Games Beaten 2015

[Ack]

Yeah, I know...like Dark Forces 2

I see someone has been reading the FPS thread.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Yeah, I know...like Dark Forces 2

I see someone has been reading the FPS thread.

One of the reasons Dark Forces 2 is so great is not for the reasons most people have. FMV SEQUENCES!!!!!

[Key-Glyph]

* = replay

1. Pokémon SoulSilver (DS)
2. Sushi Academy (DS)
3. Alcahest (SFC)
4. Comix Zone (GEN)
5. Lost Vikings (GEN)
6. Beautiful Katamari (360)
7. Toejam & Earl (GEN)*
8. Final Fantasy Legend III (GB)

9. Toejam & Earl [2-player] (GEN)*

Replayed with one of my best buds, who's beaten it with me several times before back when we were kids and teenagers. We kicked ass. It was great.

[BogusMeatFactory]

1. Jazzpunk (PC)
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)
3. Grandia (PS1)
4. Hotline Miami (PC)
5. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (3DS)
6. Off-Peak (PC)
7. realMYST: Masterpiece Edition (PC)
8. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS)
9. Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - About 5 or 6 years ago, I had a tiny flip phone with a single game on it. Puzzle Quest. The game had no plot and simply had you fighting random enemies. I spent so much time playing the game that any free moment went to it. Now, I finally got a hold of the DS version, Challenge of the Warlords. In it, you pick a class and explore an overworld grid, visiting cities and doing quests with an overarching plot of an evil necromancer God attempting to take over the world.

The game itself is a simple concept. It is a match 3 puzzle game similar to bejeweled, but the twist is that the colors correspond to mana and allow you to cast spells and attack enemies. Also, there are XP gems, coins and skulls which do damage on the field that you can match as well. As you level up, you get more magic and get more powerful.

This game was jam packed with content though and I spent well over 30 hours playing it. You can get party members which offer bonuses in combat and you can even siege cities to set up outposts that accrue gold, allow you to research new spells, level up your mounts and craft new items and spells from glyphs that you find in various dungeons.

At no point did I feel that the game was dull and it is genuinely enthralling experience. Even though the plot itself was of a generic, "Stop the bad guy," formula, the gameplay itself and extra activities really pushed it into a memorable and entertaining experience. I can not stress enough that if you own a DS/3DS and love puzzle games, play this. It is an absolute joy!

Super Mario 3D Land - I got this game as a digital download from Club Nintendo and, having played through Super Mario 3D World on Wii U, was expecting more of the same. With that being said, I can't really see the 3D on a regular 3DS and sadly had it turned off for 99% of the game, turning it on from time to time to see if I noticed anything different or help in perceiving depth in the game and was sadly disappointed when nothing really changed. I know other people have had different experiences with the 3D, but just know that none of the 3D pops out for me on a normal 3DS, only seeing a VERY big change when playing on a New 3DS, so I can't fault Nintendo for it.

As for the game itself, I was highly entertained. I felt like the later levels offered up a lot of delightful challenges and overall mario experience was fulfilling. I definitely prefer this style of Mario game over the New Super Mario Bros. style as I really think that Mario can be fulfilling in a 3D environment.

I still have the challenge levels to tackle, which I will definitely handle now, but the main storyline has been completed and I have to say, I had a lot of fun!

[prfsnl_gmr]

8. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS)
9. Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Those are both fantastic games, and I am glad you enjoyed them. (Puzzle Quest is easily one of the DS's best games, and I sunk dozens of hours into it.) The bonus levels are the real "meat" of Super Mario 3D Land experience, however, and you should really dig into those ASAP.

[J T]

All this controversy is making me want to play some Rogue Leader to see if it's as good as I remember.

[Exhuminator]

play some Rogue Leader

Beat, or beat not. There is no play.

[laurenhiya21]

8. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS)

Such a fun game, but I wouldn't ever be able to beat it because the AI tends to beat me to a pulp >,<

[BogusMeatFactory]

8. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS)

Such a fun game, but I wouldn't ever be able to beat it because the AI tends to beat me to a pulp >,<

Yeah, it can be overwhelming. It is really important to work some synergy into the spells you select for your character and work your hardest to keep your turn going. A lot of times, I would spend my time making sure to force the AI to make a mistake. Only one move left on the board? Guess I'll cast a spell that will end my turn and make them have to clear the board and allow me free reign the next turn.

My mage character had a spell that would do damage with every 4 of a kind, as well as a spell that increased the damage done and then I would do spells that would convert blue gems into red gems and turn green gems into skulls, causing tons of damage and 4 of a kinds that just led to more damage. The final boss was really really hard and luck was very much involved, but I was thrilled to beat it.

It was very fulfilling!

[Exhuminator]

1. Devil's Attorney (Android) (strategy) (7/10)
2. Resident Evil 5 (360) (action adventure) (8/10)
3. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (360) (kart racer) (8/10)
4. Dragon Quest VIII (PS2) (JRPG) (9/10)
5. Gears of War (360) (cover shooter) (6/10)
6. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Vita) (action adventure) (7/10)
7. Orcs & Elves (DS) (dungeon crawler) (7/10)
8. From The Abyss (DS) (action-RPG) (5/10)
9. Army of Two (360) (cover shooter) (7/10)
10. Psychic World (Master System) (platformer) (4/10)
11. Endless Ocean: Blue World (Wii) (adventure / simulation) (9/10)
12. Journey to Silius (NES) (platformer) (6/10)
13. Sword Master (NES) (platformer) (3/10)
14. Project: Snowblind (PC) (FPS) (7/10)
15. Yakyuuken Part II - Gal's Dungeon (Famicom) (maze / puzzle) (5/10)
16. Bishoujo Sexy Derby (Famicom) (horse racing) (2/10)
17. SiN Episodes: Emergence (PC) (FPS) (5/10)
18. Seirei Gari (AKA Ghost Hunter) (NES) (puzzle / adventure) (4/10)
19. The Guardian Legend (NES) (action-RPG / shmup) (9/10)
20. Prey (PC) (FPS) (7/10)
21. Ys IV: Mask of the Sun (SFC) (action-RPG) (4/10)
22. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GameCube) (combat flight sim) (3/10)
23. Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand (SFC) (action-RPG) (7/10)

After the disappointing farming out of Ys IV for the Super Famicom, Falcom took it upon themselves to develop the next Super Famicom entry, Ys V. Ys V broke with some traditions of the first four YS games, obviously taking a lot of influence from previous SFC action-RPGs not made by Falcom. Bump combat is gone for example, replaced by direct sword combat, along with platform jumping and a robust magic system. Indeed the alchemic magic system in this game is quite complex, but utterly useless considering how weak it is compared to your sword alone.

Not that you'll need much power, because Ys V is an embarrassingly easy game. The lack of challenge doesn't do much to engage the player. The plot starts off with Adol searching for crystals (what else?) but ends up a bit more interesting with human sacrifices, a philosopher's stone, and pseudo-resurrection of a lost city. The game's world is well realized in earth toned well drawn tiles, making backgrounds a pleasure to see. This atmosphere makes traversing Ys V's locales an engaging experience in and of itself. The OST sounds kind of generic in comparison to normal Ys bombast, but it fits well with other SFC JRPGs of its era in composition. Ys V does control quite well with a lot of customization for a SFC game, possibly a result of Falcom being such PC heavy developers beforehand.

All in all, Ys V isn't a SFC action-RPG that is going to make you forget games like Secret of Mana or A Link to the Past. Nor did Ys V manage to break the Ys mold and capture the typical action-RPG zeitgeist of its time in the way Falcom hoped. On its own however, Ys V is perfectly suitable JRPG comfort food for a breezy weekend jaunt into a yesteryear curiosity. (Thankfully we can play this game in English due to Aeon Genesis' wonderful fan translation.) Just don't expect for Adol to break a sweat here, even in the desert.