Author Topic: 52 Game Challenge 2017  (Read 72639 times)

telly

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #435 on: September 04, 2017, 08:30:49 pm »
52 games FINALLY! Hoping to beat 65 by the end of the year! =)

Congrats! :)
Currently Playing:
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PS4), Resident Evil 5 (PS4), Pokémon: Ultra Moon (3DS), SSX3 (PS2)

My music collection | My Backloggery

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #436 on: September 04, 2017, 10:02:58 pm »
52 games FINALLY! Hoping to beat 65 by the end of the year! =)

Congrats! :)

Thanks  :D Didn't thought i'd be able to do it but I guess being homeschooled has it's perks lol

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #437 on: September 05, 2017, 04:59:59 am »
52 no i pass, not much free time

telly

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #438 on: September 06, 2017, 11:02:21 am »
52 no i pass, not much free time

I mean, I never beat the challenge either, but it doesn't mean you can't track your games that you've beaten  ::). That's what I do the challenge for.
Currently Playing:
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PS4), Resident Evil 5 (PS4), Pokémon: Ultra Moon (3DS), SSX3 (PS2)

My music collection | My Backloggery

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #439 on: September 08, 2017, 11:57:12 am »
All right! The World Ends With You has been beaten! I'm a huge fan of the Nintendo DS, and this game was often hailed as one of the best games of the system, so naturally I had to play it! And I am glad I did! I wouldn't put it up there as one of the best games ever, but it was still really great no doubt (even if I sucked at it).

The story, while a tad predictable and with some pretty cliché characters here and there, was still engaging. The world was interesting and really managed to draw me into its lore. And even if the characters were cliché, they were still very likeable and did grow on me.
What makes this game stand out though is its combat. I personally found the Touch Screen-based action-centric combat system to be very refreshing and fun to use. It takes some time to properly get the timing and commands down, but once you do it's a really fun system. I personally really liked the concept of the dual screen-combat too, though it did give me some issues here and there. You have to fight with two characters simultaniously on the two screens, and I just couldn't fully get the hang of it. With weaker or small amounts of enemies it's fine, but in a large crowd of enemies of boss fights I just couldn't keep it under control. The game has plenty of options for difficulty scaling too, but it's still pretty challenging, and I definitely got my butt kicked plenty of times. I'm not ashamed to admit I beat some of the bosses on Easy mode.

But besides that I still really enjoyed the game! I wouldn't consider it one of my favourite DS games of all time, but it's definitely a game I look back on fondly and one I recommend to anyone looking for a new and unique action RPG.

So that puts me at 24!
Italics means I had already started with the game November last year or earlier
A red glow means this is a second playthrough
A blue glow means the game has been completed 100%

Right now the list is:
  • Life is Strange
  • New Super Mario Bros. U
  • Kirby’s Dream Land
  • Kirby’s Dream Land
  • Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (PC version)
  • Super Mario 3D World
  • Kirby Super Star Ultra
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
  • Learn With Pokémon: Typing Adventure
  • Sonic Generations
  • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
  • Drawn to Life
  • Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
  • 8-Bit Bayonetta
  • Mario Kart Wii
  • Bayonetta
  • Space Channel 5: Part 2
  • DuckTales: Remastered
  • Super Mario Bros.
  • Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse
  • New Super Mario Bros.
  • Miitopia
  • Ben 10: Galactic Racing
  • The World Ends With You

So now what? Well, Metroid: Samus Returns is coming out next week, and I'm planning on getting to work on that one soon. Otherwise, I still have other titles in line I'm working on, like The Wonderful 101 and a second playthrough of Pokémon SoulSilver, so I guess I'll just see where things go from here.
Huge Nintendo fan and hobbyist Nintendo collector.



kashell

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #440 on: September 08, 2017, 03:59:56 pm »
New reviews are on my page. Took 'em long enough!

Hyperdimension Neptunia U Action Unleashed
Norn9: Var Commons
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death

telly

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #441 on: September 14, 2017, 11:58:07 pm »
Game 21 - Shantae: Half Genie Hero (Wii U) - 6 Hours

+ Great game from start to finish! Awesome music, great graphics and gameplay, fun characters and good difficulty and lots of collectables and secrets to find. The boss battles were great too. It's just a solid game all around without much to complain about.

- I guess I would say that the game doesn't really try anything new, it's pretty standard fare. And I would say the final boss was a little lackluster, even though the standard boss battles were a ton of fun.

Back to my list
Currently Playing:
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PS4), Resident Evil 5 (PS4), Pokémon: Ultra Moon (3DS), SSX3 (PS2)

My music collection | My Backloggery

kashell

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #442 on: September 15, 2017, 08:13:04 am »
I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #443 on: September 17, 2017, 05:30:00 am »
Since I reached the maximum word limit in my previous post i'm gonna continue my reviews here =)

Previous reviews here :

Part 1 :  https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7980.msg133797.html#msg133797
Part 2 :  https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7980.msg140404.html#msg140404

44. Soulcalibur II [20/20] - Gamecube  - I finally took the time to unlock all the characters in this game, I had it since forever but never really had the time to play it. As I said already, Soulcalibur III is my favorite fighting game of all time, so I always thought about Soulcalibur II as the "demo" of Soulcalibur III in a way that it's a really good game but SCIII just took it to another level. However I still adore this game and it's definitely worth playing it since you have a few characters that are exclusive to this game (Necrid, Assassin, Charade, Berserker and the Guest characters). Also, Link is probably one of my favorite guest characters in a fighting game! He fits the game perfectly and he's definitely one of the stronger fighter! He also has a really cheap attack that can finish a fight in a few seconds (the one where you can throw your opponent out of the arena lol). Graphically it's also amazing and overall just a really good and fun fighting game. Definitely get the Gamecube version tho lol.

45. Injustice 2 [20/20] - Xbox One - Injustice 2 was a game I was extremely excited for! I've wanted to play with the first one for so long but for some reason never got it, so when I saw that the second one was coming out I ad to pre order it! I didn't regret it it at all, Injustice 2 has one of the best story mode I've seen in a fighting game. The cut scenes are amazing and it truly feels like you're watching a movie! Graphically the game is just beyond beautiful, the arena are so lively and the fighters look stunning. Speaking of the fighters, I LOVE the roster so much, I'm a big comics fan so I already liked a lot of the characters before even playing the game. I also liked that Superman wasn't the hero of the game, as I said I haven't played the first one but from my understanding he was one in it, so it was quite original seeing him as a "villain". This game also made me hate Wonder Woman so much, wanted to fucking slap that bitch lmao.

46. Fallout 4 [20/20] - Xbox One - Fallout 4 was the first Fallout game I've ever played an I absolutely LOVED it! I'm gonna start with the few negatives first. First thing is I found the game super hard, it's probably because it was my first experience with a Fallout game but after like 5-6 hours of playing I had to download some mods to make it easier for me. It's not really a negative point as in a bad point it's honestly just me being probably really bad a the game lol but I still almost gave up. Second negative, not cut scenes, I really wish they added some cut scenes, it's not really a big deal but I feel like it could've made the story telling a bit better. One of the main problem tho is the glitches, luckily I didn't have many but one time I had MacCready stuck at one place and he wouldn't follow me anymore so I had to go back to a previous save. There was also a moment when you're supposed to enter a helicopter but it I coulnd't so I had to find another way to continue the game lol. And lastly the animations are stiff as fuck lol, I did play the game in 3rd person mode and since it's supposed to be play more as an FPS that's probably why. Now the positives, first I thought the character creation was amazing! My character was probably one of my favorite I ever made tbh! Then the story, it's not linear and being able to side with different people makes the game worth playing again multiple times. I also loved the fact that you could have gay romances, as I gay man I loved to be able to romance MacCready haha! The ending or more like the reveal (don't want to spoil but y'all know what i'm talking about if you played the game ^^) really shocked the fuck out of me tbh! Overall it was just a really good experience and i'm definitely gonna play it again! I also finished the game really quickly and was surprised when I finished it because I didn't think I was even close to the end but I think the fact that I used mods kinda explain why I finished it so quickly lol.

47. Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 [17/20] - Playstation 3 - I'm a huge Harry Potter fan so that was the main reason I got this game. I never played a lego game before so I wasn't really sure how it works but I really liked how they separated everything into different levels. The game included pretty much everything from the movies while making it a lot more funnier and kid friendly (but not too kid friendly to the point where you can't enjoy it as an adult!). The fact that the characters didn't talk also made the game a lot funnier imo! Graphically it's pretty good, you can easily recognize every place from the movie (except Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, idk what the fuck they were thinking when they made it lol ). Gameplay wise it's also pretty easy to pick up, the only thing that I disliked in the game is that a lot of times they don't really tell you what you're supposed to do which is kinda annoying.

48. Mass Effect [20/20] - Xbox 360 - I heard a lot of good things about this serie before playing it, I already owned ME2 on ps3 for some reason but I never actually played it, and since there is the complete trilogy available with EA Access I thought why not play all 3 of them. I really liked this game tbh, the story was amazing and I was totally into it. I loved the characters, especially Kaidan and Ashley (fuck that choice tho). Graphically it's alright, it definitely looks like an early 7th gen game but it still looks pretty good. Also for some reason I thought the main story would be extremely long so I didn't really do any of the side quest and I ended up finishing the game really quickly! My overall impression of the game was that it's really good but it does have some small issues gameplay wise that could be easily fixed (like that stupid car with those awful controls lol) but it's a good first game that layed solid foundations for the next games.

49. Dragon Age Inquisition [20/20] - Xbox One - This game blew my mind. It's the first Dragon Age game I've ever played and I honestly didn't expect it to be nearly as good as it is for some reason! Graphically it's just stunning, the characters truly look real and the different areas are all mind blowing! The story is also really interesting and I got attached to a lot of the characters, my inquisitor obviously but also Dorian who was my romance choice and who I found to be hilarious! The game never got boring for me, I finished it in about 60-70 hours and most of the time it felt like I only played 20 minutes even tho I was already playing it for more than 2 hours. I also like how they kinda force you to do the side quest to be able to continue the main story, my only regret is that I didn't really do any of the companion mission except Blackwall and Dorian's (I might have started or even finished Cullen's tho but i'm not sure). Gameplay wise I played with a human rogue, I did kinda regret not choosing a mage tbh but it didn't really bother me that much. Overall it's just a fantastic game that totally shocked me by how good it is!

50. Saints Row IV [20/20] - Xbox 360 - So before playing this game I heard a lot of people complaining about it because of how different it was from the original Saints Rows, so I went into the game thinking I wasn't gonna like it however it was actually a BIG surprise! I really liked the game! The main character is just so funny and overall the dialogues are just hilarious! I also liked that they brought back old Shaundi and I also loved CID a lot! For some reason tho it feels like the main character isn't the same as how he was in SR2 or 3, he's just way funnier and less "gangster", but it didn't bother me at all cause it fit the game perfectly. The story was funny, not that original but it was alright. The gameplay is super fun, it's like what Prototype 1 should've been imo. My only issue was that I felt like the developers knew no one was gonna use the cars once we unlock the sprinting power so the driving was really weird, like it was really slow and hard to control! And I personally did use them because graphically the game is beautiful and I wanted to see the city a bit more, something you can't really do if you use the powers! Overall it was a really great game, I liked it more than the third tbh, might be an unpopular opinion but I actually thought the game was really fun!

51. Bratz Rock Angelz [20/20] - PC - I'm really biased toward this game because i'm a Bratz super fan (i'm also a doll collector haha) and it's also a game from my childhood so I have good memories with it. It's definitely not a game that you should play if you don't like Bratz, it's gonna be probably really boring, but for me I thought the game did a pretty good job with being truthful to the movie and it was actually quite fun tbh. It was a bit too short tho, like around 1 hour to beat I'd say. Don't really have a lot to say about the game tbh, it's a pretty generic point and clic but I did enjoy it a lot.
 
52. Lonely Wolf Treat [12/20] - PC - So Lonely Wolf Treat is a short indie game made with rpg maker. I loved the environment of the game, I thought it was pretty cute and the art style was really fitting with the whole theme of the game. I didn't really like the main character tho, like she was supposed to be that "lonely wolf" that nobody liked because she was a wolf but I thought she was kinda being an antipathetic bitch throughout the whole game lol. Also the bunny was being extra as hell and annoyed me to no end. I did like the message of the game tho.

53. Payback 2015 [14/20] - PC - It was a fun little visual novel, but nothing more tbh. I wish there was more dialogue options and that the story would be more different based on who you picked. I played the game first with Seth Rollins and damn what an asshole they made him out be! Like it was almost too much tbh! Then I did the game again with Randy Orton and same thing he was a dick (I did end up with the good ending tho) so yeah it was kinda annoying lol.

54. A World at Peace [13/20] - PC - A really short game but I thought it was really original and almost deep in a way. The "ending" where you have to choose to either stay in the perfect world but end up "stoned" or go away was kinda metaphoric to how we humans sometime stay in situations that seem perfect but we end up being trapped in them without knowing how to get out. I wish it was a bit longer tho and also the ending was kinda brutal like no real explanation or whatever.

55. Archimoulin [18/20] - PC - So currently we only have access to a pretty short "demo" of the game but I absolutely adored it! The game is stunning, it kinda reminds me of Asterix et Obelix for some reason! I looks almost like an old school cartoon released in HD haha! The animations are fluid and the game overall looks pretty unique! The music is also really nice, definitely fits the game. I don't have that many things to say about the game except that I can't wait for the release of the full version, i'll definitely get it that's for sure!

56. Madden NFL 17 [16/20] - Xbox One - So that was my first NFL game and I have to say that i'm pretty unfamiliar with american football since i'm European. It took me quite some time to figure out the rules and then how to play lol but I did enjoy the game a lot! I'm not the biggest American football fan, I do find it a little bit boring and slow to watch however as a game it was pretty fun tbh! Ngl I think I only won like 5 games during the entire season lol, tbh it was kinda annoying how sometimes I was almost about to make a touchdown then the game starts to simulate and my team doesn't scores however the other team always scores while simulating =/. Graphically I also think it's one of the weakest compared to Fifa, NBA and NHl, especially the character creation which is imo pretty limited, but it still looks really good so it's like an issue or anything.

57. Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 [17/20] - Playstation 3 - So I won't have a lot to ay about this game because my opinion is basically the same as it was for Lego Harry Potter Year 1-4 except that I slightly like this one better. The graphics are a little bit better and I also like that they changed some of the spells, Aquamenti was really fun tbh! I also liked that they put battles into the games, even tho they were extremely easy. The game made once again a really good job to stay true to the movies while adding a lot of humor into it! It's definitely a game to have even if you're not fan of the Lego games.

58. F1 2015 [15/20] - Xbox One - So I know absolutely nothing about Formula 1, don't really care about it irl but I like racing games so I thought i'd try this one since I'v never played a F1 game before. The first few hours of playing I legit thought I missed a button to turn or drift or do something idk because it was literally impossible for me to turn in a corner. After a few races I finally started to get the hang of the controls which are honestly pretty good, just takes some time to get used to them. This game definitely is a simulator and not an arcade game, maybe that's why it was so hard for me to play it at the beginning since this is my first time playing a racing simulator. I liked the game, but I did get a bit bored after like half of the competition, the races where very similar looking, and the only one I truly liked was I think Malaysia (the one during the night).

59. Mass Effect 2 [20/20] - Xbox 360 - Mass Effect 2 is the definition of a PERFECT sequel. This game is simply incredible. First of all it corrected every small issues that the first game had gameplay wise (like the mako) but also added some new features that made the game even better (for example being able to really sprint and not just vaguely run a little faster lol and also changing the way health works). Graphically the game is also a lot better, the first one was already stunning but the locations were a bit similar to each other. The locations in this game are way more iconic imo, I loved Omega especially the Afterlife, Illium was also STUNNING, I had to stop multiple times just to look at how beautiful everything was! I also liked the citadel a lot more in this game, it was much more alive even if it was a bit smaller. But what made this game so good is the new characters! At first I was worried about not having my previous squad mates with me especially Kaidan (who ended up being the only one with Liara who didn't join me haha) but all these new characters are just so amazing! Jacob and Miranda were ok, I didn't really care about Grunt either but Mordin (<3), Samara, Jack, Thane, EDI and Legion are all such unique characters that you just can't help but love them! The story was great but it's really getting to know each characters that makes the real story. [SPOILER ALERT] I was also able to save all my team during the suicide mission (which btw was probably one of the most iconic scene I've seen in a video game!) so I ended the game on a very high note! So yeah this game definitely won me over, I knew I was said to be a good game but definitely didn't expect it to be that amazing!

60. NBA Live 2016 [16/20] - Xbox One - First of all, I'm a big NBA fan and basketball in general so contrary to most of the other sports game I play (except skateboarding and wrestling games) I'm pretty familiar with the teams and players, so I can't tell if they fucked them up or not haha. Tbh graphically the game is really pretty, however I can't talk about Live without comparing it to 2k, in this case 2k16, and while I don't think the graphics are a lot better in 2K16, the animations are way more realistic, which makes 2k16 imo prettier to look at in general. Gameplay wise the game is good, it's pretty easy to pick up, I do have some issues with some of the camera angles tho but it's not that serious. I do think the games lacks a story mode, because the career mode is pretty boring, and I also wish they added historic/classic teams like 2K does, I love playing with past players so having none of them in the game is definitely a negative point for me. The "character creation" is also trash, you can just choose a face and that's it like I don't understand why FIFA has a bomb ass character creation mode and not Live. Overall it is a good basketball game but once you compare it to 2k you realize that it lacks a good amount of content (smart move to add the WNBA in live 18 tho, really hyped about that even tho I don't really watch WNBA).
 
61. Prototype [15/20] - Xbox 360 - I've had this game for so long and I actually started it a few years ago, but I started again this year because I remembered it being quite fun. So while I liked the game, it does have a few negatives. First of all, why is it so dated? It's not ugly, but it's FAR from being graphically impressive for a game that came out in 2009, same year when Uncharted 2 came out. It does have a lot of people running around the streets tho which is a plus, however the city is SO boring, everything looks the same and there no colors at all. The gameplay is really fun tho, all the different attacks and just running on the buildings really makes you feel like a super hero. I hate the fighting system in the game tho, a lot of time I missed the ennemie because the camera randomly locked someone else instead, it may be just me not being good at the game tho. The story is also extremely uninteresting, but I don't think they were going for a deep ass story anyway. I do want to play the sequel tho because it does look way better and the graphics were my main issue with this game in the first place.

62. WWE 2K16 [16/20] - Xbox One -   I'm a big wrestling fan and used to play with the old WWE games on ps2 with my friend a long time ago and I remembered them being super fun, however this is the first WWE game I've played since. The roster is good, the mains are here, however a lot of them look awful tbh. This is the game's main issue, the graphics, which are SO dated tbh. It's not ugly, but for a game that came out in 2015 it's definitely not that great, especially when you compare it to NBA 2K16. Other than that the game is pretty good, there's a lot of game modes and the gameplay is great (even tho the blocking is awfully hard to master imo!).

« Last Edit: December 07, 2017, 10:18:20 pm by chrismb »

shfan

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #444 on: September 17, 2017, 07:13:20 pm »
Just updated my list on p29 and, to my surprise, I'm at 22/52. A lot better than anticipated! If I can knock down some more in-progress games then I may have a chance with some last-minute action games. Just beat Homefront: The Revolution on PS4, contrary to what reviews seem to be suggesting it wasn't a bad example of open-world shooter and I haven't been urinating blood as a side-effect of having played it.

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #445 on: September 18, 2017, 12:34:00 pm »
My wife's been knocking out games like crazy as of late.  She's at 35 games beat now.

I'm trying to get back into it.  Sitting at 71 games beat right now.


Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #446 on: September 18, 2017, 04:37:57 pm »
Part 3 of my 52 games challenge:

58. Gunstar Heroes (Genesis): I had pretty high expectations for this game because for one it was developed by Treasure, which in my book is one of the most underrated developers in video game history, and also because this is often one of those must have Genesis titles that people bring up when discussing the very best games on the Genesis. I do not deny that this game is fun, but I will say that my expectations were not met due to some frustrating gameplay mechanics. Specially I was not a fan of certain weapon combos or single weapons being very ineffective for dealing with certain bosses or part during the stage. Over dependence on power-ups is a bit of a pet peeve of mine in games, and this game really was no different. I also thought the placement of checkpoints in stages was poorly implemented as well. in all though, the game looks and sounds great, and if not for the mechanics mentioned earlier I would have enjoyed this game a lot more than I did. (9/18/17)

59. Border Down (Dreamcast): Occasionally I'll revisit a game that I feel like maybe I didn't give enough of a shot, and Border Down happens to be a title that I'd place in this category. I reviewed it last year and remember being fairly unimpressed with it despite good graphics and an excellent soundtrack. My main gripe was the very limited amount of continues as well as having to repeat parts of stages which is made slightly less annoying by the fact that they are slightly different depending on whether you are playing as your green, yellow or red ship. What made me change my mind is sticking with this game rather than giving up so quickly due to its punishing difficulty, and while it is still one of the hardest shooters I've ever played, it started growing on me the more I played. I'd even go as far as to place it somewhere in the middle of my top 25-SHMUPs of all time. (9/18/17)

60. Karous (Wii): I believe that the people who designed this game were going for a sort of minimalistic art style, it just looked lazy and uninteresting. The music was a sort of generic drum and bass as well that just sort of went in one ear and out the other. But like all STGs the true value is in its gameplay which would be hard to consider being even average at best. I found this one about as generic as they come, not doing anything great, but not doing anything really bad either. It was entirely meh. (9/18/17)

61. Last Hope: Pink Bullets (Dreamcast): If R-Type and Metal Black had a baby it would be Last Hope: Pink Bullets. In some ways I thought it was as good as R-Type, and definitely better than Metal Black (at least from what I remember), however it had many of the flaws of both games, especially R-Type. The game gets super frustrating later on around stage 4 and I ended up rage quitting due to some poor design choices in this stage. Other than that the art style is pretty cool and unique, although certain stage hazards blend in with the backgrounds a little too well. Music is above average as well. I'd say this one is decent, but nothing special. (9/19/17)

62. Star Wars Battlefront II - Beta (PC): A couple years ago when EA opened up the original Battlefront Beta I played it for hours and hours despite my frustration that it was an online multiplayer shooter. I tried so hard to get into it and like it and despite it being Star Wars and despite it looking and sounding incredible, I just could not get into it or enjoy it. And now here I am with its sequel and I am left feeling the exact same way despite trying so hard to convince myself I liked this game. Aside from the online multiplayer focus which really kills this game more than anything, being killed from across the map every 10-seconds and having people who don't know what teamwork means also plays a huge role in my dislike for this game. The only chance I may someday pick this game back up is if the single player is praised upon release and if it is at least somewhat robust (5+ hours would be nice). Even if it is I don't think I will pick this up until it is around $20 or less. (10/8/17)

63. ESPgaluda (Arcade): As the sequel to ESP.Ra.De this game does certain things better, but other things not nearly as well. It's biggest strength is its soundtrack which is really catchy. However, it almost feels like your standard fare Cave SHMUP which is now bordering generic. Everything considered, ESP.Ra.De proves to edge out its sequel, however ESPgaluda is not a bad game, just a bit underwhelming at times. (10/8/17)

64. Ibara (Arcade): You can tell that Cave tried really hard to make this as good as the games it was inspired by, Battle Garegga and Battle Bakraid, but sadly what got in the way of this was, well... Cave. This game at times does feel like a really cool sequel to Garegga or Bakraid in that the projectiles and challenge is balanced, however it is quickly ruined by moments that come across as just cheap, and this is no more true than with most of the games bosses. During most of the boss encounters the game turns from being a fun tribute to Battle Garegga to a game trying to be Garegga and Dodonpachi at the same time which does not work at all. What this all results in is a game that is really fun for a little bit until it's not, and then you realize how Cave was unable to escape itself when trying to make a game that is not like anything they typically produce. (10/11/17)

65. Zero Gunner 2 (Dreamcast): This game had most of the boxes checked for being an excellent shooter and maybe even a top 10 Dreamcast game for me, however this was all spoiled by lousy controls, specifically changing the direction of your ships fire. This mechanism was so awkward and non-intuitive that it was responsible for probably 75% of my deaths while playing. It creates an artificial difficulty that really drags this game down from what is otherwise a very fun and entertaining game. Funny enough, I still had more fun with this game despite these terrible controls I still enjoyed this game more than half the shooters I've played. (10/12/17)

66. Dodonpachi Resurrection (360): Admittedly I am not a huge Cave fan, but there are several titles of there's that I really enjoy. This game, depending on what mode you're playing, can be very fun and enjoyable. Despite what mode you are playing the graphics are top notch despite some slight frame rate dips and the controls are buttery smooth and precise. This game does have a tendency of being imbalanced at times, especially in the arranged modes, but at least in the Novice mode I found it to be mostly balanced with the exceptions of a few parts. Not the best Dodonpachi game I've played, but definitely worth checking out. (10/15/17)

67. Raiden Fighters Jet (360): The Raiden Fighters series is one of my favorite shooter series overall, mostly due to its excellent graphics and equally great gameplay. However, this Raiden Fighters Jet is for me the weakest of the bunch due to it feeling more like a boss rush of easy, easily destroyed bosses rather than a full game like the other two. It just lacks the identity and charm of the other two Raiden Fighters games which results in this one being on the boring, forgettable side. Still, a good shooter overall. (10/15/17)

68. Fire Emblem Warriors (Switch): I was playing this game with my girlfriend, who is a huge Fire Emblem fan, via coop and while it was fun for about an hour, this game got more and more tedious, boring and monotonous the longer I played; you literally fight thousands of the exact same looking enemies, over, and over, and over, and over again. The games appeal is almost exclusively on fan service alone, which me never having played a Fire Emblem game I found it hard to get into. Overall, this game is for the very biggest of fans of the series, while the rest of us will find this game a grind and not worth the price. (10/23/17)

69. Tekken (PS1): It is impossible for me not to directly compare Tekken to Virtua Fighter when playing either game. Both games seem to have very similar gameplay, albeit Tekken seems a little more realistic in terms of the physics and timing on fight mechanics, however both seem to have many of the same frustrating gameplay quarks that make me curse why I am so drawn to early 3D games of the 90s. In the music and background graphics department Virtua Fighter is easily better, however I don't seem to have a preference in terms of the character graphics; neither aged that well, but I still have a soft spot for them personally. Not a bad game, but Tekken certainly didn't hit its stride until 3 and Tag Tournament. (10/30/17)

70. Raiden 2 (PS1): To my surprise I essentially reviewed this game already before I even played it; this game is more or less Raiden DX but with less polish and fewer levels. I pretty much feel the exact same way about this game as I do Raiden DX and I will leave it at that. (11/1/17)

71. Skullgirls 2nd Encore (PS4): While the art style of this game is a mixed bag for me, particularly the character art, everything else in this game is top notch. I particularly loved the gameplay which felt very similar to Marvel vs. Capcom 2 which is one of my favorite fighting games of all time. The soundtrack is also excellent as well. Definitely will be sinking more time into this game in the future. (11/5/17)

72. Xevious 3D/G+ (PS1): When I played Strikers 1945 it was hard to imagine that I'd find a shooter that I disliked just as much, but sure enough here I am reviewing a SHMUP that is almost as bad. First off, Xevious 3D/G+ is a gross, bland looking game with grey enemies, grey backgrounds with one or two other colors mixed in, and attack effects are about as bland as they come. The way this game looks reminds me a little of Hard Drivin, but even that game has this one beat in the looks department. The music has a few decent tunes, but the terrible sound Fx and occasional shrill tracks makes the soundtrack poor overall. And then the gameplay, the hallmark of a good or bad SHMUP; yep, it's terrible, particularly the multi-level shooting mechanic, the ultra fast projectiles of certain enemies, and poor level and boss design. And I am not even going to talk about the various older releases of Xevious that come bundled with this game; if I did this might got down as the worst game I've played all year...oh too late! (11/5/17)

73. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch): There is no denying this game is fun and very well made, in fact I'd go as far as to say it is one of the best Mario games ever made, however for whatever reason I was not feeling this game as much as I thought I would. The game was beautiful, the controls were super smooth and accurate, there was a lot of funny writing, and overall the game was incredibly creative. Also, this game is the closest to a Super Mario 64 sequel we will ever get and without spoiling anything anything it essentially is the sequel. But still, it just did not do it for me like Super Mario 64 and lacked some essential ingredient that its predecessor had. I really wish I could put my finger on it because I want to love this game way more than I did. Despite this void that was never filled while playing Mario Odyssey, I did really enjoy the game for what it was despite some recycled gameplay throughout, specifically a few bosses which were just lame. Definitely a game I will probably go back and play some more in order to discover all the Moons, of which I read are around 900. Seeing that I have just over 200 I have a long, long way to go. (11/8/17)

74. Thunder Force VI (PS2): There is no denying that this is by far the easiest game in the Thunder Force series as well as possibly the most imbalanced one, with it heavily favoring the player over the enemy ships and bosses. However, this combination of great music, cool bosses, unique levels, and fun gameplay make for a cool, albeit shallow shmup experience. This game is just plain fun even if it is a bit more on the casual side in more ways than one. (12/19/17)

75. Time Crisis (PS1): My first exposure to the Time Crisis series was Time Crisis 2 in the arcade so playing the original was a first for me. While I do not have the arcade version to compare it too, the PS1 version is a mixed bag, but mostly below average. I liked how in Time Crisis 2 there was a very brief flash on the screen before your character was about to get hit when not taking cover, but with this game it just seems random most of the time as to when you'll get hit when not behind cover. Another thing I found super frustrating was the accuracy of the Guncon on my CRT; I used two different guns with little difference, so unless my CRT is jacked in some way, the guncon's accuracy was questionable at times. Overall, I'd recommend just playing the PS2 time crisis games, although I still have never played Project Titan, so maybe that will be better. (12/21/17)

76. Time Crisis: Project Titan (PS1): This game definitely was easier then the first Time Crisis, but also added some interesting gameplay mechanics like being able to change your perspective during boss battles, which is required in order to beat them. For better or worse this game is also longer then the first Time Crisis, adding an extra stage to each level and also adding an additional level to make it four levels total. Despite all this I felt more bored with this one then the first game. This might sound odd, but I actually prefer the more blocky graphics in the first game even though they had been "improved" quite a bit in this version. (12/23/17)

77. Batman Forever: The Arcade Game (PS1): Due to this game being a title I have really wanted for many years now, but could never find, and also it's a game about a superhero, I will sum this game up by saying never meet your heroes. This is the worst beat em' up I am ever played by far. It does have some redeemable qualities such as cool mid-90s arcade graphics with 3D and 2D assets mixed together, and the overall feel of this game matches the movie and time period that it came from very well. The music is okay as well. That is all the good things I have to say about this game; the gameplay, if it can even be called that, is absolute, unresponsive garbage with some of the most poorly implemented controls and game mechanics I've ever seen in a game. I know beat em' ups are not best game ever material, but this game is about as far from it as you can get. The fact this game is worth over $100 is offensive to me. (12/30/17)

78. Layer Section (Saturn): Wow...I did not expect to like this game as much as I did! Having played both Raystorm and Raycrisis which were both sequels to this game, I figured I'd like it about the same as these, which was well enough, but there were so many other shooters out there I've played that are better. Not Layer Section; the only SHMUP I can say I enjoyed more from start to finish is Radiant Silvergun, which is no small feat seeing how I found Layer Section slightly better than games like Dodonpachi, Battle Garegga and Soukyogurentai, which are some of the absolute best shooters I've ever played. The graphics, level design, enemies, bosses and mini bosses; the soundtrack, the very fun gameplay and scoring, all of it was near perfect in my book. Beating this game made me feel a sense of satisfaction I rarely have after beating a game. An amazing game to end an otherwise amazing year of playing games! (12/31/17)
« Last Edit: December 31, 2017, 02:42:08 pm by bikingjahuty »

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #447 on: September 18, 2017, 04:58:29 pm »
While it's a bit late at this point, I have decided for next year I am going to implement a few new elements to my reviews. For one I am going to borrow something that a few people on here have already been doing which is color code each game as either Finished, Abandoned, In Progress or Unbeatable.

In addition to this I am going to implement a scoring system that I've actually been using to rank my favorite SHMUPs this year. The system is as follows:

0: Abysmal
1: Terrible with barely any redeemable qualities
2: Very bad, but with some decent qualities
3: Not that great, but decent in some ways
4: Below Average
5: Average
6: Above Average
7: Mostly good, with a few minor, but noticeable flaws
8: Very Good with only a few small flaws
9: Outstanding, with barely any flaws
10: Perfect

Presentation: ship and enemy graphics and design, background and environments, art
Sound: Sound FX, Music
Gameplay: Mechanics, Scoring, Leveling, game design, controls
Fun: Enjoyability (scored out of 20-points)
Overall: Aggregate Score of presentation, sound, gameplay and fun (x/50)

This way I can actually start to rank games I've played and compile a more quantitative list of my top games. Needless to say my reviews for each game are going to be heftier than they were this year.

« Last Edit: September 18, 2017, 08:49:11 pm by bikingjahuty »

Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #448 on: September 20, 2017, 04:17:35 pm »
And Metroid: Samus Returns has been beaten! While I've played multiple titles in the Metroid series before, I've never actually beaten one until now. But I am so glad I decided to get this game, I really enjoyed it! It was challenging, but never in a way that felt unfair. It's really a game and world that sucked me in as I explorered the inner depths of SR388. Controls are borderline perfect, the challenge is on-point, and the mostly optional Aeion powers remove any frustration you may get. If you've never played a 2D Metroid game before I cannot recommend this game more. It's a perfect entry point to the series. And if you have played and liked the previous 2D Metroids, let's be real here, you probably already have it.

So that puts me at 25. Obviously not going to make the 52-mark, but hey, 25 is not bad, right?

Italics means I had already started with the game November last year or earlier
A red glow means this is a second playthrough
A blue glow means the game has been completed 100%

  • Life is Strange
  • New Super Mario Bros. U
  • Kirby’s Dream Land
  • Kirby’s Dream Land
  • Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (PC version)
  • Super Mario 3D World
  • Kirby Super Star Ultra
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
  • Learn With Pokémon: Typing Adventure
  • Sonic Generations
  • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
  • Drawn to Life
  • Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
  • 8-Bit Bayonetta
  • Mario Kart Wii
  • Bayonetta
  • Space Channel 5: Part 2
  • DuckTales: Remastered
  • Super Mario Bros.
  • Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse
  • New Super Mario Bros.
  • Miitopia
  • Ben 10: Galactic Racing
  • The World Ends With You
  • Metroid: Samus Returns

So what now? I'm planning on continuing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All. I'm also into Life is Strange: Before the Storm, but I'm waiting on the next episode for that. Also, I've told myself I want to 100% my favourite game ever. Only problem, that's Super Smash Bros. for Wii U....Send help.
Huge Nintendo fan and hobbyist Nintendo collector.



Re: 52 Game Challenge 2017
« Reply #449 on: September 20, 2017, 08:16:27 pm »
10 - Horizon (PS4 2017) - 36 HOURS BEAT - Finally got back to beating this game, I only played it for a few hours back when it launched because BOTW was coming out and I didn't want to burn out on open world action games before that.  Overall, this is a pretty good game.  It didn't wow me like it did for some others, I think mostly because I played Rise of the Tomb Raider at the beginning of the year and this game is just Tomb Raider on a Far Cry map.  Might be abit too reductive, but I feel that this games saving grace is the graphics and its setting with the awesome robot creatures and how the gameplay has to revolve around them.  They are always a challenge, no matter how leveled you get and I barely fought the hardest ones more than a couple times.

A few things of the game didn't hook me, like how everyone sounds like perfect modern people, despite centuries of time in the wild, and how I cared very little about the world as it is.  None of the characters felt very interesting beyond Aloy (even she felt abit basic) and like two others, and really, I only cared about the game when it was dealing with the past and unraveling the mystery, meaning I got real bored by most of the side quests involving helping people.  I did like that it wasn't overloading me with quests and collectibles, but collectibles end up being pretty meaningless to me when it turns out that they don't actually get you anything good.  You just get more mods and honestly, they didn't need the mod system.  It felt real unnecessary and usually was really incremental, so there was never a point that it felt like the improvements mattered too often outside of maybe pumping up the stealth armor as high as possible.

Great game still as I did overall enjoy my time.  Definitely a must get for the PS4.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2017, 08:19:46 pm by kamikazekeeg »