Games Beaten 2014

[emwearz]

1. Back to the Future: The Game - PC
2. Syndicate - PC
3. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - PC
4. Resident Evil: Revelations - 3DS
5. The Walking Dead - PC
6. The Walking Dead: 400 Days - PC
7. Cyber-Lip - Neo Geo (Via Neo Geo X)
8. Metal Slug 4 - PS2
9. Aliens: Colonial Marines - Stasis Interrupted (DLC) - PC
10. Metal Slug Advance - GBA (Via Emulation)
11. Assassins Creed III: Liberation HD - PC
12. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations - NDS
13. Sam & Max Save the World - PC
14. Bust-a-Move Pocket - NGPC (Via Emulation)

Total for 2014: 14

Sam & Max Save the World - PC
I love Sam & Max hit the road, it was one of those games from my childhood that just stuck with me and helped me realise when I was younger that it was okay to be different and 'weird'.

When I heard a sequel was finally being made , after all the years of teasing, I was excited. I purchased a physical copy from the story and played it for about 30 minutes and utterly hated it. The flow was gone, the clover puzzles were gone and I felt most of Max's personality was gone.

I decided I would play through the whole first season no matter what and the end result is that it was below par most of the time. Some episodes (The Mafia and Cyber Worlds) were enjoyable, but some (the first two were horrid) were just painful to finish and an utter chore. I will play Season 2 only out of respect for some of the other Telltale games I have played, but Season One was pretty average, at best.

Bust-a-Move Pocket - NGPC (Via Emulation)
I saw Noise finish this and for some reason wanted to play it. The game has made me want a NGPC, I am sure in the next few weeks quite a few of my completed games with be NGPC games. It is nothing special for a BaM game, but it does everything right and the boards are mostly enjoyable.

[noiseredux]

Bust-a-Move Pocket - NGPC (Via Emulation)
I saw Noise finish this and for some reason wanted to play it. The game has made me want a NGPC, I am sure in the next few weeks quite a few of my completed games with be NGPC games.

I've had this effect on people lately. Stark just bought one too. Haha.

[emwearz]

Bust-a-Move Pocket - NGPC (Via Emulation)
I saw Noise finish this and for some reason wanted to play it. The game has made me want a NGPC, I am sure in the next few weeks quite a few of my completed games with be NGPC games.

I've had this effect on people lately. Stark just bought one too. Haha.

Well the Neo Geo X has got me in the SNK mood as of late. I am hoping I can find a NGPC on the cheap on eBay, most seem to be about $100 when factoring in shipping to Aus, which I may be wrong but don't think it ever launched here.

So I am on the hunt!

[isiolia]

1.) Beyond: Two Souls (PS3)
2.) Remember Me (PC)
3.) Mirror's Edge (PC)
4.) Jumping Flash! (PS1)
5.) Run Saber (SNES)
6.) Heavenly Sword (PS3)
7.) X-Blades (360)
8.) Blades of Time (360)
9.) Trapt (PS2)
10.) Hunted: The Demon's Forge (360)
11.) Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
12.) Venetica (PC)
13.) Metal Gear (MSX)
14.) Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX)
15.) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD Edition (PS3)
16.) Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)
17.) Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD Edition (PS3)
18.) Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Gamecube)
19.) Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty HD Edition (PS3)
20.) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

Thoughts

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty HD Edition
I’d originally, and last, played this back when it came out. The advancements it brought to the MGS formula aren’t as obvious now, seeing how they were incorporated into every subsequent game.
The plot…ehhh, knowing where it fits into the larger plot arc makes it a little more cohesive, but I think it’s still a bit of a mixed bag. Still, it’s a solid evolution for the series, while still being relatively simple (in terms of gameplay), compared to the self-indulgence of Snake Eater.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
This was the first game I played on PS3, seeing as the first one I bought included it. I hadn’t played it since then though, and the patches since then added in trophies, along with a pre-install option that kept things a lot more seamless.
Similar to MGS2, the actual gameplay for 4 is great. You know, when it actually lets you play. As a self-aware finale (at least at the time), it tries to retread a lot of previous elements for the series. Like with 2, I’m not sure on the eventual direction the story takes, but at least in the process it delivers some great game sequences and memorable bosses.
Things are re-simplified from MGS3, if not made extremely easy due to being able to buy ammo, weapons, upgrades, and so on whenever. I suppose it’s needed, to a point, due to the degree of linearity that the game has compared to other entries.
Great finale for fans…but I could see someone starting with this game being very lost.

[Xeogred]

1. Dead Space 3* + Awakened (PS3)
2. Legend of Zelda Wind Waker HD (WiiU)
3. Super Metroid* (WiiU)
4. Binary Domain (PS3)
5. New Super Mario Bros U (WiiU)
6. Silent Hill 4 The Room (PS2)
7. Deus Ex: HR* Director's Cut (WiiU)
8. Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
9. Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze (WiiU)
10. Resident Evil 6 (PS3)

* = replay

Resident Evil 6... I thought it was...

... okay? Fans seem mixed on some of the newer ones, and I personally thought Revelations was awful. It probably doesn't help that I checked it out directly after replaying RE4 and RE5, so the controls, hit detection, everything was a major step down and didn't help. Beyond that, it was just so boring with some of the worst characters in the series by far (Asshole and Dickweed or some stupid names like that for the two hacker guys? Then that one girl Chris was paired up with... fork to a plate bad).

RE6 on the other was, as I had heard here and there, a good action game. That's what you get. That's what it is. It's not amazing, it's nowhere near as good as Dead Space or anything, but it was decent. Overall it was mainly a filler game for me off and on the last few months... but even if I blasted through it, it would have taken awhile. This game is seriously probably 20 hours long or something, with 4 character campaigns, bloated is an understatement.

Leon's campaign was the worst by a long shot to me. A throwback to the originals? Hardly, these puzzles don't even count, there is no inventory management/item shop or anything to do beyond picking up points to buy skills outside of the game (this system was terrible). Oh and his partner Helena was terrible. Why oh why does Capcom have to keep pooping out more pointless characters in this series when they already have a dozen good ones to work with, which is already more than enough!

Chris' campaign was way better, because it doesn't try to be something that it's designed not to be... this gets right to the point, gives you the artillery, and you go around shooting things with full power. His character was a bit out of place off and on, but his campaign was just straight up more "fun" than Leon's, simply put.

Another worthless sidekick though, totally forgettable.

Jake's campaign... awkward at first, but he kind of grew on me and FINALLY a good team here with Sherry (from RE2). Better chemistry, I don't know, but it was fun to finally care about my partner somewhat. His campaign was pretty good and had a decent environment variety (same with Chris', I thought Leon's level design was bad too). There was this big new enemy that chases you throughout most of his campaign, a throwback to the Nemesis in a way I guess.

Ada's campaign wasn't bad. Ada was Ada, always there at the right time. But her entire campaign is mostly recycled levels from the previous campaigns, so nothing too exciting there.

The story wasn't as bad as I was expecting and I figured this would be the catalyst sending the series off into some crazy direction, but I think with these C-Virus events and this "war" of sorts done, this can be recovered from pretty easily and the series can keep going. It's easy to say without Mikami though that this series has no direction at all, though even he's a bit guilty for RE4 sidetracking things. After that... RE5 was quite possibly the best one in terms of plot since the first three and Code Veronica. Both Revelations and RE6 have plots that are mostly within their game themselves and don't move much forward at all while not completely ruining anything either.

To save this series, this is what I'd do:
- Bring Wesker back. Who cares how, it's Wesker. He's the iconic villain.
- For for the love of all that is holy, NO MORE NEW CHARACTERS. They are sitting on gold here with some good potential combos (if they HAVE to keep doing that), how about truly seeing Chris and Jill team up again, or Leon and Ada which has been a long way coming. Throw Claire back in somehow. This is all they need, PLEASE!
- Just stop with the QTE's, seriously.
- And no more chase scenes with instant deaths. I think RE6 had 1,000 of those.

Is the joke on me? Who knows. I've played worse, but I know this is one that'll be on the shelf forever now, never to be touched again.

5-6 out of 10. Average filler.

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze - Posted some thoughts in comparison to Returns a bit earlier in the Wii U thoughts thread:

I wrapped up Tropical Freeze tonight and I'm actually not sure what to think. Although the levels are larger, overall this game still felt shorter than Returns? The environment variety didn't seem as diverse either. Although, major plus and props to the water world since Returns lacked anything and everything to do with water.

I loved it and did play both back to back within the last couple of weeks though, so maybe it's just all blending in and jumping into Tropical Freeze right after Returns made it easier than it would have been otherwise. Overall it was harder towards the end there, but right when it was ramping up it felt like it abruptly came to an end.

That said I kind of raced through Returns, but with this one I want to go back and take my time exploring the levels more and finding all the puzzle pieces and stuff. I also missed several of the secret paths and extra levels, so that's something to look forward to.

[ExedExes]

1. Metal Gear - NES (February 27)
2. Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault (March 4)
3. *NEW* Thunderbirds - NES (March 9)

In red because it's part of the "Exed vs. NES" series. I was gonna go with a few more games starting with the letter A, but I remember when this one was released to emulation by way of Vertigo's NES packs (that shows my emu age pretty well), and I had a blast with it.

Based on the 1960's UK children's series by Gerry Anderson, this is a shmup developed by Pack-In Video, well known (or unknown) for Rambo also on the NES. The evil Hood threatens to decimate the earth with meteors using energy sources found on the planet, and the Thunderbirds have 60 days (in game time) to counter the threat. All the cool vehicles from the show are featured; Thunderbird 1 to 4 and some of the special pod vehicles Thunderbird 2 deploys such as the Laser Cutter, Mole, and Firefly. The music is surprisingly good, however the enemy designs and frequency can get repetitive, and watch out not to come in contact with solid objects, because 3 hits and then you lose a few days while your ship is repaired. Your ship also gets options which you can set to the sides, straight back, diagonal, or rotating. Despite some of the issues, there's just enough to make this one worth a look.

[Flake]

1/12: Kirby's Adventure (NES)
1/20: Injustice: Gods Among US (WiiU)
1/25: Super Mario 3D World (WiiU)
1/29: Metroid Fusion (GBA)
1/30: Metroid II: The Return of Samus (GB)
2/8: Metroid Zero Mission (GBA)
2/23: Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (WiiU)
3/9: Megaman Zero (DS)

Every time I play the original Megaman Zero, I come away with a different experience. I have a complex relationship with this game. It is at the same time the game I wish the X series had evolved into and also a pale shadow of what the X series originally was.

The gameplay is wonderful. The difficulty is cranked up to high but not impossible and learning a bosses patterns is a really, really rewarding experience. The mandatory boss rush at the end of the game feels less like the chore it usually is in MM games and more like an opportunity to see how much your mastery over Zero has grown. Some of the fights feel akin to dancing and with the exception of the original Megaman X, there are no boss fights in the entire franchise as satisfying as what Megaman Zero offers.

On the other hand, the story tries so hard to be big and dark and important and then fucks it up in that oh-so-Japanese-developer way as random ideas are juxtaposed together (cyber elves and a post-apocalyptic land scape? Umm, okay) and the end result just screams of a situation where whoever was overseeing the project either lacked the strength to tell his team 'no' or the wisdom to recognize where less can be more. If the story had stayed a straight continuation of the Maverick Wars of the X series, there would have been fewer moments where I felt embarrassed to be playing such a game and I think the drama between Zero and the antagonists would have felt much more intense. The addition of the random cute crap and saccharine sweet moments made the sum of the game less than what some of its parts could have amounted too if left alone.

Megaman Zero reminds me of how good Megaman games used to be - and why I'm sometimes glad Capcom has decided to let the franchise rot on the vine.

[BogusMeatFactory]

On the other hand, the story tries so hard to be big and dark and important and then fucks it up in that oh-so-Japanese-developer way as random ideas are juxtaposed together (cyber elves and a post-apocalyptic land scape? Umm, okay) and the end result just screams of a situation where whoever was overseeing the project either lacked the strength to tell his team 'no' or the wisdom to recognize where less can be more. If the story had stayed a straight continuation of the Maverick Wars of the X series, there would have been fewer moments where I felt embarrassed to be playing such a game and I think the drama between Zero and the antagonists would have felt much more intense. The addition of the random cute crap and saccharine sweet moments made the sum of the game less than what some of its parts could have amounted too if left alone.

Megaman Zero reminds me of how good Megaman games used to be - and why I'm sometimes glad Capcom has decided to let the franchise rot on the vine.

I remember reading what Inafune said his plan was for the Megaman X series and how his original story elements were not allowed to come to fruition, having them mangled into what we now know as Megaman Zero. I really feel that Megaman was a series that has continuously been pushed and pulled into so many out of control directions, making painful to watch.

[Xeogred]

I can't remember exactly how things played out for each individual Zero game story wise, but I do remember the experience overall across the 4 games was pretty amazing and rewarding. The finale felt like the battle with Zeromus or something and finally, it had a real conclusive ending to a Megaman arc haha.

[Stark]

Bust-a-Move Pocket - NGPC (Via Emulation)
I saw Noise finish this and for some reason wanted to play it. The game has made me want a NGPC, I am sure in the next few weeks quite a few of my completed games with be NGPC games.

I've had this effect on people lately. Stark just bought one too. Haha.

Didn't make it before the weekend.