Games Beaten : 2011

[Flake]

@SwooshBear - You first.

What about X8? Is that any good?

Most people like it. I hated it. I plan on giving it a second chance. I've noticed this year that I have grown to like a lot of games I didn't like before. I think that my tastes as a gamer are changing or maybe my fanboyism for certain gaming staples is fading away.

[Ack]

I happen to be one of those guys that dislikes Mega Man 8, in part because of the cutesy look, yes. But with the mixed in anime sequences, split segments of 4 master robots instead of 8, and frankly some boss concepts I simply didn't like...well, it just didn't feel like a real Mega Man game to me, at least not one in the mainline. I have still beaten it, but it's not one I go back to.

Since I've gone back and spent some time with the later editions of the GB games, I've come to see some real value in the 'split' presentation of the bosses. One of the biggest problems in the post Mega Man 3 NES titles is that there was little incentive to use your special weapons to proceed through levels - it was easy enough just to power shot your way through.

With the split boss method, the designers have 4 levels to play with where they absolutely 100% know that you're going to have 4 specific weapons. That gives them the chance to design levels like Sword Man and Astro Man's where you have to use some real problem solving skills. It really fleshes out the game when I HAVE to use the special weapons.

I can see that, but at the same time I dislike having to use special weapons to make it through a level, for two reasons: 1) I dislike having to waste the limited number of resources for a special weapon on things I consider trivial, and 2) I dislike being forced into beating the enemies in a specific order. One of the things I always enjoyed was the openness of the 8 master robots. I could pick and choose what order I wanted to take them on in.

As for the Game Boy games, they provided a mixture of enemies from different games, so splitting it to keep each group separate made sense to me. One of the things I didn't really like about the Game Boy games (I've beaten a couple of the GB ones) is that that split caused certain weapons to lose usefulness, as the devs would stop using them in later levels. At least, that's what I recall happening.

[Gamerforlife]

@SwooshBear - You first.

What about X8? Is that any good?

It's solid, the problem with X8 is that it came out after X6 and X7 had already left a bad taste in people's mouths. Too little, too late. It's a return to 2d gameplay(unlike X7)and it's not as poorly designed as X6. However, it still has a few missteps in its crappy vehicle riding stages and doesn't really succeed in recapturing the series glory. I like the fact that you can unlock the navigators though. It's cool being able to play a Mega Man game with a female. Overall, it's not a bad game. I just wished they had ditched the 3D look and dropped Axle from the series as he is so completely pointless

X8 ended the series on a respectable note I think, but it was still past its prime. I personally rate X5 as the last great X game

[brunoafh]

I'll throw my hat in the ring and say X6 wasn't that bad, I put it higher than X5 to be honest. I didn't like the gimmicks going on in X5, and I remember thinking X6 had some sweet level design. Either way, X4 is miles better than both of them.

X7 I could not get into one bit. It just... in addition to being a complete departure from the formula we know and love, it was just a very poorly made game in my opinion. I hated Axel as well. I've yet to play X8, might have to give it a go some day.

[Gamerforlife]

I'll throw my hat in the ring and say X6 wasn't that bad, I put it higher than X5 to be honest. I didn't like the gimmicks going on in X5, and I remember thinking X6 had some sweet level design. Either way, X4 is miles better than both of them.

X7 I could not get into one bit. It just... in addition to being a complete departure from the formula we know and love, it was just a very poorly made game in my opinion. I hated Axel as well. I've yet to play X8, might have to give it a go some day.

Yeah, X4 is my personal favorite out of all of them.

Another cool thing with X8 is the tag team feature like you see in those Marvel vs Capcom games where you can switch characters or do team super attacks. It's actually kind of cool when you unlock the navigators as they are clones of the main characters so you can use Zero and bring in his female counterpart and have two light sabre wielding badasses. Kind of fun teaming them up since she subtly flirts with him throughout the game

Some other cool stuff, the game has a pretty cool upgrade system and armors for everyone, a rank system for each stage, new game plus and a hard mode that must be played to see everything. If nothing else, I'd say X8 is definitely more fun than X7 was

[SwooshBear]

@SwooshBear - You first.

I would if I could, but I would have to beat X1-X6 first. I'm one of those "beat the game series in order" type of gamers. Plus I suck at Mega Man games in general
Still looking for X1 Snes version btw

[noiseredux]

1. Mercs (PS2)
2. Darkstalkers 3 (PS1)
3. House Of The Dead Overkill (Wii)
4. Mega Man 3 (PS2)
5. Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (PS2)
6. Halo 2600 (Atari 2600)
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)
8. Castlevania Chronicles (PS1)
9. Shadow Of The Colossus (PS2)
10. Capcom Vs. SNK Pro (PS1)
11. Capcom Vs. SNK 2: Mark Of The Millennium (PS2)
12. Super Street Fighter IV (PS3)
13. Mobile Light Force (PS1)
14. Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 (PS3)
15. Galaga Arrangement (PSP)

Galaga Arrangement is a remake of Galaga (duh) from the Namco Museum Battle Collection. What I thought was really great about it is that it retained a lot of the core gameplay of Galaga, but then added things without really taking much away. I thought it handled well, had really good music, good visuals, and the action actually got really fast paced towards the end of the game. I also really liked the huge insect bosses... a very cool touch. I've played a handful of Galaga sequels, but this is probably my favorite since the original.

[dsheinem]

I've played a handful of Galaga sequels, but this is probably my favorite since the original.

Have you played the bizarro but still fun on-rails Galaga Remix game found on the Wii Namco Collection?

[noiseredux]

I've played a handful of Galaga sequels, but this is probably my favorite since the original.

Have you played the bizarro but still fun on-rails Galaga Remix game found on the Wii Namco Collection?

nope. I kind of figured the Wii Namco Collection would have been the same as the GameCube one.

[emwearz]

Plants Vs Zombies - PC
Halo 3: ODST - 360
Enslaved: Odyssey To The West - 360
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - NDS
Unreal Tournament 3 - 360
Dead Space - 360
Harms Way - XBLA
Starfox Assault - GC
Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift - IOS
The House of the Dead: Overkill - Wii
Fallout 3 - 360
Peggle Extreme - PC
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast - PC
Marvel Vs Capcom 3 - 360
Portal - PC
The Great Gatsby - Browser
Kirby Super Star Ultra - NDS
Bulletstorm - PC
Half Life: Source - PC
Probotector - NES
Fable III - 360
Perfect Dark - N64
Crysis 2 - 360
Final Fantasy XIII - 360
Portal 2 - 360
Half Life 2 - 360
Machinarium - PC
King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (AGDInteractive Remake) - PC
Half Life 2: Episode 1 - 360
Tony Hawk's Project 8 - 360
King's Quest II: Romancing The Stones (AGDInteractive Remake) - PC

Total Games for 2011: 31

Thoughts on the Game(s)
While the second outing improved amongst the first in most ways, I did not really enjoy the first half of the game, it was not until I got the the castle that I found myself having to keep playing until I have finished it.

While I still died quite a lot, after the first game I found myself constantly saving just to be save, also this game is far more linear than the first, I don't think there are any dead ends in it compared to the ones found in the first and for that, it was quite a bit easier, my only issue with it was sometimes I felt a bit lost as to what I should be doing, but overall it bettered the first in most ways.

I might wait awhile before playing III, I feel very Kings Quested out.

EDIT: I must have counted wrong at some point, I am at 31 games completed this year, not 30.