Games Beaten 2015

[BogusMeatFactory]

For the controls, I don't know why they mapped the L Button to running. Running and controlling my character with the same left hand felt kind of odd. I wish Run was R and look around was L.

See, I love open world games like GTA because there is an incentive to do all of the little tasks. It didn't feel like there was any reason to discover much of the world and the little things about it. I only knew about what to do because there were plot points along the way that told me where to go next. I want to go back and play it again a while from now to see all those little things that I never did because I honestly feel like I raced through the game.

I am very excited and glad to hear that Shenmue II is much better. I had heard varied opinion about the game, so I am glad to hear that a Shenmue Expert loves the game.

Of course, it is now sky rocketing in price because of Shenmue III...

Yeah you hit the nail on the head. There is no real incentive to discover unless you dedicate the time to discover them. You will find that same mindset in Shenmue II, but the world is even more interesting and that colorful and lifelike depiction of Hong Kong is very encouraging to explore more. One suggestion for playing Shenmue II is to visit different fortune tellers. It is really interesting, because fortune telling is a big focus in Shenmue, a feature I never used in the first. In Shenmue II, there are different methods to fortune telling and some are more telling of the plot at large, albeit they are a bit more mystical in their telling.

Making money is infinitely easier in the game too, which gives you more incentive to spend time playing games and gambling and the like. Also, combat is more fun, because there are arenas where you can bet on yourself in fights. Some fights are simple, "Beat the enemy," while others give you goals to achieve like ring out the opponent, or make them crumple with a move.

Then there are the fight clubs.....those take some exploration to find muahahahahahaha.

[ExedExes]

The fight clubs in 2 were awesome. So many different techniques against you. It really paid to train and watch on how to counter. Plus you get some cool stuff along the way like the After Burner that you'll find on the way to one of the fights.

I too would like to hear about Markies experiences with the first game. He's right, I saw a copy of Shenmue @ $70 on eBay the other day, in the same condition one might find it for $20 only a year ago.

[GSZX1337]

For anyone who gives a shit, I edited my post concerning Papers, Please. I fucked up my initial post about the game, and felt I needed to rewrite it to better illustrate my appreciation of the game.

2. Half-Life

. . . but Xen was neat.

Wow, I thought I was the only one who liked Zen. If I didn't have space issues, I'd hug you.

I tried playing through Opposing Force but ran into a glitch quite a ways into the game that would require a complete restart and decided to move onto the other games instead. Still may go back to that and run through Blue Shift as well.

When I played Opposing Force I enjoyed it more than Half-Life. I haven't played it since I last replayed the original so I don't know if my opinion'll change or not. I didn't like Blue Shift as much, but I suggest playing that first since it's shorter. A bit too short, perhaps.

4. Half Life 2 and the 2 Episodes

I would have liked to see some more of the Xen enemies from the first game leaked into the world.

Fuck yeah, I was hoping to see Nihilanth return.

Like the first game, I wish I had played this when it first came out. I imagine it was extremely impressive at the time. It still plays well, but I have a feeling some of it's more groundbreaking aspects are lost on me.

I played the game a little after its release and it blew my mind. Honestly, I can't think of a game that impressed me as much as Half-Life 2.

I actually enjoyed the first Half-Life quite a bit more.

Same here. Even though I didn't play it in its heyday, I liked the original Half-Life much more than HL2. I even decided that it was my favorite game.

I am a bit curious where they were trying to go with the story however.

So is everyone else who played Episode 2.

[Sarge]

Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Cyclops, Gambit, Hulk. Highest difficulty, didn't lose anyone. I came close, though. Pulling around Hulk's dead weight did me no favors. (I mean, he may be alright, but I have no real experience with him. Gambit, either, but I managed to use his launcher move a bit. And I know he's supposed to be saying "kinetic card", but it sounds like "credit card".)

[Ack]

1. Renegade Ops (PC)(Multidirectional Shooter)
2. Borderlands 2 (PC)(FPS/RPG)
3. Gunpoint (PC)(Puzzle Platformer)
4. Robotrek (SNES)(RPG)
5. The Tick (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
6. Alien vs Predator (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
7. X-Kaliber 2097 (SNES)(Action Platformer)
8. Metal Slug (MVS)(Run and Gun)
9. Shadowrun (SNES)(RPG)
10. Quake II (PC)(FPS)
11. The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang (SNES)(RPG)
12. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (PC)(Action)
13. A Story About My Uncle (PC)(Platformer)
14. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (PC)(FPS)
15. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith (PC)(FPS)
16. Catacomb (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
17. Catacomb Abyss (PC)(FPS)
18. Catacomb Armageddon (PC)(FPS)
19. Catacomb Apocalypse (PC)(FPS)
20. The Catacomb (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
21. Catacomb 3-D (PC)(FPS)
22. EarthBound (SNES)(RPG)
23. Quake II: Ground Zero (PC)(FPS)
24. Quake II: The Reckoning (PC)(FPS)
25. Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (PC)(RPG)
26. The 7th Guest (PC)(Puzzle)
27. Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (PC)(RPG)
28. Loom (PC)(Point and Click Adventure)
29. Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES)(Action Platformer)
30. System Shock 2 (PC)(Survival Horror FPS)
31. Final Fantasy V (SNES)(RPG)
32. Descent (PC)(FPS)
33. Mortal Kombat 2 (SNES)(Fighting)
34. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (PC)(Point and Click Adventure)
35. Alien Shooter (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
36. Alien Shooter: Fight for Life (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
37. Alien Shooter: The Experiment (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)

I'm going to cover all of Alien Shooter and its two expansions in one post, since all of it can now be purchased in one bulk from GOG. They're short games, with the base game only being 10 levels long, while each expansion is 5. All told, it's 20 levels of top-down, blood soaked mayhem as you put bullets into aliens' faces and make them explode into gory chunks and floor stains. There is also a Survival mode, which pits the player against a steadily growing horde of enemies until he or she inevitably dies.

Upsides? It's easy to pick up and play. You can hop in, play ten minutes, beat a level, and go about your day. If you want mindless action, this is exactly the kind of thing you are looking for. There are exploding barrels and missiles strewn throughout levels that will detonate with a stray bullet and lay waste to anything near. Two characters can be selected, a male and a female, with different strengths and weaknesses(the male having more health and carrying more ammo, while the female running faster, having better accuracy, and as a result, better damage). The core game is also reasonably paced, so you will likely be finding the ammunition for your next gun in each new level you attain. It's also challenging the further you get, with the expansions verging into ludicrous territory. The final one, The Experiment, also adds a final boss and new enemy types into the mix to really up the challenge.

Are there downsides? Yes, oh yes. First, the angle that the game is presented in can make it tough to see around corners, particularly in narrow corridors. The animation is a little janky, and sometimes the game can suffer technical glitches, particularly in the second expansion pack. I had to restart one level because an enemy spawned in a wall, and a different level repeatedly crashed on start up if I bought a certain kind of ammo right before it started. I also managed to get stuck on objects a couple of times, as did enemies. The translation is absolute crap and is hideously garbled at times. And there is a big, red, four-legged tank thing that takes an unnecessary amount of bullets to put down, but that's more of a pet peeve for me. Oh, and the most heinous thing of all...chairs.

Seriously, chairs suck. They get in your way and slow you down, and I think they can block bullets.

Hey, look, the game is cheap. It's easy to sit down with and plow through. I beat it in between attempts at Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. But it's fun for what it is, and you can pick it up on GOG for a few bucks. Less, when there is a sale. I say check it out.

[ExedExes]

Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Cyclops, Gambit, Hulk. Highest difficulty, didn't lose anyone. I came close, though. Pulling around Hulk's dead weight did me no favors. (I mean, he may be alright, but I have no real experience with him. Gambit, either, but I managed to use his launcher move a bit. And I know he's supposed to be saying "kinetic card", but it sounds like "credit card".)

I'm not the only one who also calls it credit card. I feel much better.

Want a spameriffic team? IronMan/War Machine/BB Hood, if you like substitute one of the first two with Ryu/Cyclops/Cable..... tons of hits guaranteed!

[BogusMeatFactory]

Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Cyclops, Gambit, Hulk. Highest difficulty, didn't lose anyone. I came close, though. Pulling around Hulk's dead weight did me no favors. (I mean, he may be alright, but I have no real experience with him. Gambit, either, but I managed to use his launcher move a bit. And I know he's supposed to be saying "kinetic card", but it sounds like "credit card".)

I'm not the only one who also calls it credit card. I feel much better.

Want a spameriffic team? IronMan/War Machine/BB Hood, if you like substitute one of the first two with Ryu/Cyclops/Cable..... tons of hits guaranteed!

I always did, Cyclops/Cable/MegaMan. Their team super was SIIIIICCCKK. I stink at the game though as I could never play it right. I should pop it in my Dreamcast and give it a go sometime.

[Sarge]

My best score was with Iron Man/Cable/Captain America. They are all sorts of cheapness.

My favorite people to use, though, are Cyclops, Captain Commando, and pretty much whoever for my third. I can wreck some folks with Wolverine, although I haven't used him in a while. Cyclops is great for his Optic Blasts (seriously, the speed on those is insane), and Captain Commando's anti-air is the best in the game.

Cable is still all sorts of great, just got to mix things up. I understand Storm and Doom are two of the most powerful characters in the hands of an expert... but I'm not at that level. I'm good, but not that good.

My brother used Mega Man a lot, and was really good with him. We used to split our matches. Any brawl between us was going to be epic... and we also didn't do it that often, because we didn't like to compete against each other.

[fastbilly1]

1. Spelunky
2. Race the Sun
3. Renegade Ops
4. Orcs Must Die 1
5. Gun Point
6. Rogue Shooter
Many I have forgotten to post about since I have not updated since Jan and:
7. Killing Floor
8. Grim Dawn - end of Act 3
9. Super Meat Boy
10. Toy Soldiers
11. Hotline Miami
12. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People episode 1: Homestar Ruiner
13. Fairune
14. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People episode 2: Strong Badia the Free
15. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People episode 3: Baddest of the Bands

New:
16. Mario 3d World
17. Ducktales Remastered

Mario 3d World is far from perfect, but it is a great bit of fun. It takes that New Super Mario bros coop madness and puts a 3d dimension on it. Sometimes that is great, sometimes it is maddening. I beat the game as Peach (my standard choice for Mario 2), and my wife played Mario for most of it. We gathered all but six stars, and about half the stamps. Ill fire it up occasionally to get the rest of the stars and stamps. And now onto the space world and Rosalina.

Ducktales Remastered on the other hand is pretty much a masterpiece. Take a known excellent game, update graphics, add stages, and a story with voice acting. It is hard to not fall in love with it. I only wish that they had animated the characters mouth movements. This will be my go to for the next while, and I do not see a reason to play the NES version again unless I get a pain of nostalgia.

[Ziggy]

Beaten:

1. Ys III - Wanderers from Ys (SNES)
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Hyperstone Heist (Genesis via EDMD)
3. Castlevania: Chronicles (PS1 via PS3)
4. From Russia With Love (PS2)


Re-beaten:

1. Super Mario All-Stars + World (SNES via PowerPak)
2. Castlevania Bloodlines (Genesis)
3. Super Castlevania IV (SNES)
4. Castlevania Dracula X (SNES)
5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1 via PS3, PS1+T, PSP)

From Russia With Love:

I remember when this game came out. I impulse bought it. From Russia With Love is my favorite Connery Bond movie, and one of my favorite over all Bond movies. And it's voiced by Sean Connery. I ended up playing the first level and then getting rid of it. It's a third person shooter, and for the longest time I wouldn't even give these games the time of day. I hated third person shooters. And it's completely cheesed out. The first level has nothing to do with the movie, and it ends with you flying around in a jet pack around Big Ben shooting at a helicopter. Lame.

But now I'm older, and I can appreciate more things. Yes, the game is very cheesy. The dialog is pure shit. But, hey, it's a video game. It's voiced by Sean Connery, and I know that was one of the game's biggest selling points, but it IS awesome. It uses the likeness of 1960's Sean Connery, as well as the likeness of all the major characters in the film. And the character models are all very detailed. Graphically, it's a great looking PS2 game. It even uses actual movie footage in certain spots.

I understand now what they were trying to do. It's not a game of the film, per se, where it's trying to be as true to the film as possible. It uses the story and characters as a base, and tries to sort of encompass what was James Bond from the 60's. So that's why you have the jet pack, as well as the Aston Martin and other such things. It even throws in a "secret base" for the last level that's a stereotypical evil-doers 1960's base.

So back when the game came out, I thought using the jet pack was super cheesy. But now that I realize what they were going for, I can more than appreciate it. The jet pack makes for fun gameplay. No, the Aston Martin wasn't in the movie. But there's some cool driving levels that are a nice mix up in the game.

The gameplay itself is fun, however shallow it might be. I read some recent reviews for the game. Everyone seems to agree on one thing: The game is too easy. Even on its hardest difficulty setting, the game isn't too hard (especially since enemies will drop body armor). One review I read was titled something like, "Lock on, SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT!" That's pretty much the game in a nut shell. There are some deeper gameplay elements though. You can take cover behind walls, or flip over a table and duck behind it, do head rolls, etc. But at the end of the day, you can run through most levels by just locking on and shooting everything.

At this point in my life though, I judge games by one thing: How fun it is to play. I don't care if it's too easy, if the gameplay isn't so deep, if the dialog in the cut scenes is piss poor. If the game is fun and you enjoy playing it, then that's all that really matters. So here's another game that I wouldn't ever bother with 10 years ago that I now played from beginning to end and enjoyed.