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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: May 13, 2026, 06:40:38 pm »

15. Pocket Mini Golf



Well, I kinda beat this one by accident. I got this game for free on Switch years ago. This publisher has given away a bunch of their games for free. I downloaded it and then never glanced at it again. But today a friend wanted to play it. So we played the multiplayer, about 15 minutes later I had beaten 50 stages, and that's when I double-checked and realised: yes, that was all the stages. I think I can consider this game beaten.

Not that it really left an impression on me. I mean, just look at it. I think you can tell how horrifically bland, basic and barebones this is. It controls decently, but that's about all I can give it. All the stages are just as bland and basic as the one in the screenshot. The presentation is the absolute bare minimum, not helped by the horrifically generic royalty-free mobile game ad-style music. In the multiplayer mode, you don't even have an option to play with a par. It's just about beating the stages as fast as possible. Which might take a bit longer than you expect because when trying to start a game, we had issues with the game disconnecting our controllers.

Granted, there is also a campaign mode which I did not beat, which does have a par, but it's the exact same levels. Just with a gem to collect in each one, which is used to artificially lengthen the game, because you use them to pay for continuing once you lose a level. So you know what, I beat every course in the game in the multiplayer mode, I'm gonna count that as beating it. Is anyone really gonna hold that against me?

It probably goes without saying, but this is not worth your time. Not in the slightest. Even if you like mini golf (which admittedly, I don't, but still), I fail to see any real value here. I'm no expert but there have to be better mini golf games out there. I remember Golf With Your Friends being all right, I don't know. A game beaten is a game beaten, but trust me: this is a waste of your time.

(And they have the gall to put a button on the main menu to buy DLC for this. People, your game doesn't look finished.)

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: May 11, 2026, 08:13:55 pm »

14. Donkey Kong Country Returns

After beating Kaze and the Wild Masks, a game clearly based on Donkey Kong Country, I realised that I had actually never beaten a Donkey Kong Country game. Even though I've owned Donkey Kong Country Returns since I was a kid. So I decided to play through it, and I'll say: damn I underestimated this game. It is hard. But also really good!

This is a really good platformer. The levels feel fantastic to run through when you get the whole sequence right. I'll say the controls could feel a bit loose at times, not helped by the roll being activated with shaking the Wii Remote, but I largely adjusted to it pretty quickly. But yeah, towards the final worlds this game can get legitimately hard. A lot harder than I was expecting. I easily racked up enough extra lives to get through the game, and levels are definitely doable, but in the final worlds I was burning a LOT of lives constantly. I quickly grew sick of the death music.

Also, screw the Rocket Barrel stages. Oh how I wanted those to be fun, and sometimes they are, but other times they are the worst of life-burners.

But otherwise I must say that, in terms of level design, gameplay flow and challenge, this is without a doubt a fantastic platformer. I don't know why I've held off on this series. I think it's probably just that the Donkey Kong characters and world have never really appealed to me? I can acknowledge this game is great though. And I've heard that Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is much better than this one. Maybe if I can find it for a decent price sometime, I'll pick that up.

For now though, I'm glad to have played this, including just for the fact I can say I've beaten a Donkey Kong Country game now.


No idea what I'll be picking up next. (I mean, I'm playing the newly released Snap & Grab right now, but that's releasing in episodes so I can't fully beat that yet). There's a bunch of games in my backlog I've felt like playing recently, we'll just see what I feel like next time I want to play something.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: May 03, 2026, 09:58:17 pm »

13. Kaze and the Wild Masks

And that's this one beaten. And I enjoyed it! This is a really good platformer! This game is often described as very close to Donkey Kong Country, and I think that makes sense. You have a simple but effective moveset, assisted by great precise controls, and you simply navigate the platforming challenges.

The level design is great, to a point that pretty much on your first run you can keep going and instinctively take on the challenges without stopping. Sure, you'll die a lot, but the respawning is so incredibly quick and the levels short enough that it really doesn't matter. I liked the large amount of variety. With different power-up forms and varied level mechanics, every level felt different.

The challenge was balanced quite well. Not once did I get frustrated, even if I had to retry segments multiple times. It's decently challenging, but I wouldn't call the game particularly hard. If you've played some really hard platformers before, I think you'll find Kaze to be on the easier side, at least if you're not going for 100% completion. But that of course doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

There's stuff you could criticise if you want to. The visuals, while definitely good and crystal clear from a gameplay perspective, I also wouldn't say are anything particularly standout. The plot is barely there, and yeah, as a whole the game doesn't really do a whole lot truly original. But not every game needs to. What Kaze and the Wild Masks does, it does very well. If you enjoy good platformers, especially DKC-style ones, I think you'll find enjoyment in this game.

Also, I think I should mention,

#X Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

I reached the credits, does that count? No, this is clearly an endless game that I can't count for this challenge. But I cannot not mention it, considering I've been absolutely in love with this game over the past few weeks. I've had time off work, and I've put SO many hours into Tomodachi Life it's not even funny. So yeah, can't count it, but at least it is another game played.


(Also also, I started The Legend of Zelda: Ocarine of Time 3D a week ago, but fairly quickly I put it back down again. I'm sorry, I know that OoT is considered a masterpiece, but I just wasn't really enjoying its gameplay. Not holding that against the game, just not for me I suppose. At least, not right now.)

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: April 20, 2026, 06:16:43 pm »

#12. Red Alarm



Well, I bought the giant red hunk of plastic that is the Virtual Boy shell for Nintendo Switch. It makes sense to then also beat a Virtual Boy game on it.

Firstly I'll briefly talk about the Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch 2/Nintendo Switch though (because when the hell else will I?). In case you haven't heard: Nintendo released an almost 1-to-1 recreation of the Virtual Boy, that you can put your Switch or Switch 2 in to play Virtual Boy games. Visually, it's a striking recreation of the original Virtual Boy. As a huge Nintendo fan, it's a perfect piece of decoration for on my shelf (not that I have any space on there, but still). I've only ever played a real Virtual Boy for a few minutes in a museum expo, so I can't speak for how it compares in terms of visuals, but playing Virtual Boy games on this thing with the Switch inside of it, the games are sharp and crystal clear, and the 3D is very effective. Is it still uncomfortable to play? Of course it is, though I've found that easily the best place to play this thing is at my standing desk. That way I can move the desk up so I can keep my back a little more straight when I'm playing it. Free tip if you have an adjustable desk.

I briefly tried out all the games on Virtual Boy - Nintendo Classics when it launched, but Red Alarm caught my attention. So I started to properly play it, and stuck with it until I beat it. This game gets a lot of flack (like most things Virtual Boy) for supposedly being disorienting, but I'll be damned. I'm a Red Alarm defender now. This game is good and fun. Flying around, dodging projectiles and shooting up enemies feels good. I like that you can quickly make your ship strafe in four directions to avoid projectiles, along with halting your flight or reversing if you want. It's less about wildly shooting and more about when and how to approach enemies. I hear many people online say the game is disorienting because everything is just untextured wireframes. I can't speak for what it's like on original hardware, but in the Switch shell, I did not have that issue at all. The 3D did wonders to show me what was what. Apart from that, it's about recognising shapes and patterns in the design of the level. Only very rarely did I get lost. I did use save states, but just to restart the boss when I died without having to replay the level first (I mean, I got to the boss which proves I can beat the level, so I think that's fair). It's a short game, only six levels, but it has some pretty good challenge. I liked it!

I will defend Red Alarm. It's a good game. Now, should you go out of your way to play it? Well I wouldn't say that. But if you have the ability to try this game out in 3D, I say at least give it a shot. It's genuinely pretty good.


#?. Donkey Kong Jr.
Oh, also just beat Donkey Kong Jr. on NES, which I was shocked to find I hadn't beaten yet so I just did. Though, can you really consider Donkey Kong Jr. beatable? Or is it endless? I considered Donkey Kong endless in my backlog, so I suppose I'll do the same for Donkey Kong Jr. and not count it here.

We'll see where I go from here. I started The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and I was enjoying that, though I'm also playing a LOT of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream right now. A game that's great fun but that cannot be beaten. So we'll see when I'll have my next game properly beaten.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: April 14, 2026, 07:50:50 pm »

11. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Holy crap this game is fantastic! I'm completely blown away! This is the first Ratchet & Clank game I've ever played, so I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. But I had a total blast.

This game's presentation is downright fantastic. I felt like I was playing through an animated feature film. Seriously impressive stuff. The gameplay is a blast too. Shooting up enemies with a wide variety of weapons, quickly switching between them to stack attacks and control the crowds, it feels really freaking good. I honestly don't really know what to add. I just really freaking enjoyed it. May play through it again at some point (even though I say that more often and I rarely do, but still). I can genuinely highly recommend it.

Only thing I'll say is: if you want to get the most out of this game visually, I do recommend playing on PS5 or a high-end gaming PC if you have one. I played it on Steam Deck with mid graphics settings, and it looked good and mostly ran perfectly fine, but when things got really hectic it did stutter or drop frames here and there. Not a huge deal, but noticeable. I chose Steam Deck because it's the most convenient and comfortable (and I don't have a PS5), but perhaps I should try replaying this via my high-end laptop on my tv and see how that looks. I'm curious what that's like now.

I feel like all gamers have those special comfort games they play when life isn't at its best or maybe they just need to be reminded of simpler times. In my case, I felt like I needed both. I found out last week I'm getting laid off from a job I've had for 8 years. I don't work from some mega corporations where layoffs are the norm and the company is certainly small enough to where everyone is fairly connected to everyone else, even the executive management team. So the fact that I was one of about 40 people that were told we're getting let go soon came as a complete shock. This unfortunate news derailed my playthrough of Chrono Trigger, a game from a genre I struggle to get into even when I'm not dealing with life changing events. When I finally did feel like doing something other than frantically navigating a terrible job market, I decided to play a game I've thoroughly enjoyed since I was a young kid, and one that reminds me of those simpler times better than most.

Oh that sucks hard. I'm sorry to hear that. I do hope you'll find something new soon. And until then, that playing some of your favourites and sharing experiences at least helps a little bit.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: April 13, 2026, 10:41:23 am »

10. Anarcute

The devs of this game were like: 'What if we take the grim reality of protestors rallying together and giving their own life to overthrow an oppressive regime, and make it cutesy?'

In Anarcute, you control growing hordes of anarchist chibi animals to fight cops, break out your friends and free areas from the evil regime. It's so stylised and light on story that I'm not exactly sure how it wants me to interpret its political message, but it's clearly not at the foreground.

Gameplay-wise it's fun enough. It's straightforward and relatively simple. Beating up the enemies and clearing levels does feel good. Its short levels make it perfect for quick bursts. I played a few levels on the train after work every day, and it's perfect for that. Towards the end I could get a little bit tired with some levels, but overall I enjoyed my time with it.

I wouldn't say this is a must-play, but it's worth a look on sale if it sounds interesting to you. Tip: the game is available on a bunch of platforms, but I got it on itch in 2020, in a massive charity bundle against racism. So if you bought that bundle, you have it already

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: March 17, 2026, 04:51:00 pm »

9. Just Dance 2024 Edition - Dance with the Swan Story mode

Compared to the story mode in Just Dance 2023 Edition, this is essentially same thing, different time. See here. This story mode just has a couple of songs that I don't like as much. (Thankfully, the other songs in 2024 Edition do include some bangers.)

2025 Edition doesn't have a story mode anymore, so I'll just be counting those as endless games that I see as ineligible for this challenge. Reportedly the developers stopped doing it because they felt it wasn't working that well. Which I agree with, but with 2024 Edition, that leaves the story on a bad note with the villain winning, which I find hilarious.

That's it really. I'm working on games with more legitimate campaigns, I swear, those just take a little longer.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: March 14, 2026, 04:48:26 pm »

8. Just Dance 2023 Edition - Enter the Danceverses Story mode

Yes, you read that right. Story mode. Just Dance 2023 Edition, for some reason, has a story mode. I play a lot of Just Dance, and I mostly consider it an endless game and thus ineligible for this challenge under how I'm counting it. But this is an official story mode, and if that's the case, I'm gonna treat it as such.

There isn't that much to it. It's a set of seven songs with routines that, when played in order, tell a simple story. You're a player joining the dancer Wanderlust to recruit other dancers and defeat the evil Night Swan. Specifically, the seven songs covering this story are:

• Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
• Witch by Apashe feat. Alina Pash
• Physical by Dua Lipa
• Rather Be by Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne
• Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars
• Majesty by Apashe
• If You Wanna Party - a Just Dance original song

I like these songs, and the routines and visuals are well done and fun to dance to. And Night Swan, admittedly, is serving. But does this story mode add much to Just Dance as a whole? Not really.

I do really love Just Dance as a whole. I've been playing it actively for months now. It's really fun! I love many of the songs in it, with the subscription service Just Dance+ you have hundreds to choose from, most of them with fantastic visuals supporting dance routines performed by real talented dancers. The routines are varied and great fun. It's not easy either: many songs take quite a bit of practice and skill to master, and it feels great to hit that Megastar rank. Many songs will really make you work up a sweat too. As someone who struggles with exercising regularly and who does not feel comfortable at the gym, this has been a great way for me to get more moving and exercise in.

However, the story mode, while harmless, is also superfluous. I'm mostly just wondering whose brilliant idea it was to say: "You know what Just Dance needs? A story mode!" Just Dance 2024 Edition had one too, and it's mostly just a tad distracting when you select a song in the regular game mode that you don't realise is part of the story mode and you're suddenly thrown into the middle of a plot. I had that with Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson, which is a part of 2024 Edition's story mode.

I still love Just Dance tho. I feel like many gamers tend to look down on it, but it's a series that has a lot of love put into it, and that's great fun alone and an absolute blast in a group. I doubt I'll specifically come back to the story mode often, but I'll definitely be playing a lot more Just Dance in the future.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: March 11, 2026, 06:34:23 pm »

7. Rayman Origins [GOG / Steam Deck]

Game number 7 down: Rayman Origins. Bought it for a few bucks on GOG and played it on Steam Deck. The first Rayman game I've ever beaten. And I liked it!

I gotta admit, it took a while for me to get into it. In the first bit of the game, I found it a tad dull. The platforming takes a bit to get interesting. But as the difficulty increases and you get more abilities, it becomes pretty fun! Smoothly running through a difficult segment perfectly is pretty satisfying. Especially near the end it can take a couple of tries, but it has an extremely forgiving checkpoint system and unlimited lives which is hugely appreciated. It's all tied together by worldbuilding that clearly isn't even trying to be realistic or cohesive, as long as it's creative, and I appreciate that.

There was one thing I gotta say I didn't like, and that's the sound design. It's annoying as hell. The soundtrack and sound effects are nothing but kazoos, jaw harps, and high-pitched voices going DOOOBEEEDABEEE DOBADABWAAAAA DOOOBAAADABWAAA. I did not enjoy it. Eventually I got to the point that I could tolerate it, but it was always present and always annoying.

But apart from that, I enjoyed this game a lot! I played a few levels on the train every day, and it's perfect for that. I got it on GOG for like 2 bucks on sale, and at that price? It's a steal! If you like 2D platformers, I think you'll really enjoy this game. (Just check your tolerance for Minions, Chipmunks and toddlers going BABABABABABABABABABABABA first.)

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: February 26, 2026, 06:23:05 pm »

6. Sly Raccoon [PS2]
Also known as Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus in the US, but I'm from Europe and my box says Sly Racooon so that's what I'm going with.

The first game in the Sly Cooper series, and actually the first PS2 game I've ever beaten if you can believe it. And well, I loved it!

This is a 3D platformer with elements of a collect-a-thon and stealth. I really loved its style. The character designs, art style and storytelling reminded me of Humongous Entertainment, and I mean that in the best way. It's cartoony, charming, appealing and just fun. It's also backed up by solid gameplay. Just moving Sly around is fun on its own, and when a game pulls that off you know it does something right. The game isn't hard at all, honestly it's really damn easy, but that's OK. Sometimes you want games like that. Spotting a collectible, and then making a jump or climbing a pipe to get to it is just fun. I've now beaten all the levels and collected all the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus. I have not done the time trials yet, but maybe I'll try a few out sometime.

Overall, you can definitely call me a Sly Cooper fan now. This game made me nostalgic for a type of game I didn't even know I was nostalgic for. I gotta keep an eye out for the other games in the series, because I'd love to try them!

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 24, 2026, 09:40:31 pm »

5. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

And that's game number 5, the long awaited Metroid Prime 4. Including by me. This game has been divisive, with some people and reviewers praising it but many players heavily criticising it. And honestly, now that I've beaten it, I'm rather split on it too. Full warning: I will try not to spoil anything, but I will be generally discussing some aspects of the game. And yes, sorry, this is a long one, but I have a lot of thoughts on this one.

Let's start with the good, because there is a lot to like here. This game is visually beautiful. Its visual design in the environment and creatures is just as strong as it was in the previous Prime games. I really enjoyed the boss fights. Those are always highlights for me in the Prime games, and these bosses do not disappoint. The gameplay loop is satisfying. The various areas in the game, although linear, are still fun to explore, and constantly finding powerups to slowly beef yourself up feels as good as ever. I really want to stress: there is a lot to like here, and at times, that did shine through for me.

But yes, there are annoyances here too. The game feels strongly linear. You still explore areas and solve puzzles to progress, which is still fun, but in some way, this just felt stronger in previous titles. The games's locations are connected by an open world, and I know it's a desert but it still feels empty. I think I preferred the more directly interconnected areas from the previous Prime titles.

By far the biggest criticism online is the supporting characters, and unfortunately, I have to agree with the critics. Throughout the game you're accompanied by a cast of Galactic Federation characters. They call you, join you on quests, and will talk to you whenever they're around. And yes, I found them annoying and grading. Some of them instantly got on my nerves, to the point that once the cutscene ended I jokingly tried to shoot them (which the game doesn't allow but still). They instruct you on every new step which makes the game not only feel even more linear, but also takes away some of that sense of figuring stuff out more on your own. The previous Prime games also had objective markers, but they were far less intrusive. And on top of this, they're a hindrance in combat. There are multiple segments where you get into fights and they join you. And while they're constantly depicted as capable soldiers, every time they almost die and you have to stop fighting and go heal them. Often multiple times per fight. Several times I found myself almost screaming at my screen: "This would be so much easier if you would just GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

But a deeper issue with them is that, to me, they don't fit Metroid. A core aspect of Metroid, to me, is its sense of loneliness. That feeling of you, alone, on a distant, intriguing but hostile world, with nothing but your wits and your skills to aid you. One of Metroid's biggest appeals to me is that atmosphere. And these characters, to me, ruin that completely. If I ever got into that mental state of getting lost in the world the game was giving me, whenever these guys popped up it immediately took me back out of it. They break the immersion, and also break that sense of isolation and weight. I admittedly don't play many games with chatty sidekicks like this, but still: I would've enjoyed this game so much more if I was just left to explore this world on my own, and only interact with ancient messages and the main villain.

^{(Also, a little side tangent, but I do not understand why Nintendo thinks we like the Galactic Federation so much. Personally, I don't. At all. If you want other characters: Prime 3 had you interacting with other bounty hunters that turn from good to evil, all from different species with wildly different designs and abilities. They were cool! Prime Hunters's other bounty hunters are still, to this day, fan favourites! Yet from Prime 3 to gosh darn Federation Force to this, they keep focusing on the stupid space army. Drop them and focus on something cool instead! Hell, Sylux is right there. If you focused on just him, he could've been so much cooler!)}

I think the biggest thing that stood out to me about Prime 4 is that it didn't feel as grand or epic as the previous games. The game does try to give your situation weight, trapping you in a completely unknown and isolated world, with a troubled history of a fallen civilization, but I rarely felt that weight. I don't know whether it's the world design, the npc's or whatever, but I never felt that immersion or weight. When I beat the original Metroid Prime games, I felt a sense of accomplishment, relief, grandeur, weight. With this game, I just felt like I had beaten another game.

And let me re-emphasize: that doesn't mean the game is bad. Tons of good games have left me without a major feeling at the end. And I did enjoy this game. I was always happy to pick it back up and keep playing, there are moments that did immerse me into the world and battles that are riveting. But yes, from Prime 4, I was also hoping to feel more.

I know that Prime 4 had an impossible legacy to live up to, but even seen on its own, I cannot ignore some of these annoyances. This is still a good game, there is no doubt about that. This is a high quality title that I don't doubt many people will enjoy. But to me, while I overall enjoyed my time with it, if I were to rank my favourite Metroid games, Prime 4 would not be very high on that list. I only just beat it, so maybe the positives will become stronger in my head over time. But right now, while this game is no doubt good and worth playing, I also don't feel comfortable calling it anything more than just "good".

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 16, 2026, 11:29:38 am »

4. inbento (Mobile)



Fourth game down, and actually the first mobile game I've ever beaten. I almost never play mobile games, but I got this game on itch and it looked adorable, so I gave it a shot. And I quite liked it!

inbento is, at its core, a pretty simple puzzle game. You've got a bento box with some squares of food in it, a few tiles you can use to either put more food in the bento or move food around, and your goal is to recreate the pattern it asks you to. It's a pretty simple concept, I'm sure you can tell from a screenshot how it works. It's pretty addicting though. I quite enjoyed pulling out the game on the train or on the couch at home and finishing a few puzzles. Helped by the adorable plot of a small family of cats making bento, told through adorable illustrations you unlock as the game progresses. There are over 120 puzzles here. Some are really easy, others can get very tricky. But it's nothing impossible: there were only two puzzles I could not figure out on my own (at least, not before I finally gave up and looked up a hint).

This game is adorable and comfortable, and I'm glad to have played it! As someone who never plays mobile games, this was a reminder that there's a lot more on that market than the typical ad-filled dopamine-rushing Raid: Shadow Legends-type ordeal I think of when I hear the term. This game is available on platforms like Nintendo Switch and PC, but I actually recommend it on mobile. It's perfect for the platform.

Tip: Unfortunately on Google Play the game is tied to Crunchyroll for some reason, but the game is also available on itch, where after buying it you get an .apk file that you can install on your phone yourself. Also, did you buy the 2022 itch charity bundle for Ukraine, like me? Then you already own the game! So all the more reason to give it a try and show the creators some love 

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 08, 2026, 11:04:20 pm »

2. Chaos Faction*
3. Chaos Faction 2



Well these certainly weren't games I was planning to add to the list this year, but here we are. Chaos Faction is a Flash game from back in the day that I liked a lot as a kid. I remember beating it on a school computer, with a friend watching, and I felt so cool when I did. I was surprised to find that Chaos Faction and its sequel were ported to native PC and rereleased together as Chaos Faction Legacy Collection on Steam. Hell, I didn't even know Chaos Faction had a sequel. But for nostalgia's sake, I decide to give them both a go again. Flash games are odd in general: do they even count for this? Well, I say they do. Sure, many of them are 5-minute long crap, but there were also some genuine gems on Flash, sometimes with substantial amounts of content. And I don't see how Flash games are that different from bite-sized experiences that we still see on platforms like Steam, itch or even the Nintendo eShop nowadays. So as far as I'm concerned, they count.

Starting with Chaos Faction 1, I played through the game again, and usually when I play through games for the second time I do count them with an asterisk here, so that's what I'm doing. This is pretty much a 1-to-1 port of the original Flash game. Almost to a fault: they didn't even bother to include built-in controller or Steam Deck support, so I had to manually map the buttons. That's a bit cheap guys, but thankfully the game is simple enough that mapping the buttons is easy. Apart from that, the only difference is some music and sound effects which I'm assuming is because in the original release they didn't have the rights (I mean, it was still an online Flash game).

Chaos Faction is a platform fighter. You jump around, attack your opponent, and collect items to attack your opponent harder. It's pretty simple stuff, but for a Flash game in the mid-2000s, this was legitimately good. Among the endless piles of junk and extremely basic or repetitive stuff on Flash game sites at the time (or, well, the Flash game sites I frequented as a kid), this game was a breath of fresh air. It's hectic, but with some strategy and skill to it. However, you really need to see it in that context of Flash games of the time. If you're looking for a platform fighter, there are so many options out there nowadays that are far better. The campaign mode has 15 stages and I beat it in half an hour. It's fun to look back on and still pretty enjoyable to me, but if you're not nostalgic for it like I am, there's probably little here to make it worth searching out. (And let's be real, if you're curious, you can also just try it through Flashpoint first.)

It's sequel, Chaos Faction 2, I played through for the first time. It also only has 15 levels in its campaign mode so that also didn't take too long to beat. Compared to Chaos Faction 1, there are some clear improvements here. More variety in the challenges per level, there's actual hitstun this time, movesets are expanded a little, in addition of course to the new skins, stages and items. It's clear some effort and skill went into this, and it's probably objectively the better game. However, my views on it are similar to Chaos Faction 1: if you're not nostalgic for these titles, they probably won't wow you. There's some fun to be had in these games, for sure. Including in multiplayer. Some of the items, if aimed right, can be blunt 1-hit kills, which creates a fun chaotic dynamic of trying to run for them and creating some "What was that?!" moments. If you're looking for a smooth, fast, hectic game with Flash-feeling fun, this'll do the trick. But I just find it difficult to see people who don't know already know these games really fall in love them.

So yeah, Chaos Faction was fun to go back to, and I'm sure I will again in the future when I'm feeling nostalgic again. But should you search them out? Well, if you're nostalgic for the mid-2000s Flash game era, maybe give them a try through Flashpoint, or support the developers by buying it if you want to (I mean, I'm assuming they're getting a cut). But otherwise, eh, as much as I will always have a soft spot for these games, you'll probably be all right skipping these.

(Also, if you haven't heard of Flashpoint yet: it's an archival project intended to archive as many Flash-based games and applications as possible, and make them playable on modern hardware. Do check them out and support them, they do great work: https://flashpointarchive.org/ )

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 01, 2026, 10:17:03 pm »

1. Spyro the Dragon (Spyro Reignited Trilogy)

And that's the first game of the year beaten already: the remake of the original Spyro the Dragon, from the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. I started this game a few years ago, but I finished it just now. And well, sorry to start the year off on a negative note. I know the original Spyro and this remake are beloved, and I genuinely wanted to like it. But I'm sorry, I didn't. There's a reason I put the game down a few years ago. I found some parts to be fine, but in other parts it was tedious and finicky.

Some sections were outright annoying. I'm thinking of some precise glide jumps that I would repeatedly die to until I made them, with no idea of what I did differently. And the enemies you have to chase with your dash, they can get lost. I always had a little difficulty controlling Spyro, especially when it came to those long glides and in lining up my dash attacks. In some levels the game wasn't bad, but even there it also just never grabbed me. Many times when I died, I just didn't feel compelled to try again. I just wanted to stop playing and pick up something else.

It's a shame. I want to like this game. I love Spyro's character design. I like the idea of a world populated by cartoony anthropomorphic dragons. I know these games are beloved. But this game just did not do it for me. Funnily enough, the first Crash Bandicoot from the N. Sane Trilogy didn't either, so that's an extra thing Crash and Spyro share I suppose. Maybe Spyro 2 and 3 are better, that's possible, but I honestly do not feel compelled to pick them up right now. I've got other games in my backlog I'd much rather play than more of this.

Speaking of which, Metroid Prime 4, you're up.

15

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 01, 2026, 10:00:49 pm »

All right! 2026 edition, let's go! Last year, I managed to beat 19 games, 17 of which for the first time (and one I beat twice). Not my highest score ever, but not bad. Let's see how I do this year!

Beat:

• Spyro the Dragon (Spyro Reignited Trilogy) [Switch]
• Chaos Faction [PC (Steam) / Steam Deck]
• Chaos Faction 2 [PC (Steam) / Steam Deck]
• inbento [Mobile (itch)]
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition [Switch 2]
• Sly Raccoon [PS2]
• Rayman Origins [PC (GOG) / Steam Deck]
• Just Dance 2023 Edition (Enter the Danceverses story mode) [Switch]
• Just Dance 2024 Edition (Dance with the Swan story mode) [Switch]
• Anarcute [PC (itch) / Steam Deck]
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart [PC (Steam) / Steam Deck]
• Red Alarm [Virtual Boy / Nintendo Switch Online]
• Kaze and the Wild Masks [Switch]
• Donkey Kong Country Returns [Wii]
• Pocket Mini Golf [Switch]

(Purple = started it last year or earlier)
(Orange = already beat it before)


Endless games I'm playing or have played:

• Just Dance [Switch]
• Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream [Switch]
• Donkey Kong Jr. [NES / Nintendo Switch Online]

Abandoned:

• Hollow Knight
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D