Games Beaten 2014

[Violent By Design]

1. Sonic Triple Trouble - Gamegear - 2D Platformer - 2/4/2014

Well, first game of the year beaten is a short platformer for the Gamegear.

Triple Trouble is probably the definitive Gamegear game, most of the other GG games that are worth noting usually have superior versions for the Master System. Triple Trouble is a true exclusive, can't find this bad boy on the MS.

It gives everything you would want in a Sonic game. It might be the best 8 bit Sonic game I've played, and I'd even take it over some of the more expansive 16 bit ones like CD and 3.

The controls are what you would expect from a Sonic game. The levels are actually quite big, and there are a lot of nooks and crannies to explore.

The emerald stages might be the best ones I've played, and it's pretty fun fighting Nack The Weasel at the end of the bonus stages.

There is a lot of fanfare in this one. A lot of familiar characters and some cool items. Sonic even gets an air-surfboard thingy!

I didn't really play as Tails, but he has an exclusive submarine item that is pretty boss.

Only criticism aside from it being too easy is that Sonic has a really silly spin dash move that is kinda like the one he has in Sonic CD. Thankfully, Sonic has two moves, and the other one is the spin dash from Sonic 2.

Overall, it's worth a quick play through. I'd give it a 5/10. Sonic Pocket Adventure is still the definitive handheld Sonic for me!

[alienjesus]

1. Tearaway- PS Vita
2. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag- PS4
3. Resogun- PS4
4. Super Stardust Delta- PS Vita
5. Galaga Legions DX- PS3

Some of the games I've so far are the following:

• 1.Pokemon Platinum (NDS)
  2.Resident Evil Revelations (Wii U)
  3.Project X Zone (very long game) (3DS)
  4.Gex (Saturn)

Two down off my 2014 to play list!

Urban Chaos (PS2)
Lock's Quest (DS)

Hey guys, thanks for the insights on those games!

[Cronozilla]

I finished Uncharted Golden Abyss on Vita.

I love Uncharted, it's one of my favorite series'. I would rank them with my favorite SNES games, that's how much I like them.

Golden Abyss ...

does not belong in that ranking. It's very average. It does nothing new, or even as well as the other versions. It looks decent and all, but really everything past the character models is just alright. Even on the handheld screen you can see the 2D backgrounds plain as day. Worse than all of this, I think, is that it just didn't get stuff right. You can climb and shoot and cover and all that, but it's tweaked to a point that makes the entire thing feel very cut down and cumbersome.

Enemies are sort of a mix between Uncharted 1 and Time Crisis. Sometimes they fall, sometimes they don't. You can shoot some in the face four times before they die. The Weapons are all very inaccurate, and blind fire is basically useless. It doesn't even slow enemies down.

The game is extremely stingy on cover that actually covers you, you will routinely be shot even though the bullets are visibly ricocheting off the cover. The health isn't very consistent either. It almost seems like, damage from bullets is dynamic based on factors besides what gun it is or the enemy holding it.

There's a pretty noticeable delay when doing actions, as a result the game makes you miss a lot of opportunities. And they actually made directional issues when the camera moves even worse, you're climbing and start going back the other way because the camera decided to move. They also used the long shot 3rd person action set piece camera junk ... and instead of making your character fluid, they change the collision areas and increase friction on walls you can't even see because the surroundings of drake are only a few pixels wide, it just pulls back too far and makes it very difficult to move smoothly. This is always done during sequences where time is of the essence. There were multiple times where I felt that what was happening was exceptionally unfair and due to unpolished work rather than how I was playing.

On top of all of this, the story is completely flat and would only work, maybe, if you had no idea about anything in the other games. Otherwise, it feels like a big missed opportunity. It doesn't really add anything to Drake or Sully, just that they've known each other for a long time. They had opportunity here to expand on Drake's past .. or to even tie the games together, but they didn't even attempt it. All the plot really does is make you question why these other people have never been talked about before.

In replicating the "Uncharted Experience" Golden Abyss seems Uncharted-y, but ultimately is a poor recreation. Which is really disappointing considering this is on the Vita, a fairly powerful machine. At the end of the day the core mechanics just aren't polished like they should be.

As for the vita specific abilities. I couldn't stand swiping the touch screen replacement for QTEs (it makes them WORSE). I thought it was really dumb, and sometimes it didn't even register the right gesture. I liked that climbing and all that stuff is touch screen optional, so it isn't forced, QTEs do not allow that luxury. Actually, I ran into a lot of situations where I didn't want to use the touch screen. For instance, when stuff pops up that you've grabbed, like treasures, it goes to a separate screen ... that can only be navigated using the touch screen (through two layers!). Why!? My hands are already on the buttons. It happens very often, and in the middle of fights.

Rubbing off new found treasure to see what's underneath is pretty neat. I liked that, and I hope there is something similar on PS4 with the touch panel. But this game takes it too far. It gives you a percentage bar and you have to rub off enough dirt (even if it's not the spot that has what Drake is looking for) It can get cumbersome.

There is an entirely new feature, where you ride in boats and use the back panel (or front) to paddle, it's not so bad ... but entirely too long.

The weapons that can zoom .... zoom using the touch screens. Which is great, because you already have your fingers on the rear touch screen which makes it automatically move around and zoom oddly when you go to aim. Because there's no way that'd be annoying, ever.

Finding ripped up paper where you have to solve jigsaw puzzles really slows the game down. It would be fine if it were just a couple times or for something important like a map, but it's not. It's for some piece of paper that gives a clue about some narrative that will be explained to you anyway in the resulting scene. So, it's a waste of time and not at all rewarding.

I don't hate the game. It's pretty decent, not really bad. It's just a poor excuse for Uncharted. The only Uncharted game that's worse is the one they made after this that uses card battles. Finding cards to use in that game while playing Golden Abyss was also, somewhat annoying, mostly because it didn't feel like a bonus, it felt like work, thanks to the touch only menu that has two layers of navigation (minimum) to get back to the game.

All in all. I'm not a fan of this game, but it's not awful or anything.

[ZeroAX]

Games Beaten 2014:

Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies (3DS)

Amazing game. Probably the best in the series so far . The ending was amazing and the new characters were all very likable, specially Athena who is way better than Apollo ever was.

[graffix_13]

Hey guys, thanks for the insights on those games!

Fair enough. I usually type out my thoughts, but on that post the message board timed me out and I had to re-log. It got busy here at work so I just posted the games. Anyways, here are my games and thoughts:

1. Tearaway- PS Vita (Platinum Trophy)
2. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag- PS4 (Platinum Trophy)
3. Resogun- PS4 (Platinum Trophy)
4. Super Stardust Delta- PS Vita
5. Galaga Legions DX- PS3

Tearaway- This was my second (first real 'Vita' game) game for the Vita, and I enjoyed it. It really does a good job incorporating all of the Vita features into gameplay, and it doesn't feel forced. The touch screen, motion control, camera...all of it is used. The game is basically a platformer, and aesthetically it's a world of paper. Yes, paper. Sounds weird but it works. My only complaints are that it is a little 'kiddish' in theme and it is short. Great sounds on this game too. Basically if you have a Vita, play this game.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag- I really like this game for the Pirate aspect. Sailing the open seas, upgrading your ship (hull, cannons, etc), sending other ships "into the drink" OR boarding them and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with their crew. That was great fun. The things that I didn't like (and this goes for all the AC games) is the Assassin/Templar war. I understand this is the backbone of the franchise, but I really don't care for either side honestly. And the modern day crap is terrible. The Animus/Matrix aspect just ruins the story for me. Why can't these games just be set historical games? Why tie in the memory/animus crap? It make work for some people, but I don't like. Other than the story, if you want to play a pirate game, then play this game.

Resogun- Wow. This game is a BLAST. If you like shmups then you have to play this at some point (if you plan on getting a PS4 that is). Even if you're not too good at the genre (like me) this game is still VERY fun and addicting. The learning curve isn't that bad and you'll catch on pretty quick. You can choose between 3 ships: Ferox (Average stats all around), Nemesis (Very agile, fast boost recharge rate) and Phobos (Slow, but heavy firepower and great overcharge). I started with Ferox just to get a handle on the game, but it is the worst ship. Nemesis seems to be the most popular since is has a fast recharge on boost, but Phobos just wrecks bosses. The problem with Phobos is that you just have to survive the level to get to the boss before you can take them out to the woodshed (i.e. burn their ass down). Great, great game. Probably my favorite shmup in my very limited experience with the genre.

Super Stardust Delta- So after my total 'gamergasm' after Resogun, I had to play another shmup immediately. This game was also made my Housemarque and for the Vita. It was good, but I just can't say I enjoyed it as much as Resogun. I think the Vita version of this is way easier than the PS3 version, and this version has 5 mini games specifically for the Vita. I didn't care for any of these mini games honestly, but they use some of the Vita's features (touch screen, tilt function) so that may appeal to some. Overall a little better than average game, but nothing great IMO.

Galaga Legions DX- Ok, now THIS is what I'm talking about! Continuing my shmup theme, this was next on my list. I haven't played Galaga in....well, since the late 80s probably. And I never played much of it. This game seems to be a remake of that game with updated graphics. It's short and easy, but it is FUN.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Assassin's Creed IV Wii U
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon PC
Splinter Cell: Blacklist Wii U
The Wolf Among Us: Episode 1 PC
The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 PC

Wow! What an amazing adventure. I never tried a TellTale game before this one, since The Walking Dead wasn't really a premise that enthused me. I bought this one a while ago based on the visual style and idea and man was it fun. It's almost not a game though, more of a limited interaction movie. Still, it's done so well that it's hard to care. I love the impact dialog has on the game and the quality of the voice acting and visuals. Consider me sold on the TellTale style of game. Lucky for me Episode 2 is out. I guess my only real complaint would be the episodic format. Episode 1 was easily beaten in a single sitting, and I'm sure the other Episodes will be that way as well. Frankly, waiting 3 months for a movie-length episode is probably not the best way of doing things. I'd prefer they had waited and just released a full length product.

[Stark]

Assassin's Creed IV Wii U
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon PC
Splinter Cell: Blacklist Wii U
The Wolf Among Us: Episode 1 PC

Wow! What an amazing adventure. I never tried a TellTale game before this one, since The Walking Dead wasn't really a premise that enthused me. I bought this one a while ago based on the visual style and idea and man was it fun. It's almost not a game though, more of a limited interaction movie. Still, it's done so well that it's hard to care. I love the impact dialog has on the game and the quality of the voice acting and visuals. Consider me sold on the TellTale style of game. Lucky for me Episode 2 is out. I guess my only real complaint would be the episodic format. Episode 1 was easily beaten in a single sitting, and I'm sure the other Episodes will be that way as well. Frankly, waiting 3 months for a movie-length episode is probably not the best way of doing things. I'd prefer they had waited and just released a full length product.

And that title screen! I could sit there for several minutes just listening and watching that. I've heard ep 2 is a bit shorter, which:

I know you said you weren't interested in the premise, but the human drama in TWD is really, really good and the writing is excellent.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Decided to go through it and yeah, it's about a half hour shorter. Damn. And now begins the 3 month wait.

[BurningDoom]

1. Sonic Triple Trouble - Gamegear - 2D Platformer - 2/4/2014

Well, first game of the year beaten is a short platformer for the Gamegear.

Triple Trouble is probably the definitive Gamegear game, most of the other GG games that are worth noting usually have superior versions for the Master System. Triple Trouble is a true exclusive, can't find this bad boy on the MS.

It gives everything you would want in a Sonic game. It might be the best 8 bit Sonic game I've played, and I'd even take it over some of the more expansive 16 bit ones like CD and 3.

The controls are what you would expect from a Sonic game. The levels are actually quite big, and there are a lot of nooks and crannies to explore.

The emerald stages might be the best ones I've played, and it's pretty fun fighting Nack The Weasel at the end of the bonus stages.

There is a lot of fanfare in this one. A lot of familiar characters and some cool items. Sonic even gets an air-surfboard thingy!

I didn't really play as Tails, but he has an exclusive submarine item that is pretty boss.

Only criticism aside from it being too easy is that Sonic has a really silly spin dash move that is kinda like the one he has in Sonic CD. Thankfully, Sonic has two moves, and the other one is the spin dash from Sonic 2.

Overall, it's worth a quick play through. I'd give it a 5/10. Sonic Pocket Adventure is still the definitive handheld Sonic for me!

I agree. Best Sonic game on the Game Gear, easily. And I also agree that Sonic Pocket Adventure is the best handheld Sonic game. That's the one game I really miss after selling my NGPC collection.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Assassin's Creed IV Wii U
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon PC
Splinter Cell: Blacklist Wii U
The Wolf Among Us: Episode 1 PC
The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 PC

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut Wii U

Still the finest single player first person experience released in the last several years, bar none. I adore this game to death and everybody owe's it to themselves to play it. It brings up interesting moral and ideological issues, a gripping story, and wraps in some absolutely amazing open-ended first person stealth and action in a believable neon-orange world. The atmosphere of the game is second to none and it's just so easy to find yourself immersed in the world. I ended up playing through on Deus Ex difficulty, non-lethal, 100% completion.

As far as the Wii U version is concerned; it looks and plays really well. This might be the single best implementation of the gamepad into a more traditional game that you'll find. Everything is intuitive on the touchscreen and non-destracting. I think it's telling how well it's done in that I never once really noticed the gamepad in a way that was obnoxious or jarring. It felt completely natural moving to the touch screen for menus, hacking, and entering codes. The graphics are supposed to be improved in the Director's Cut, bringing the rest of the game up in line with The Missing Link's visuals. Well that's a crock of shit. This version looks and runs far better than any other version on a console, which is nice. However, when you get to The Missing Link the game's visuals take a dramatic turn up and it's very noticeable, especially on the character models. It's also noticeable how much more the framerate tanks in this section. The revamped boss fights are infinitely less frustrating, especially the second through fourth ones, allowing people centralized around hacking and stealth to easily wipe them out in a matter of minutes after some exploration.

So yeah. Still a great game.