Games Beaten 2013

[Luke]

The general Mario gameplay is like integrated into my bones at this point.

That's why SMB2 is kinda tough on me.

[Ack]

You know, I never beat Super Mario Bros. 3...but then again, I loved the US Super Mario Bros. 2, so 3 just didn't feel right to me.

[Luke]

You know, I never beat Super Mario Bros. 3...but then again, I loved the US Super Mario Bros. 2, so 3 just didn't feel right to me.

3 is very fun and forgiving. Great music, extremely tight controls, fun sprites, great level design, and it's just really cute.

[Ack]

You know, I never beat Super Mario Bros. 3...but then again, I loved the US Super Mario Bros. 2, so 3 just didn't feel right to me.

3 is very fun and forgiving. Great music, extremely tight controls, fun sprites, great level design, and it's just really cute.

That's actually how I feel about 2, haha!

[BoneSnapDeez]

Went through every stage on every level, as usually I just warp to beat the game.

SM3 is far easier than I remember. I believe I only died a handful of times and had over thirty lives left when I saved the princess. But that doesn't take away from how fun the game is, and every level is a blast.

Good for you! Going through every stage is the way to go, with every Mario game. Such amazing games, I gotta see it all.

True story: I was at a con last year and they had a big-screen TV with an NES + SM3. I sat down to play, but since I didn't want to hog the machine I decided to just roll through the game using warp whistles. Something was in the air that night - I was flying through it - I didn't lose a life (or even get hit) once. It was almost like one of those speed-runs you see on YouTube. When I defeated Bowser I heard this noise erupt behind me. I didn't realize it because I was so focused on the game, but about 30-40 people had been watching me and they were all cheering. Some 10 year old kid turned to his friend and was like "Whoa man.... did you see that?" Very proud moment in the life of Bone.

[prfsnl_gmr]

That's awesome!

[alienjesus]

1. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions PSP
2. Pokémon: Dream Radar 3DS eShop
3. New Super Mario Bros. U Wii U
4. Paper Mario: Sticker Star 3DS
5. New Super Mario Bros. 2 3DS
6. Mario Tennis Open 3DS
7. Wario Land 3 GBC
8. Hana Samurai: Art of the Sword 3DS eShop
9. The "Denpa" Men: They Came By Wave 3DS eShop
10. Pokémon White Version 2 DS
11. Kirby Mass Attack DS
12. F-Zero Wii U VC
13. Jeanne d'Arc PSP *NEW*
14. DoDonPachi Resurrection 360 *NEW*
15. Patapon PSP *NEW*


So, last time I said I'd probably sit down and beat some console games next. I guess I lied.

Jeanne d'Arc was a well made strategy RPG, but I found it to be a little disappointing. That's not to say it was not fun - it was enjoyable, the ability system was simple but interesting and the games was a decent length. The main problem I had with it is that it was kinda lacking any real defining traits - it played mostly like a cross between Fire Emblem and FF Tactics, but wasn't really as good as either. The story being (very) loosely based on the Hundred Years War and Joan of Arc was interesting, but mostly under-utilised. It also felt a little too cartoony when I feel it should've been an epic. The cutscenes were nice, and there was nothing wrong with the cel shaded style, but the small amount of units in each battle, the overly simplified plot and the hackneyed one dimensional villains left it feeling a bit childish - I was expecting something on a par with fire emblem or the original FFTactics in terms of scale when it came to the story. It's weird to say after I criticised FFTactics for being a bit too bland in it's retelling of the War of the Roses, but Jeanne d'Arc could've done with following the history books a bit closer. There was one section in the middle of the game where the story stepped it up a notch in terms of what was on the line, and this was EASILY the best part of the game, but after this point it fell all too readily into the usual RPG cliches (especially as after this point it literally stopped following the history books at all to tell it's own story) and was much less interesting as a result - the game's epic conclusion was at the two thirds mark, so the rest felt lacking. For those wanting to know, really major spoilers ahead:

Throught the game Jeanne is accompanied by her childhood friend Liane. When Jeanne supposedly dies in a battle, Liane dresses up as Jeanne and impersonates her in order to keep morale up among the men in order to keep to the goal of coronating the king. The pressure gradually builds up on Liane and she starts going a little nuts with power, before losing a battle and being caught and sold to the British. Despite attempts to save her, your party is unable to save the day, and Liane is burnt at the stake as Jeanne d'Arc. This bit of the storyling was much more itneresting and well done, but basically forgotten for the usual anime bullshit right after it happened.

DoDonPachi Resurrection was a game I picked up on a whim. I love me some bullet hell shooters, but they're often either too expensive or only available on consoles I don't have available to me. I saw this one for £5 on 360 and thought why not? I was actually a bit loathe to include this on my list, as I don't actually own a 360, and used my girlfriends console to play through it. Other games I've beaten on her XBox I've left off the list before as they weren't mine, but I figured since I bought this one I'd best include it. I basically credit fed through the game after trying out all the different ships and playstyles. I decide I liked the 2nd ship (the helicopter whose options angle in the direction you're moving whilst firing) in Strong mode (6 options) best. I was doing alright for my first go, not using my first credits til the boss of the 2nd stage, and only having used 3 b the final stage, but then that 5th level tore me to shreds, and I ended up using about 11 before I finished it . Definitely a fun game, and it's nice to have a Cave shmup to play when the mood strikes me.

Patapon is another PSP strategy game of sorts, except this time it's a hybrid Rhythm/Strategy game. This mechanic works very nicely, with you tapping buttons to the beat in order to direct your army. The aesthetics of the game are very nice, with a slight tribal art feel and a very nice silhouette theme that is played around with with enemies that unfurl when hit - first looking like an easy to kill pig, but then unwrapping into all sorts of other weird things. The unit variety is small but effective, and your customisation over them is similarly minor, but offers more options and depths than you might expect from a rhythm game. The game is a decent length, at about 15-20 hours, yet it feels really short. This is a good thing, as it shows just how fun and addictive the game is, as the time flies by when playing it, but there is a slight element of the game being rushed to it aswell - particularly at the end, where the story is wrapped up very quickly - probably to make more room for a sequel. The music in the game does the job, although it can get repetitive because it's less of an actual music track and more like several music phrases linked together based on whats happening in game. It's enjoyable enough though. The only real flaw I have with the game is the minigames you play to earn materials for upgrading your army - the mechanics are fine, as they're all fairly quick and rhythm based, but the rhythms used are the exact same every single time, so they quickly become tiresome because there is no variety to them at all.

Overall, both games are worth buying and playing. Jeanne d'Arc is a great game, but a little trickier to recommend - to SRPG newbies it offers a fairly simple challenge and game mechanics (although it can be a little tough early on) but there are better SRPGs to serve as an introduction to the genre, whilst fans of the genre might find it a bit too simple in scope and difficulty for their tastes. It certainly was made with a lot of passion though.
Patapon on the other hand, I have no problem with recommending as an absolute must have for the system, it's up there with my favourites for the system. It might be quite a simpel and basic game too but its incredibly addictive, and the time flies by whilst you're playing.

Next update: Console games, honest! Nearly done with F-Zero X, so hopefully that'll be there, with another of the retro games I plan to play through such as Cybernator or Shock Troopers.

[CavZee]

The general Mario gameplay is like integrated into my bones at this point.

That's why SMB2 is kinda tough on me.

Same here, never was too good at the game when I was younger. One of these days I'll have my revenge.

[Luke]

Good for you! Going through every stage is the way to go, with every Mario game. Such amazing games, I gotta see it all.

True story...

Pass your story to Baby Bone one of these days.

Playing any Mario Bros. game without an "I gotta Beat it!" mentality is a new experience. I guess I wanted to brag about beating the game when I was a kid, but I missed out on how excellent the entire game was.

It's not "epic" or "legendary"...it's just fun balls, or balls fun. Even when you screw up in the game you do it fully dressed.

Even 100 years from now SMB3 will remain a treasure.

[Gamerforlife]

1. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions PSP
2. Pokémon: Dream Radar 3DS eShop
3. New Super Mario Bros. U Wii U
4. Paper Mario: Sticker Star 3DS
5. New Super Mario Bros. 2 3DS
6. Mario Tennis Open 3DS
7. Wario Land 3 GBC
8. Hana Samurai: Art of the Sword 3DS eShop
9. The "Denpa" Men: They Came By Wave 3DS eShop
10. Pokémon White Version 2 DS
11. Kirby Mass Attack DS
12. F-Zero Wii U VC
13. Jeanne d'Arc PSP *NEW*
14. DoDonPachi Resurrection 360 *NEW*
15. Patapon PSP *NEW*

I was expecting something on a par with fire emblem or the original FFTactics in terms of scale when it came to the story. It's weird to say after I criticised FFTactics for being a bit too bland in it's retelling of the War of the Roses, but Jeanne d'Arc could've done with following the history books a bit closer. There was one section in the middle of the game where the story stepped it up a notch in terms of what was on the line, and this was EASILY the best part of the game, but after this point it fell all too readily into the usual RPG cliches (especially as after this point it literally stopped following the history books at all to tell it's own story) and was much less interesting as a result - the game's epic conclusion was at the two thirds mark, so the rest felt lacking. For those wanting to know, really major spoilers ahead:

Throught the game Jeanne is accompanied by her childhood friend Liane. When Jeanne supposedly dies in a battle, Liane dresses up as Jeanne and impersonates her in order to keep morale up among the men in order to keep to the goal of coronating the king. The pressure gradually builds up on Liane and she starts going a little nuts with power, before losing a battle and being caught and sold to the British. Despite attempts to save her, your party is unable to save the day, and Liane is burnt at the stake as Jeanne d'Arc. This bit of the storyling was much more itneresting and well done, but basically forgotten for the usual anime bullshit right after it happened.

You make some valid criticisms of the story, but everything you put in spoiler text was so amazing that I still have a great appreciation of that game's story. I just did NOT expect the story to go there. That one cut scene really shocked me as it was very emotionally powerful. Unfortunately though, as you said the story does go a bit downhill after that. That game's story has moments that are so ballsy, but then it pulls back as if it's afraid to follow through with the bold steps it has taken and would rather go with something easier and safer.

I still love the game overall though and disagree that it's not a good game for newbies to the genre. I think it's PERFECT for that actually. It's easy, fun, and accessible.

I also don't regard Patapon quite as highly as you do, but I did have fun with it. It has its flaws though