really need help
- Armor is basically pointless and the most important thing is being able to fast roll
- Become Super Saiyan

Those are my Demon's starter tips.

I did play a bit more, but it just hasn't "caught" me yet, if you will. It's fun... until I hit a boss, and then I just get frustrated half of the time. Mixing that with still learning the game leaves me frustrated. There are some regular enemies that get me too. Those damn things in 3-1... or the skeletons in 4-1, which I can get past, but can't deal with while also dodging those flying mantas things. Freaking flame-lurker though...

Sounds like my first experience. It's a huge learning curve. You've already made some good progress from the sounds of it, it pays off to stick with it if you're enjoying it. Whenever I got stuck on bosses I'd go and try to get further in other levels, then come back stronger. You could grind on those skeletons for a bit in 4-1 if that helps. Do you have a bow to take out those mantis things? Maybe change up your weapon. I used a spear my first run but regret looking back on that since it's pretty boring haha. The Bastard Sword/Claymore is my main style now in these games.

[MrPopo]

1) The Club - PC

2) Wasteland - PC

Sounds like we may have a convert on our hands. You're quite right in all your critiques of the technical aspects of the game. Although I do take a bit of umbrage at your complaint about not knowing how the combat mechanics work on an algorithmic level without consulting outside help, because JRPGs are exactly the same way. Really, only D&D games escape that because they just adapt the D&D mechanics, so you would know those going in (plus the odd game like Paper Mario that just uses attack - defense = damage). But the rest is spot on. Back in that time there were severe technical limitations and a general lack of UX theory that ended up leading to what you see in CRPGs. But you've also stumbled upon one of their strengths. The devs of the time loved to reach for the stars; they've always been trying to create Morrowind and as a result you see lots of fun ways for players to engage in the world. JRPGs, on the other hand, have always been a much more scripted experience.

[prfsnl_gmr]

1. Ultimate NES Remix (3DS)
2. Space Invaders Infinity Gene (iOS)
3. World of Goo (iOS)
4. A Dark Room (iOS)
5. Shovel Knight (WII U)
6. The Room (iOS)
7. Mega Man 10 (PS3)
8. The Room Two (iOS)
9. Braid (PS3)
10. Kung Fu Fight! (WII U)
11. Kung Fu Rabbit (WII U)
12. Escape Goat (360)
13. Canabalt (iOS)
14. Leo's Fortune (iOS)
15. King's Field: The Ancient City (PS2)
16. Grim Fandango Remastered (iOS)
17. Dust: An Elysian Tale (360)

Grim Fandango has a really great setting, really memorable characters, and a great story. Moreover, the game's mid-section (i.e., year two) is as god as point-and-click adventure games get. The rest of the game is a bit disappointing, however, and it frequently succumbs to some of the same issues that plague other LucasArts adventure games. (That is, too many of the puzzles are unintuitive, and a large par of the game is spent just trying items until the game does something.) I still enjoyed it, however, and I recommend the iOS version to anyone looking to play through this classic game. (It is frequently on sale - I bought my copy of the game for only $5 - and touch controls are perfect for this genre.)

Dust: An Elysian Tale, on the other hand, is an absolutely fantastic game that greatly exceeded my expectations. It has fantastic art direction, and from a gameplay perspective, it is everything I hoped Muramasa: The Demon Blade would be. It is not the very best game in the "metroidvania" genre - the world doesn't "unfold" quite the way it does in Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night - but it comes close to them. Moreover, it has an exceptional, melancholy storyline, some great cameos, and funny tongue-in-cheek references to classic video games. (Fro example, every time you break a wall in the game, it reveals a healing item title "mysterious wall chicken".) I cannot recommend this game highly enough, and anyone who enjoys "metroidvania" games should give it a shot.

[MrPopo]

1. Oni - PC
2. Donkey Kong 64 - N64
3. Yoshi's Story - N64
4. Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide - PC
5. Forsaken 64 - N64
6. Bloodrayne: Betrayal - PSN
7. Fire Emblem Seisen no Keifu - SNES
8. Fire Emblem Shin Monshō no Nazo: Hikari to Kage no Eiyū - Nintendo DS
9. Valkyria Chronicles 3 - PSP
10. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing - DC
11. Rise of the Tomb Raider - PC
12. XCOM 2 - PC
13. Shadowrun Hong Kong Bonus Campaign - PC
14. Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest - 3DS
15. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright - 3DS
16. Lagrange Point - NES
17. Fire Emblem Fates: Revelations - 3DS
18. Cybernator - SNES
19. Outwars - PC
20. Resident Evil - GC
21. Resident Evil 2 - GC

Claire A/Leon B. The alternate scenario thing actually ended up being more interesting than I thought it would. While there is a fair amount of shared content I'd say about 20-30% of it is new, which is just enough that it keeps the game interesting. It also helps that the game is noticeably shorter than RE1. On a blind run I did it in 3:30 and then 2:30, whereas my RE1 run (which included vague memories of previous times I played it) took me 5:30.

RE2 has some weird extremes. The start of the game is far more intense than the start of RE1. You have to run a massive gauntlet of zombies and there are a few large zombie rooms near the start of the Police Station that you have no choice but to go through, while you still have the trademark survival horror limited ammo. But once you get past this initial gauntlet the difficulty really takes a nosedive. The game throws a lot of ammo at you for your better weapons and you quickly find yourself being able to just kill everything in your way. It's even more noticeable of a shift than when you crested the hill in RE1.

The other thing I noticed was the middle of the game was extremely linear. The beginning at the Police Station is fairly close to the experience of exploring the mansion, but then the sewers and the factory are just a straight shot through the environments. And then the end lab ends up being less interesting than the end lab in RE1, though at least it was less linear feeling than the middle parts of the game.

And the true ending includes some awesome music over the credits. Rock that bass Capcom!

[noiseredux]

I like seeing you on the RE kick.

[Sarge]

Yes, loved Dust a ton. Really well made, and it was indeed what I would have hoped from Muramasa. It takes a little bit to really get rolling, but once it does, it's a wonderful exploratory platformer. A lot of people might go, "eww, furries!", but the game plays it entirely straight.

And my understanding is that it was almost entirely one guy that put it together.

[ElkinFencer10]

A lot of people might go, "eww, furries!", but the game plays it entirely straight.

The people who let a simple stylistic choice (which was extremely well done in that game) turn them off of a game without even trying it are missing a GREAT experience. I've played through that game on Xbox 360 and on PC. It's truly fantastic.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I'm glad other people liked it as much as I did. It really is fantastic, and I had to explore every inch of the game's world before letting it go.

[Sarge]

This is a good read, if you haven't already read it. Fascinating stuff.

[Exhuminator]

Ex's 2016 beat list:

1. Mega Man ZX Advent|DS|2007|platformer|8h|7/10
2. King's Field III: Pilot Style|PS1|1996|dungeon crawler|1h|8/10
3. Sleeping Dogs|360|2012|action-adventure|20h 45m|8/10
4. Sleepings Dogs: NiNP DLC|360|2012|action adventure|1h 22m|5/10
5. Chikyuu Kaihou Gun ZAS|GB|1992|shmup|33m|8/10
6. Vattle Giuce|GB|1991|shmup|45m|5/10
7. MechWarrior 2 (Clan Wolf)|PS1|1997|mech sim|2h 35m|7/10
8. Gradius: The Interstellar Assault|GB|1992|shmup|27m|8/10
9. SolarStriker|GB|1990|shmup|23m|7/10
10. Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1999|fighter|45m|6/10
11. Dead or Alive (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1998|fighter|23m|5/10
12. Asuka 120% Burning Festival Final (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1999|fighter|26m|8/10
13. Soul Blade (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1997|fighter|18m|9/10
14. Trax|GB|1991|shmup|23m|7/10
15. Street Fighter: The Movie (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1995|fighter|36m|5/10
16. Warpath: Jurassic Park (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1999|fighter|17m|4/10
17. Psychic Force (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1997|fighter|22m|7/10
18. Touki Denshou: Angel Eyes (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1997|fighter|27m|7/10
19. Advanced V.G. 2 (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1998|fighter|15m|8/10
20. StarHawk|GB|1993|shmup|1h 15m|4/10
21. Nemesis|GB|1990|shmup|28m|7/10
22. Cardinal Syn (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1998|fighter|54m|7/10
23. Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1997|fighter|15m|7/10
24. Street Fighter EX 2 Plus (Arcade Mode)|PS1|1999|fighter|22m|8/10
25. Battle Unit Zeoth|GB|1991|shmup|24m|6/10
26. Soul Calibur IV (Arcade Mode)|360|2008|fighter|12m|9/10
27. Mercenary Force|GB|1990|shmup|54m|5/10
28. Battle Arena Toshinden (Story Mode)|GB|1996|fighter|12m|8/10
29. Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dreams (Arcade Mode)|GBC|1999|fighter|10m|7/10
30. SD Hiryu No Ken EX (Story Mode)|GBC|1999|fighter|24m|7/10
31. Guilty Gear X: Advance Edition (Arcade Mode)|GBA|2002|fighter|8m|6/10
32. Super Street Fighter II Turbo: Revival (Arcade Mode)|GBA|2001|fighter|10m|7/10
33. Dual Blades (Arcade Mode)|GBA|2002|fighter|23m|4/10
34. Gradius Galaxies|GBA|2001|shmup|1hr 24m|8/10
35. Tekken Advance (Arcade Mode)|GBA|2002|fighter|15m|7/10
36. Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Arcade Mode)|GBA|2002|fighter|22m|7/10
37. Black Belt Challenge (Arcade Mode)|GBA|2002|fighter|8m|4/10
38. Iridion II|GBA|2003|shmup|58m|9/10
39. King's Field III|PS1|1996|dungeon crawler|25h|9/10
40. Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel|360|2013|cover shooter|7h 54m|7/10
41. Panzer Dragoon|Saturn|1995|rail shooter|55m|7/10
42. Panzer Dragoon II Zwei|Saturn|1996|rail shooter|1h 25m|8/10
43. Kirby Air Ride|GameCube|2003|kart racer|45m|6/10
44. Mario Kart: Double Dash!!|GameCube|2003|kart racer|35m|8/10
45. Bloody Roar: Primal Fury (Arcade Mode)|GameCube|2002|fighter|35m|8/10
46. XG3: Extreme G Racing|GameCube|2001|racer|1h 35m|7/10
47. Mario Kart 7|3DS|2011|kart racer|1h 54m|9/10
48. Code of Princess|3DS|2012|beat 'em up|4h 25m|7/10
49. Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy|3DS|2011|flight sim|3h 42m|7/10
50. Crimson Shroud|3DS|2012|JRPG|6h 55m|7/10
51. Gunman Clive|3DS|2013|platformer|54m|7/10
52. Gunman Clive 2|3DS|2015|platformer|1h 30m|7/10
53. Attack of the Friday Monsters!|3DS|2013|adventure|3h 2m|8/10
54. Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception|PSP|2006|flight combat|2h 25m|8/10
55. Ace Combat: Joint Assault|PSP|2010|flight combat|6h 26m|4/10

56. Nayuta: Endless Trails|PSP|2012|action-RPG|16h 03m|8/10

Nayuta no Kiseki, or rather, Nayuta: Endless Trails, represents Falcom hybridizing two of their flagship products; The Legend of Heroes and Ys. That is to say; Nayuta serves as a gaiden story in the TLoH universe, while utilizing the lessons learned creating action combat Ys ARPGs. In some ways we get the best of both worlds with this game, but that's not to say Nayuta is perfect by any means.



Focusing on the positive first, Nayuta: Endless Trails is a really fun game to play, when you're deep in a tricky dungeon, taking down baddies left and right, negotiating tricky platforming in tandem. Indeed, Nayuta's focus on strong platforming gameplay differentiates it from the Ys series, in which Ys' platform jumping is of limited availability and complexity. Going forward still, Nayuta's dungeons at times incorporate puzzles that wouldn't be out of place in a Zelda game. And best of all, Nayuta: Endless Trails' many boss battles are each and every one a treat to overcome. All of this means that when Nayuta: Endless Trails is firing on all cylinders, its gameplay is pure action-RPG bliss.

To make things even more entertaining, Nayuta has both amazing graphics and phenomenal music. Character models are animated very well, and backgrounds are extremely well made, utilizing intricate detail and a lot of moving parts. The OST is provided by the legendary JDK soundteam, and they pull off truly magnificent music here. Everything from sombre reminiscence to full own rock bombast is present. I sincerely doubt your eyes or ears will be disappointed by what Nayuta: Endless Trails pulls off on the PSP. Did I mention the controls are simple, responsive, and work beautifully?



In addition to all described above, there are mini games available of sorts. Nayuta runs a side business where he helps fellow villagers with their personal problems. These issues serve as side quests, and there's plenty of them. Also, Nayuta can help to build a huge museum showcasing all the fossils he finds throughout his adventures. Nayuta can also collect ingredients and cook his own bento boxes (HP restoratives) using techniques he learns from his sister. You can also collect star shards that allow you to learn more about the world by viewing them with a special device. And there's even more complexity to the gameplay than that, a lot more, but I'll leave some surprises for the reader.



Now for complaints. I don't have many, but I have some. First off, Nayuta takes about an hour and a half to really get going. The first hour and a half is spent on dialogue exposition and NPC/world building. Frankly, it's a bit of slog, and really sets the wrong pace for what this game's actually about. And the dialogue exposition remains a constant problem throughout the experience. Characters will banter far more than you'll care for them to. And fairly often you'll hit series of cutscenes that just go on and on and on. This would be okay if the plot was worth expounding upon, but it isn't. To be frank, Nayuta: Endless Trails' story is crap. It's not worth talking about, and it's not worth reading about for hundreds of dialogue boxes throughout the game. Thankfully there is a fast forward button to skip all these diatribes and get back to the meaty action.



If you are looking for a fun and substantial action-RPG, I strongly recommend Nayuta: Endless Trails. It's a visual and aural feast, with excellent gameplay to back up those top tier aesthetics. However, its plot is pretty bad with dialogue that's often a slog. If you can deal with those aspects, the rest of the experience is fine ARPG dining for all genre connoisseurs. Nayuta: Endless Trails is well made, full of pleasant surprises, and it's made by Falcom so you know it's good.

(Reviewer's note: This game has an English fan translation, I played version 4.14 of it, and all was OK.)