52 Games Challenge 2022

[kamikazekeeg]

17 - Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (Capcom Fighting Game Collection Switch 2022) - BEAT - There be some hard games in this collection, but I think this and Gem Fighter are probably on the easier side of things, but I had some good fun with Puzzle Fighter.  I beat a run on normal for it and I could not tell you my strategy, it was pure luck lol Like I understand the basic idea of it, but I didn't understand how the "Counter Gems" thing worked, they seemed to have a certain layout or something for each character, but I couldn't tell you how that factored in.  I just tried to build for bigger colored blocks for bigger damage and hoped for the best.  It's a chill time, but I had fun with it, I can see coming back to this one every once in awhile for some quick games.

[bikingjahuty]

37. NHL 2001 (PS2)

I've been pretty much a lifelong Colorado Avalanche fan since they first came to Colorado in 1995, so them winning the Stanley Cup this year has got me craving hockey more than usual. I decided to try playing a game I got with my PS2 back in the day, and one that could hopefully satisfy me until the next Hockey season starts.


For its time NHL 2001 is a decent game; it looks pretty good for the time, the announcer commentary is pretty varied, save a few commonly reused expressions, and the sound effects definitely make you feel like you're viewing a hockey game. The real bummer with NHL 2001 is its gameplay, which while not bad is just very imbalanced and way too easy. I tried adjusting the difficulty, playing as different teams, and any change to difficulty was minimal. I was consistently breaking 5 goals per game, which is very rare in an actual NHL hockey game. Meanwhile the opposing team was lucky to get one goal on me, even if they were one of the better teams of the time like the Wings or Devils. But overall it was worth a couple hours of fun before I gort kinda board with it for being so easy. (7/3/22) [33/50]

[vivigamer]

30. Dino Crisis (PS1) 04/07/2022

Hit 30 games! Didn't think I'd make it even close to this figure at the end of the year!

As for the game... I think people who have the recent nostalgia really need to sit back and play it - It's far more archaic then any RE game. The game has far to much emphasis on finding keypasses to unlock doors, while this is the RE formula it's just to overwhelming in this game - You acually need 2 keypasses to unlock most doors and then figure out a word puzzle too proceed. Ontop of that there are also parts where you have to  scan dead bodies for their ID to forge their ID onto an ID Card - This gets confusing quick as you also need to know their ID Code... Most of the game just feels like this intrusive busy work gets in the way of the core selling point of the game THE DINOSAURS!

The dinosuars in-game are decent with a few varieties but the game lacks any real Oomph, there isn't really any true boss encounter until the end game - which is actually pretty underwhelming. Combat feels good at least and I like how you can move and shoot this time. The inventory managment is once again too complicated for its own good. The game has a MIX function in the menu to where you can mix items to get improvements but many items are simply parts to add on to main items and it once again gets a bit complicated adding '+' functionality to Med Kits or syringes which really could functon fine without all that added faffing.

The story is decent enough, One part I did like was the multiple decision points in the game, even if the last one is where the Endings take affect I still appreciated the different scenarios.

But sadly for me, this game is just interupted by far too much needless confussion and intrusive key items for navigation, it takes the RE formular to far and simply becomes less about the survival horror and more about the item management. I remember DC2 Is more action passed so I do look forward to trying that and hope for improvements.

[bikingjahuty]

38. G-Darius (PS2)

I used to go on the System 11 SHMUP forums fairly often to get a lot of my SHMUP recommendations back when I first really started dipping my toes into the genre. Most of the shmups recommended on the site are spot on and really good games. However, I'd occasionally play a game that was generally well regarded on that forum and wonder afterwards if Id missed something or just wasn't playing the game right. Most of the time, despite my best efforts, I just could not get into the game and found it to be kinda shitty in certain circumstances. One of those games is G-Darius.


G-Darius is probably the most imbalanced shmup I've ever played. When a shmup has good balancing it allows the player to succeed given the parameters and limitations of its gameplay. Occasionally these things do not match up ideally, creating balancing issues. G-Darius pretty much checks all the boxes when it comes to gameplay imbalancing, and no I am not exaggerating. I pretty much wanted the game to be over halfway through and no matter what I did the game literally just murders you almost the second your respawn invincibility wares off, and that's only the beginning. There are too many projectiles given your limited hitbox, you are power up marooned hard in this game, The capture mechanic is cumbersome and inconsistent, I could literally go on and on. The only saving grace this game has which does go a long way is its great 3D visuals and very unique, catchy OST. Other than that I could not recommend this game and at least on a personal level this is probably one of the least enjoyable shumps I've played in recent memory. (7/6/22) [22/50]

[kashell]

37. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age

70 hours of classic (for better or worse) RPG adventuring. I'm not going to play through the third act - the game's ending after the second act was fine. It was a solid adventure from start to finish. If not for the tedious inventory management, then this would be near perfect.

[moonlightvalkyrie]

6. Disneyland Adventures (Xbox One)

Finally just completed! Overall, I do not think it is a bad game. I just wish it had a little more to offer. A lot of the attractions were repeats and a lot of quests seemed more like busy work. However, some of the secrets were fun to find.

[justin8301]

25. Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Gen) 7/10/2022


Close to 27 years ago I played my very first RPG and it totally blew my mind. That RPG was Phantasy Star IV. This game single handedly started my obsession with JPRGs, so it’s a little weird to think that the first time I played it was also the last… It’s been 27 years... 27 years! And I still remember almost every moment of this game; that right there should give you an idea of the kind of impact it had on me. It really was so refreshing playing through this game after all that time; it’s renewed my interest in RPGS and I can’t wait to dive into some more!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2uW6ENi9v/

[kashell]

I wish there were a chef's kiss emoji on here. Phantasy Star IV is just that. *chef's kiss* So good - glad you enjoyed it again after all these years.

[justin8301]

I wish there were a chef's kiss emoji on here. Phantasy Star IV is just that. *chef's kiss* So good - glad you enjoyed it again after all these years.

Dude totally agree. I really cant believe I didnt play it sooner. It was such a fun trip down memory lane. I was starting to feel like i was getting burnt out with RPGs to be honest and then this comes along and just reignited the fire.

[vivigamer]

31. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (PS3 on PS5) 12/07/22
This game really surprised me! Had a lot of fun playing it with my friend the last week but what i loved most was how it completely revitallised all of Code Veronica's awkwardness - No annoying Steve, or Super Human Wesker! The 8 levels within the game were a great presentation of VC and we might go back and play the other game too - Didn't expect the story to be so thorough within a light-gun game! The new story with Leon and Krauser was decent enough too. The weapon upgrade system was also engaging and we had fun maxing out the base pistol If you like RE and haven't bothered with this one due toit being an on rails shooter certainly reconsider it!

[kashell]

38. Yurukill: The Calumniation Games

This has been the biggest surprise of the year. I didn't think I would like this as much as I did. I zoomed through the VN parts because I wanted to see what happened next. I sped through the puzzles because they were simple and fun, but also so I could get to the shmup action. It all came together really nicely.

[kashell]

39. Final Fantasy VII Remake INTERGRADE (aka Yuffie's Episode)

Yuffie's DLC was a lot of fun; more fun than I expected to have with a character I never really cared for in the original. The ending moments actually got me hyped for the next iteration. I just hope it's not years upon years before it gets released.

[telly]

Game 9 - New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii, 2-player co-op) – 10 hours

I will always have a soft spot for the New Super Mario Bros. games even though they’re far from perfect. At least the Wii version brought back the Koopalings as mini bosses and added 4-player consecutive co-op for the first time. Playing this game makes it even more obvious how derivative and lazy the Wii U version is, including the music! I still like playing these games though, they’re a guilty pleasure for me, and we always have a good time stumbling over each other and causing each other’s demise in co-op.

Certainly this game plays just like all the other Mario games with good controls, fun (if not predictable) worlds and a competent difficulty curve. We really enjoyed the final boss fight however, in particular the music. Some of the gameplay additions in the Wii game are great, like the penguin suit, fire flower and propeller shroom. The equivalent propeller block that you have to hold to achieve the same effect (along with the light block), were not that fun to use. The motion controls for this most part can be ignored, except for twirling and spinning, which you don’t really need to finish the game. Using the bubble in co-op, however, requires furious shaking of the Wii mote which can be very tiresome. All told, it’s a fun experience, comparable to every other modern 2D Mario game with a few unique aspects.

[kashell]

40. Mega Man 3

Still a classic. Is it still my favorite, though? I'm not sure. I need to replay Mega Man 8 to find out.

[kamikazekeeg]

18 - Stray (PS5 2022) - BEAT - One of those games I've been curious about for awhile, never excited for it, but you get to play the game as an actual cat and that's just a nifty little idea.  The setting does make for something more unique than if it was some modern day thing.  It's not a long game, 5 or 6 hours I think, and it's not some big gameplay heavy experience, it's more on the side of a puzzle game/platformer, but very light on both.  Very easy game in general, but it's just a nice, charming, experience where you get to be a kitty that sometimes pushes things over, or takes a nap, or does other cute cat things.  There's a dedicated meow button!