Messages

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: Today at 03:48:12 pm »

8. Mega Man ZX - Vent

This was a lot more fun than I remember it being. Mega Merging is a rad concept that keeps the action going non-stop, despite some forms being more useful than others. The water form is just about useless. The game was also a lot more challenging. While the save point issue is resolved in this collection, it still doesn't mean the game is simple. Enemies move fast and hit hard. And they're everywhere. This is a big game that clearly took advantage of the jump from GBA to DS. There's also a darker tone with the story. One thing I forgot about until I finished the first boss was that you have to be careful how you land your hits. If you damage a Maverick incorrectly, then your rewards are decreased. E Crystals can be used to make any repairs, but still. It's frustrating to see a Level 1 or 2 finish despite trying to be careful.

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General / Re: When will your backlog actually be completed?

« on: January 20, 2026, 10:53:04 am »

I think it will. Historically speaking, the untouched games eventually get played or they get traded in because I lose interest and/or my taste changes.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 20, 2026, 08:09:21 am »

6. Roomerang

We had friends over and loaded up the ninth party pack on Jack Box. This was the only game we played, but it was a lot of fun as always. And I won! I rarely win at Jack Box. I played a "goody two shoes" so it was one of those art imitates life moments.

7. Mega Man Zero 4

Yeah, I'm glad I skipped one because I want to save Zero 3 for last and get this one over with. Hell, I may even do ZX and ZX Advent next because neither can compare to the pinnacle of Zero 3. Zero 4 isn't bad, it's just that it flipped the formula too much. You have to farm enemies for parts - kind of like an RPG. Normally I wouldn't mind something like this but not in a high-speed action game like Mega Man Zero. Also, his grabby claw weapon was only used for certain puzzles instead of serving as a good weapon substitute. I give a lot of points for creativity and effort, but ultimately it wasn't as fun as Capcom and them had hoped.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 14, 2026, 09:40:00 am »

5. Mega Man Zero 2

I'll start with the good: multiple forms to unlock, more unique Cyber Elves, a story that makes me question the game's E rating (and graphics that do the same), and an overall fun adventure that lessened some of the brutality from the first game. When you begin the final battle, there's a blood-curdling scream from the enemy that is just...something else. The dialogue is still Woolsey-ish, but the themes aren't lost because of it. Things went DARK in Zero 2, which is fitting since a lot of the story revolves around a Dark Cyber Elf. Now for the bad. Namely, the bosses. It's common knowledge that touching an enemy will damage you. This just doesn't apply to Mega Man games - it's pretty universal. For some reason, it seems to be extra egregious here in Zero 2. All of my deaths were from an enemy running into me. Never an all out attack or a projectile, but of a collision. It was...kind of annoying. Now I'm determining if I want to jump to Zero 3 or save the best for last and jump to Zero 4, instead.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 13, 2026, 12:50:00 pm »

4. Mega Man Zero

I haven't played this series in a while and I've been meaning to, especially since they're all included in a nice, compact collection for Switch. I started with this one, and it's clear that the devs had some idea what they were doing. Their vision was there, but not fully realized. Still, for a debut, it delivers. The action is non-stop and seeing the words "level up" pertain to a weapon of Zero's is satisfying. Even more satisfying? Finishing off a damn boss! This game is indeed as brutal as they say, despite having played it a couple of times before. I plan on playing the games in order, so up next is Zero 2!

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 12, 2026, 12:14:16 pm »

3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero

No, Gehenna didn't freeze over. I completed (and for the most part enjoyed) a modern-ish The Legend of Heroes game with "Trails" in the title. The interest for this particular one started after a poll I ran gave exceedingly high praise for it. A lot of the of participants in the poll said it was a good game as a standalone, and it had better pacing than Trails in the Sky. About 45 hours later, I can attest to both of those claims being true. Indeed, this is an all-around solid RPG that doesn't require prior knowledge from other titles. While there were references, they didn't take away the spotlight from the main story and characters. I'll write a review soon, but I'll say my biggest complaint was with the fluffy yet required dialogue and story scenes. Seriously, being forced to go fishing or running five security sweeps on a theater halted pacing. Also, is it a Trails thing to make each Chapter 3 as slow as possible? The game started with a bang and continued up until the third chapter. Either way, a good RPG to finish at the start of the year.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: January 01, 2026, 05:12:45 pm »

Happy New Year, everyone! Let's do it!

1. Mega Man X7

I went through this game multiple times back when it was initially released in 2003 because I was a poor college student and didn't have many other options. It was bad then. Now, I had a video guide AND the Brady official guide next to me when I did this random replay. It's still bad. Why did I think it wouldn't be? I dunno. Maybe some of 2025 was still lingering in the background. Oh well. First is the worst. Get it out of the way.

2. Astro Bot - platinum'd

I technically finished this before the new year, but I'm marking it complete now because I got all of the additions from the Gacha Machine now. Man oh man. What a game this was. I loved every second of it. Seeing the celebrated history of Sony's gaming franchises (and many third party ones) getting their flowers with the various Bots was lovely. Of course, the game itself played like a dream and looked gorgeous. The physics were magnificent. I can't recommend this game enough to all types of gamers. Favorite deep cut Bots were: Arc the Lad, Mad Maestro, Chrono Cross, and The Legend of Dragoon.

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General / Re: VGCollect 2025 Secret Santa!

« on: December 27, 2025, 09:39:21 pm »

I also really enjoyed that my SS had a theme with their selections- the plan was to find a game from my list whose title starts with a letter in my name- nick.

n- nicktoons
i- IGPX
c- Carol's Sudoku
K- Konami Kids Playground- Frogger

Very clever!

Glad we had another successful year!

I'm glad you liked! I had a lot of fun buying for you. The PlayStation 2 is my favorite console of all time and combining that with the theme with your name was great.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: December 27, 2025, 09:37:33 pm »

I posted my full list on the first page. It includes dropped titles and demos.

It was a tough year. Thanks the gods for gaming!

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: December 27, 2025, 02:31:34 pm »

I'll be there!

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: December 26, 2025, 01:06:48 pm »

82. Mega Man X4 - X

I went this long without finishing my favorite Mega Man without X? Shame on me. I had an hour or so to kill on Christmas Eve so I decided to pop this in my Switch 2 and do the things. It was fun as always.

83. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered - platinum'd
The journey towards 150 platinum trophies continues with this misunderstood entry in the famous series. I don't care what anyone says: I love this game: story, characters, villains,experimental the gameplay was with the GFs, the Junctions, the Drawing, the weapon crafting, and more. I love how it takes place in a setting that looks very much like our own world. I love all the plot reveals, the music that comes with them, and the way it utilizes the best card mini-game in the franchise to totally bust the game wide open. If you know what you're doing, then it doesn't take long to turn Squall (and Quistis) into a dynamic duo. My final party was Squall, Quistis (best character/girl/waifu/whatever) and Irvine. Aside from the ridiculous Obel Lake sidequest, I had a ton of fun getting this platinum. The final dungeon is worthy of its own side story.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: December 23, 2025, 10:47:41 am »

81. Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge

Water's Edge gave me a watershed moment: I finished my first PC game. Ever. One of my friends that likes to watch me game and vice versa suggested that we play this. She used to play a ton of these back in the day, and she said that since I like mysteries, visual novels, puzzles, and Japan, then I might like this. I'll start with the bad: the control scheme. Point and click adventures of this era are pretty awful and I don't know how people had the patience for them. This isn't just limited to navigation. Simply interacting with things requires certain steps that make zero sense. You're forced to listen to others state everything from start to finish - you can't skip dialogue. I may write a review that lists all of my issues because they really stacked up. Also, this game is supposed to be for a younger crowd but I don't see how in the hell folks finished some of these puzzles without guidance. There's one near the end of the game where you're supposed to cut ropes before a timer runs out or poor Nancy drowns. Seriously! Home-girl gets killed in this "for kids game." On the other hand, I loved the Kyoto setting, and getting to use the JR system was fun and nostalgic since I've been to Kyoto. The non-guide puzzles were super clever, and the story was entertaining thanks to the phoned-in (but racially problematic) voice-acting. Some of the puzzles allowed me to flex my knowledge over the Japanese language. I think the best part of the game was that it was another fun, comical, bonding moment with a friend. I doubt I'll play more in the series but hey, I gave something completely new a shot and that counts for something!

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General / Re: Gaming/Collecting Goals for 2026

« on: December 22, 2025, 11:49:04 am »

I think my only gaming goal is to get make either FF Tactics or SaGa Frontier my 150th platinum. I'm not sure which one yet, but either one will be exciting. I've been enjoying planning out which games I'll be playing en route, too.

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General / Re: VGCollect 2025 Secret Santa!

« on: December 16, 2025, 11:59:15 am »

After an incredibly busy week, I've finally been able to start catching up with things. I'm glad that there were some who were able to get together for a group meetup and unbox what was available at the time, and what's better is that everyone so far has enjoyed their gifts! In particular, I'm glad I gifted the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack to kashell, which I'm sure will get much enjoyment whether it's on display or being played during a car ride.

And if I'm understanding some of the many rules to phonetic linguistics, then I think my username would be transcribed as /'da:bi/ or DAH-bee, with an extended vowel a sound.

Thanks again! Funnily enough, before we started recording, I mentioned that I started a replay of Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. The timing was perfect.

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General / Re: A Year in Review - 2025

« on: December 16, 2025, 10:02:28 am »

Favorite 2025 Release: Lots of good stuff was released this year, which was surprising. I have to give it to Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles.

Least Favorite 2025 Release: I should have known better. Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army.

Favorite Game Played in 2025: As if there was any doubt: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles.

Least Favorite Game Played in 2025: I dropped a lot of games this year, all of which were released in 2025. The one that takes the cake is still Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army.

Sleeper Hit of 2025: It wasn't released in 2025, but I did finish Reynatis at the start of the year. Fun sleeper hit for those that like the niche RPGs like me.

Favorite Gaming Moment in 2025: Learning the truth about Maelle in Clair Obscur. She was my favorite character since the game opened up.

Proudest Collection Accomplishment of 2025: The collecting has gone down substantially over the years, but I have to give a shout out to dhaabi for gifting me with the Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack. I love having it displayed.