Games Beaten 2014

[Ziggy]

1. LittleBigPlanet Karting (PS3)
2. Mega Man X (SNES)
3. Mega Man X2 (SNES)
4. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
5. Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)
6. Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
7. Resident Evil 4 (Wii)

Again, I only started keeping a games beaten list a couple months back. There might be a few that I've beaten this year but forgotten about. Still, the list is pretty pathetic compared to most of yous. Definitely a great way to keep track of my gaming habits. I never really cared, but this thread actually does a good job at motivating you to beat games. I'm looking forward to a fresh start next year.

I just beat RE4. I've been talking about it in the Random Gaming Thoughts thread. I had a blast playing through it. I'm definitely gonna play the unlocked extra modes. After that, I think I'm gonna replay the game. I actually feel like starting over right now, but I'd like to check out Separate Ways and the other unlocked modes first. After that, I might play through the game with the Chicago Typewriter and Infinite Rocket Launcher and just annihilate everything.

[alienjesus]

First 50:

1. Kirby's Epic Yarn Wii
2. To The Moon Christmas Special PC
3. Super Mario 3D World Wii U
4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Wii U
5. Chiki Chiki Boys Mega Drive
6. World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Mega Drive
7. Metal Gear PSVita
8. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake PSVita
9. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy 3DS
10. Akai Katana 360
11. Metal Gear Solid GBC
12. Atelier Totori Plus: The Adventurer of Arland PSN
13. Tearaway PSN
14. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA ƒ PSN
15. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA 2nd PSP
16. Final Fantasy VII PS1
17. Dead or Alive 5 Plus PSVita
18. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds 3DS
19. NES Remix 2 Wii U eShop
20. Starfox Assault GC
21. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 3DS
22. Cybernator SNES
23. Gravity Rush PSVita
24. Perfect Dark N64
25. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood PSP
26. Wave Race 64 N64
27. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Extend PSP
28. Mischief Makers N64
29. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night PSP
30. Snowboard Kids N64
31. Mario Kart 8 Wii U
32. Double Dragon NES
33. Shantae 3DS VC
34. Maestro: Jump in Music DS
35. Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure DS
36. Bangai-O DC
37. Ristar Wii VC
38. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PSVita
39. Muramasa Rebirth PSN
40. Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom Wii U eShop
41. Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara Wii U eShop
42. Mega Man Wii U VC
43. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together PSP
44. Mega Man 3 Wii U VC
45. Mega Man 4 Wii U VC
46. Scooby Doo: Classic Creep Capers GBC
47. Kirby's Dream Land 2 3DS VC
48. Mega Man 5 Wii U VC
49. Mega Man 6 Wii U VC
50. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Wii U

51. Sayonara Umihara Kawase 3DS eShop
52. Konami Krazy Racers GBA
53. Final Fantasy X HD Remaster PSVita
54. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 3DS eShop
55. Kirby: Triple Deluxe 3DS eShop
56. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call 3DS
57. Hyrule Warriors Wii U
58. Final Fantasy PSP
59. The Mysterious Murasame Castle 3DS VC
60. Last Window: The Secret of Cape West DS
61. Metroid Prime Hunters DS
62. Nintendo Land Wii U
63. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Ƒ 2nd PSVita *NEW*
64. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Wii U *NEW*

2 more for the list, and they're 2 of my most anticipated games of the year.

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Ƒ 2nd

The first Project DIVA was one of the first (maybe the actual first?) games I picked up on my PS Vita that didn't come with the system. I'd been curious about it anyway, but I was worried that the digital singers wouldnt be my thing or that it'd be too twee for my liking.

I needn't have worried, because the demo confirmed to me that the gameplay was incredibly fun, the music was solid, and even though the singers weren't going to convince me that they were the future, they were a lot better than I expected. Around 100 hours of playtime later, it's my most played game on the system, and my most played game of the year. It was also the first (and only) game I got a platinum trophy for.

So the sequel has a lot to live up to. When the first trailer came out I was concerned - there was a lot of more digital, dancey tracks being shown and I preferred the harder rock songs in general. There was also a lot of tracks being brough back from the PSP games, which makes sense as the west didn't get them, but was disappointing to me after I'd already splashed out on 2 of them.

My fears were unfounded though - DIVA F 2nd is every bit as good as the first, if not better. In 40 songs there is only 1 I genuinely don't like, compared to 2 or 3 of the first games 32. The difficulty is balanced wonderfully, the videos are edited excellently, the audio is crisp and clear through headphones (it's not bad through the Vita speakers either, but why play a rhythm game without headphones?) and most importantly, the note charts are a ton of fun to play. The new mechanics added in DIVA f make the reappearing songs from the PSP feel fresh, and it's nice to play them with the much improved visuals, and especially the much higher sound quality on the Vita.

There are a few new gameplay mechanics, but it really doesn't mix things up much, and thats fine by me. I'm not as fond of the new chain-touch notes (where you hit multiple touch screen notes in a row to form a shape and get combo points) or the double-touch notes (where you have to swipe on the touch screen with 2 fingers instead of one) - the former because timing is hard to judge without knowing ahead of time, and the latter because it's just not very comfy - but they're not game breaking, and they're used sparingly enough that they don't bother me much.

The extra modes where you dress up the characters and decorate their houses are still kinda crappy and overly cutesey and I'm not much of a fan, but it's completely ignorable and that's fine by me. Whilst the soundtrack is definitely solid and pretty much every song is enjoyable, I think more of my absolute favourites were in the first Vita game rather than this one. That said, it was very hard to pick the superior soundtrack, so that's a win win in my book.

Overall, this is just as good as I hoped, and I'd be hard pressed to pick between this game and the previous for my favourite. Both are in the running for my Game of the Year though.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Here's one of the other forerunners for Game of the Year.

Let's clarify right away that I love Smash Bros. I adore it. Smash Bros. Brawl probably has the most play time of any game I own. Smash Bros. Melee is probably second. So whilst I knew that this game was going to be a must buy, I'm also perhaps a little critical of any changes that I don't approve of.

So it's a good thing that there are barely any I dont like (Ice Climbers not reappearing being the main one!). The character roster is excellent, well balanced and fun to use. The new characters all feel very unique to play, which means they have quite a learning curve, but you can still jump right in and get by without too much difficulty if you're familiar with the series. The stage design is excellent, although I would have liked a couple more static stages as most have a lot going on, and it's nice to relax with something simpler sometimes. I know every stage can be Final Destination now, but I'd prefer more stages like Smashville and Battlefield, as platforms do change the dynamic quite a bit. The item selection is crazy and fun, but perhaps a little overpowered this time round - almost every item is crazily good. I guess this makes sense as items are generally just turned on for fun anyway, but I would have liked to see more of the old items returning for some balance.

The single player modes are fun if chaotic - modes like crazy orders featuring 8 player metal low gravity fire breathing matches get a bit silly, but it's still fun. Classic has been streamlined to be nice and quick to finish, and Smash Tour is a bit meh, but I cans ee it being fun in the right situation. The new challenges on Event matches are a nice way to keep that mode interesting.

Overall, if the 3DS Smas Bros felt very casual (low difficulty, simple or tedious challenges like 'play 10 matches as metaknight' or 'beat classic with every character'), the Wii U one is for the Smash pros - the AI is notably more difficult that previous entries (and much tougher than the 3DS version) and the challenges get a bit crazy and very specific ('8 kills on cruel smash as Lucina', '80000 points on Target Blast stage 2 by knocking the bomb off of the back wall as Palutena', 'Hit the sandbag between 500 and 505 metres in the home run contest as [secret character]'. This definitely adds to the fun for me, but I can imagine newer players getting frustrated.

The Wii U smash bros. is excellent, and like basically every Smash game before it, is probably the best one yet. And that's a good thing, because I'm sure this game will get a ton of playtime between now and the next one in 6 or 7 years time.

I probably won't add much more to this list this year, excepting a surprising burst of gameplaying. I'm halfway through Pokémon Alpha Sapphire now, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's the last addition I make to this list. I was hoping to hit 70, but I don't think that's going to happen at this point - too much Smash, DIVA and Pokémon to play!

[emwearz]

alienjesus what do you classify as "beating" when it comes to a game like Smash? All challenges? All trophies (seems steep)?

I have never really been into the series, but am loving the Wii U game sick at the moment.

[alienjesus]

alienjesus what do you classify as "beating" when it comes to a game like Smash? All challenges? All trophies (seems steep)?

I have never really been into the series, but am loving the Wii U game sick at the moment.

This time round I just did unlocking all characters and stages. I've used beating classic/adventure/all-star as every character before though.

[dsheinem]

Games Beaten 2014

January-June
Spider - iOS
Metal Torrent - NDS
Injustice: Gods Among Us - PC
Thief Gold - PC
Shovel Knight - 3DS
Wolfenstein: The New Order - PC
Spoiler Alert - PC
Battle Arena Toshinden - Game Boy
Dungeons and Dragons - Shadow of Mystara - PC
Diablo III - PC
Dungeons and Dragons - Tower of Doom - PC
Expendabros - PC
Doom III: The Lost Mission - PC
Borderlands 2: Headhunter 1: T.K. Baha's Bloody Harvest - PC
Kangaroo - Atari 2600
Escape Goat - PC *new*
Borderlands 2: Headhunter 2: The Horrible Hunger of the Ravenous Wattle Gobbler - PC *new*
Borderlands 2: Headhunter 3: How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day - PC *new*
Ninja Spirit - PCE
Borderlands 2: Headhunter 4: Wedding Day Massacre - PC
Proteus - Vita
Destiny - PS4
Karnov - NES
Bug Princess - iOS
Contra: Hard Corps - Genesis
Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge - PS3
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - PC
Vib-Ribbon - PS1
Deathsmiles (360 Mode) - 360
Vampire Savior (Darkstalkers 3) - PS3
Forza Horizon 2 - - Xbox One
Shadow of Mordor - PS4
The Novelist - PC
Luftrausers - Vita
Monument Valley - iOS *new*

Total: 85

Games Beaten: 2013 2012 2011 2010

I've had little time for games that aren't Dragon Age Inquisition lately, but this was a cute little diversion. It is a lot more of a visual treat/toy than a game that offers any kind of real challenge, and I'd love to see the ideas used for something a bit more compelling.

I'm still hoping to clock 100 by year's end, which puts me in quite the crunch. I think it is feasible as I have a boatload of free time starting next week, but I also have mostly longer titles I am trying to get through...

Quick question: what have most folks done with listing episodic games on this list? I played Walking Dead Episode 1 a while back and am not likely too finish the rest this year...

[alienjesus]

Quick question: what have most folks done with listing episodic games on this list? I played Walking Dead Episode 1 a while back and am not likely too finish the rest this year...

I've always listed them seperately as you can buy them individually.

[noiseredux]

as said a few pages back, I always play episodic games once the whole season is done. And then I count the full season as 1 beaten game.

Dave, I actually picked up Monument Valley on Android over the weekend as I realized I had some Google Play credit that I forgot about. I'll try to check it out soon.

[Flake]

Again, I only started keeping a games beaten list a couple months back. There might be a few that I've beaten this year but forgotten about. Still, the list is pretty pathetic compared to most of yous. Definitely a great way to keep track of my gaming habits. I never really cared, but this thread actually does a good job at motivating you to beat games. I'm looking forward to a fresh start next year.

That's my view of this thread as well. Participating in this thread has pushed me to actually finish my games and keep my collection lean as well as give me ideas for games I might like that I never would have considered.

[TSTR]

Co-signed, this thread rules. I feel a double sense of accomplishment not only beating a game, but putting it on my list and posting about it.

[Exhuminator]

Beat Otogi last night; 8/10

Otogi is From Software's eerie take on Devil May Cry, with a pinch of Dynasty Warriors for good measure. Otogi's strongest aspect is its Japanese styled mythological atmosphere which the game exhibits ingeniously. The astounding graphics aid mightily in this regard, with settings and demons rendered in utmost detail. An absolutely phenomenal OST is the final bit of brilliance bringing a sense of tangible malevolent mystery to the entire affair. A stellar presentation can only take a game so far though, and Otogi is not without issues. Primarily Otogi falters in its enemy lock on system often, which is made fallible due to an erratic camera that fails to keep up with the intensity of battles with dozens of mobbing monsters. The lock on / camera problems only serve to further aggravate a player when they are dealing with an automatically dwindling magic bar that upon depletion kills the protagonist. These combined challenges can drive the player furious when they are near the end of a complex mission, only to be killed by a marauding swarm of demons one cannot properly fight due to mechanical deficiencies of game interface. Luckily the game allows the hero to level up, and encourages the player to grind older missions for this reason. Higher levels eventually make mechanical problems easier to deal with, and progress is finally made. Hidden powerful equipment aids in strengthening combat abilities as well. With its outstanding presentation, surreal atmosphere, intense voice acting, unusual plot, and unruly combat, Otogi is another weird-but-worthy From Software gem.

Fun fact, Otogi is a refence to Otogizōshi (御伽草子 ).