Games Beaten 2013

[dunpeal2064]

1. Mega Man
2. Kirby's Adventure
3. Toejam & Earl
4. Mortal Kombat (SCD)
5. Rockband (Hard)
6. Mega Man 2
7. Metal Storm
8. Little Samson
9. Castlevania
10. Super Mario Bros
11. Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers
12. Contra
13. Super Mario Bros 3
14. Pro Wrestling
15. Ducktales
16. Dragon Spirit
17. Phantasy Star Online Ep 1
18. Batman: Arkham Asylum
19. Tomb Raider
20. Final Fantasy XIII
21. The Last Story
22. Ivy the Kiwi? (Wii)
23. Illusion of Gaia
24. Mushihimesama Futari 1.5/BL (Original) (360)
25. New Super Mario Bros
26. Adventure Time: Hey Ice King, Why'd You Steal our Garbage?!!
27. WarioWare Touched
28. Elite Beat Agents (2-Star Difficulty)
29. Kirby's Epic Yarn
30. Espgaluda
31. Chronoblast (Auto-bomb)
32. Thomas Was Alone
33. Donkey Kong Country Returns
34. New Super Mario Bros Wii
35. Super Mario Land
36. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Holy cow, I haven't updated this list since page 111!

Epic Yarn: Cute little game. The areas where Kirby transforms were the most fun. The game was too easy, but its Kirby, so that is to be expected.

Espgaluda: Finally "got" this game, and I know enjoy it very much. The last boss is easily the best part of the game. The music, the dense and unique patterns, the lack of resources (Since bombing heals the boss, and using kakesui makes him nearly invulnerable). Fantastic stuff

Chronoblast: A nice indie bullet hell on XBLA that is well worth the dollar. It is definitely inspired by Dodonpachi (I got a Dai Fukkatsu vibe from it), but there is a little pork hidden in there as well. I went the sissy route and picked autobomb, but I will be returning to take down Hell mode (Which, according to the end screen of normal mode, has a TLB!)

Thomas Was Alone: This is one heck of game. I couldn't believe how mch I cared about a bunch of colored squares by the end of the game. The gameplay is not bad, but the characters are definitely the reason to check this one out. Its a pretty short game too, finished it in one sitting (With my gf glued to the couch next to me, waiting to see what happened to each little square!)

Donkey Kong Country Returns: This game is awesome. Graphically, it is very nice, especially when you interact with the environment. However, the gameplay is where this game shines. The difficulty is paced very well, and in the last few stages I was losing dozens of lives per stage. Going back to collect all the KONG letters was actually worth it in this game, as it ends up giving you access to 8 levels (1 per stage) that provide a very nice challenge. Overall, I would have to say this is one of the better 2D platformers I have played in some time.

NSMBW: Played through this in co-op with a friend, over the last 6 months (He lives pretty far, so only gets to visit a few times a year). This felt like a step up from NSMB, even when not considering co-op. That said, I still wasn't crazy about this game. It was a fun little romp, but not much more than that. This is one that I would probably save for co-op affairs.

Super Mario Land: Finishing NSMBW rekindled my urge to clear as many Mario platformers as I could by the end of the year, with a focus on those that I have never cleared before. I had played SML a few times as a kid, but I was always quick to put it down for something better. I'm glad I took the time to revisit it, as doing so confirmed that I was making a good choice by picking up other games as a kid The game isn't terrible, but its not great either. Mario controls terribly compared to his console self, and everything is so small. I was surprised to see the end credits after only 12 stages. The shmup stages/bosses were a pleasant surprise though, and the stage/boss variety was very nice. The game has its flaws, but in the end I had a good time with it.

Super Mario Land 2: Now, this game I played the shit out of as a kid. This was the first Mario game I ever owned, and one of the first video games I ever owned. I hadn't played the game in at least 10 years, so I just had to come back to it after finishing the first. Now I see why I was so quick to put down the first game as a kid. They improved just about everything from the first game. Everything is nice and big now, the music is better, there are more levels, secret levels, even more variety, secret stages... and Wario! I grew up all backwards, thinking that Mario was supposed to be fighting Wario and saving Daisy. Was this the first time these two characters were introduced? It is entirely because of this game and its sequel that Wario is my favorite Mario character.



...Phew. I need to keep up on these. Now, to figure out what Mario game to tackle next.

[Ack]

1-50

1. Sniper Elite V2 (PS3)(TPS)
2. Teen Agent (PC)(Point and Click Adventure)
3. Alpha Protocol (PS3)(RPG)
4. Beneath A Steel Sky (PC)(Point and Click Adventure)
5. Imscared - A Pixelated Nightmare (PC)(Horror)
6. Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (SNES)(RPG)
7. Celestial Mechanica (PC)(Platformer)
8. Gravity Bone (PC)(First Person Adventure)
9. Secret of Mana (SNES)(RPG)
10. Lure of the Temptress (PC)(Point and Click Adventure)
11. Mario's Early Years: Fun With Numbers (SNES)(Edutainment)
12. CoD of Duty (PC)(FPS)
13. The Bard's Tale (PS2)(RPG)
14. The Great Circus Mystery, Starring Mickey and Minnie (SNES)(Platformer)
15. Deus Ex (PC)(FPS)
16. The King of the Wood (PC)(FPS)
17. Shadows of the Damned (PS3)(Horror Adventure)
18. Chuck Rock (SNES)(Platformer)
19. Arcana (SNES)(RPG)
20. Jurassic Park (SNES)(Action-Adventure)
21. Brawl Brothers (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
22. Monopoly (SNES)(Boardgame)
23. Dr. Mario (SNES)(Puzzle)
24. Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday (SNES)(Platformer)
25. Breath of Fire (SNES)(RPG)
26. The Death and Return of Superman (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
27. Battle Blaze (SNES)(Fighting)
28. Todd McFarlane's Spawn: The Video Game (SNES)(Action-Adventure)
29. Mario's Early Years: Fun With Letters (SNES)(Edutainment)
30. Dwarfs!? (PC)(I have no idea)
31. Super Adventure Island (SNES)(Platformer)
32. Batman Returns (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
33. Pit-Fighter (SNES)(Fighting)
34. Lester the Unlikely (SNES)(Platformer)
35. Killing Floor (PC)(FPS)
36. Dungeons of Dredmor (PC)(RPG)
37. The 7th Saga (SNES)(RPG)
38. Donkey Kong Country (SNES)(Platformer)
39. Super Mario Bros. 3, via Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World (SNES)(Platformer)
40. Sunset Riders (Arcade)(Run and Gun)
41. Battle Circuit (Arcade)(Beat 'Em Up)
42. Monster Maulers (Arcade)(Boss Rush Fighter)
43. Metamoqester (Arcade)(Boss Rush Fighter)
44. Ninja Baseball Batman (Arcade)(Beat 'Em Up)
45. Alien vs. Predator (Arcade)(Beat 'Em Up)
46. Sunset Riders (SNES)(Run and Gun)
47. Chrono Trigger (SNES)(RPG)
48. Star Fox (SNES)(Rail Shooter)
49. Brutal: Paws of Fury (SNES)(Fighting)
50. Ultraman: Towards the Future (SNES)(Fighting)

51. The Binding of Isaac (PC)(Adventure)
52. DLC Quest (PC)(Platformer)
53. DLC Quest: Live Freemium or Die (PC)(Platformer)
54. Hotline Miami (PC)(Beat 'Em Up)
55. Anodyne (PC)(Adventure)
56. Scribblenauts Unlimited (PC)(Puzzle)
57. Puzzler World (PC)(Puzzle)
58. Half-Life 2: Episode 1 (PC)(FPS)
59. Cave Story+ (PC)(Adventure)
60. Duke Nukem 3D Megaton Edition (PC)(FPS)
61. Duke Nukem 3D: Duke It Out in DC (PC)(FPS)
62. Duke Nukem 3D: Life's a Beach (PC)(FPS)
63. Duke Nukem 3D: Nuclear Winter (PC)(FPS)
64. Dead Pixels (PC)(Run and Gun)
65. Rogue Legacy (PC)(Roguelike Platformer)
66. Doomsday Warrior (SNES)(Fighting)
67. Ultimate Fighter (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
68. Captain America and the Avengers (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
69. Jeopardy! Deluxe Edition (SNES)(Game Show Simulator)
70. Hook (SNES)(Platformer)
71. The Great Waldo Search (SNES)(Puzzle)
72. U.N. Squadron (SNES)(SHMUP)
73. Mickey Mania (SNES)(Platformer)
74. Super Earth Defense Force (SNES)(SHMUP)
75. Kendo Rage (SNES)(Action)
76. Imperium (SNES)(SHMUP)
77. Super Mario Kart (SNES)(Racing)
78. Super Scope 6 (SNES)(Light Gun)
79. Yoshi's Safari (SNES)(Light Gun)
80. The Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES)(Action)
81. Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter (PC)(FPS)
82. Pinball Dreams (SNES)(Pinball)
83. The Peace Keepers (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
84. Gods (SNES)(Platformer)
85. ActRaiser (SNES)(Platformer/Sim Hybrid)
86. Picture Puzzle (NGPC)(Puzzle)
87. Soldiers of Fortune (SNES)(Run and Gun)

Ok, now that we're on the next page, I am posting about my latest beaten game, Soldiers of Fortune, otherwise known as The Chaos Engine. It's a top-down run and gun built for two player co-op (but can be played single player with an AI partner) in which a group of mercenaries, thrill seekers, or the curious and heavily-armed seek to enter a vastly mutated steampunk Victorian England and destroy the Chaos Engine, the ultimate biological computer and manipulator of matter and space/time. Over the course of the game, players will bolster their characters by finding money or items to upgrade them so they have a chance of surviving the final challenges.

And it is a challenge. Enemies come from all over and are tough as nails, but there are also varying paths through the levels, and they're sprinkled full of secrets that can lead to mountains of treasure or a hideous death. Enemies are relentless and vary in appearance, but they tend to stick to rough roles: there are typical soldier-types, small enemies that nip at you, enemies that operate like gun turrets, and enemies that kamikaze by exploding on you. There are also a few environmental hazards, though these are generally more common in the later levels.

Characters are a unique hodgepodge of late 19th century Europe, being composed of a Brigand, Mercenery, Thug, Navvie, Gentleman, and Scientist (a Preacher in Chaos Engine but changed for the SNES release). These six fall into three groups roughly based around power, speed, and items. But there are certain advantages and disadvantages to each. I completed a run through with the Thug with an AI Scientist, and while I benefited from the Scientist's easy access to a medkit, the Thug's weapon becomes so scattered at higher levels as to be almost worthless. The next time I play, I think I'll be using the other heavy hitter, the Navvie. It's unfortunate that while there are some interesting and entertaining differences in characters, they can completely change the game and don't feel balanced.

My biggest criticism of the game is the horrendous AI. If you play this, stick to co-op, as my Scientist partner proved himself to be one of the worst AI partners I've ever experienced in a game. More than once I needed his support only to watch him run in circles frantically or simply stand still like we weren't besieged by enemies. More than once he suddenly threw himself onto an oncoming enemy instead of opening fire from a safe distance. And more than once he bolted forward onto a projectile that I had just turned and fled from. And to make matters worse, if he died, I lost access to his medkit, a helpful tool that eventually becomes crucial. To say he was as dumb as rocks would be to insult the intelligence of rocks, and his poor performance managed to make the game significantly more challenging than it already was.

But the ending is short, sweet, and actually satisfying. I like The Chaos Engine/Soldiers of Fortune. I doubt I'll ever desire to play it again solo, though with a partner it could be a lot of fun.

Moving beyond the superficial analysis of how the game looks and sounds(which are both great), I also enjoyed the industrial age dystopian themes of man being subjugated by machine. When completed, Soldiers of Fortune/The Chaos Engine is a game about the seduction and dehumanizing effects of technology, as well as greed and survival at any cost. Despite their different levels of society, each of the six "heroes" is a mercenary, lured just as much by riches as anything else to Jolly Ole' Mutant England, and each must use the powers of technology to defeat the monstrosity that same technology has created. And while money is earned, it is spent simply to make characters more powerful and more heavily-armed in the hope of earning more money. Only death will break the cycle, either of humanity or the machine.

[dsheinem]

Jesus, Ack: didn't you just post?

[Ack]

Jesus, Ack: didn't you just post?

Yes.

But you weren't the guy who chewed me out a couple years ago when I had the audacity to double-post.

[ExedExes]

Soldiers of Fortune I only tried because when it came out the advertising boasted that it was "Sega Third Party Game of The Year" beating out Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II (how'd that happen?)

My team was Navvie/Scientist or Navvie/guy who has mapping ability. My only issue with the game was that it was easy to get lost in unless you picked up a certain item or moved to a particular area that would open up a new area.

Bitmap Brothers did it again, first with Gods, now with this.

[Luke]

Jesus, Ack: didn't you just post?

Yes.

But you weren't the guy who chewed me out a couple years ago when I had the audacity to double-post.

It was DAVE you speak of?

[Violent By Design]

Holy cow, I haven't updated this list since page 111!

Epic Yarn: Cute little game. The areas where Kirby transforms were the most fun. The game was too easy, but its Kirby, so that is to be expected.

Espgaluda: Finally "got" this game, and I know enjoy it very much. The last boss is easily the best part of the game. The music, the dense and unique patterns, the lack of resources (Since bombing heals the boss, and using kakesui makes him nearly invulnerable). Fantastic stuff

Chronoblast: A nice indie bullet hell on XBLA that is well worth the dollar. It is definitely inspired by Dodonpachi (I got a Dai Fukkatsu vibe from it), but there is a little pork hidden in there as well. I went the sissy route and picked autobomb, but I will be returning to take down Hell mode (Which, according to the end screen of normal mode, has a TLB!)

Thomas Was Alone: This is one heck of game. I couldn't believe how mch I cared about a bunch of colored squares by the end of the game. The gameplay is not bad, but the characters are definitely the reason to check this one out. Its a pretty short game too, finished it in one sitting (With my gf glued to the couch next to me, waiting to see what happened to each little square!)

Donkey Kong Country Returns: This game is awesome. Graphically, it is very nice, especially when you interact with the environment. However, the gameplay is where this game shines. The difficulty is paced very well, and in the last few stages I was losing dozens of lives per stage. Going back to collect all the KONG letters was actually worth it in this game, as it ends up giving you access to 8 levels (1 per stage) that provide a very nice challenge. Overall, I would have to say this is one of the better 2D platformers I have played in some time.

NSMBW: Played through this in co-op with a friend, over the last 6 months (He lives pretty far, so only gets to visit a few times a year). This felt like a step up from NSMB, even when not considering co-op. That said, I still wasn't crazy about this game. It was a fun little romp, but not much more than that. This is one that I would probably save for co-op affairs.

Super Mario Land: Finishing NSMBW rekindled my urge to clear as many Mario platformers as I could by the end of the year, with a focus on those that I have never cleared before. I had played SML a few times as a kid, but I was always quick to put it down for something better. I'm glad I took the time to revisit it, as doing so confirmed that I was making a good choice by picking up other games as a kid The game isn't terrible, but its not great either. Mario controls terribly compared to his console self, and everything is so small. I was surprised to see the end credits after only 12 stages. The shmup stages/bosses were a pleasant surprise though, and the stage/boss variety was very nice. The game has its flaws, but in the end I had a good time with it.

Super Mario Land 2: Now, this game I played the shit out of as a kid. This was the first Mario game I ever owned, and one of the first video games I ever owned. I hadn't played the game in at least 10 years, so I just had to come back to it after finishing the first. Now I see why I was so quick to put down the first game as a kid. They improved just about everything from the first game. Everything is nice and big now, the music is better, there are more levels, secret levels, even more variety, secret stages... and Wario! I grew up all backwards, thinking that Mario was supposed to be fighting Wario and saving Daisy. Was this the first time these two characters were introduced? It is entirely because of this game and its sequel that Wario is my favorite Mario character.



...Phew. I need to keep up on these. Now, to figure out what Mario game to tackle next.

the original Super Mario Land is pretty crappy

[dsheinem]

January-June (the first 50)
Commander Keen Episode 1: Marooned on Mars - PC
DLC Quest - PC
Live Freemium or Die - PC
Borderlands 2: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt - PC
Marvel vs Capcom 3 - PS3
Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep - PC
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - PC
Street Fighter IV - iOS
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R - Vita
The Elder Scrolls IV: Skyrim - 360/PC
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages - GBC
Killzone: Mercenary - Vita
Galaga Legions DX - PS3
Angry Birds Star Wars II - iOS
Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack - Vita
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower - PSP
Little Inferno - iOS
The Stanley Parable - PC
Plants vs. Zombies - - Vita
Device 6 - iOS
Gone Home - PC
Touch My Katamari - Vita
Bulletstorm - 360
Call of Duty: Ghosts - PS4

TOTAL: 75

Games Beaten: 2012 2011 2010

My first PS4 game beaten! I found the campaign to be reasonably fun, very pretty, and almost twice as long as some of the recent COD entries. There's nothing ground breaking here, but everything is highly polished, feels good, and offers more settings and setpieces than you can (press L2 to) shake a stick at.

[BoneSnapDeez]

the original Super Mario Land is pretty crappy

Blasphemy! It's a great game. Especially given the age/hardware.

It always felt like the "true" sequel to Super Mario Bros. to me, as we never got the Lost Levels (well, at least not initially).

[BurningDoom]

the original Super Mario Land is pretty crappy

Super Mario Land 2 is a HUGE improvement. But SML 1 was a still a great game when it came out, and fun to play today still (albeit a bit short).

Why did they stop at SML 2? Especially after how fantastic #2 was? Yeah, they made Wario Land, but I don't see why that would mean they couldn't continue both series.