52 Games Challenge 2020

[telly]

Game 34 - Super Castlevania IV (SNESc) - 5 Hours

+

I've picked up and started this game many times over the years, but this time I really wanted to sit down and beat it. This game is such a classic. Amazing gameplay and level design, fluid controls, and kick ass music. There really isn't much to say. It's just a really good game. I've only played this, Dracula X and SotN so I'm excited to get that Castlevania Collection from Limited Run and try the other games.

-

I think the only flaw with this game is the item system, because they're totally useless. Over the course of my playthrough, I used items twice, one of which was the final boss, that's it. There's no reason to use any of the items because your whip does so much, so they were entirely unused for the entire playthrough. I'm also not the biggest fan of levels that rely on one-hit deaths from spikes or pits as a form of challenge, which really starts to become a problem around level 8. I suppose that's more of a personal preference more than anything.

[kamikazekeeg]

31 - Marvel Avengers (PS4 2020) - BEAT - I had some fun with this game.  I got through the story, which will lead to more as the game goes on,  though I do have my issues.  The good is that I think the general game itself, the gameplay, the characters, the story, it's all pretty solid.  The bad is this game is sloppy as hell, at least on PS4.  Performance tanks in any large mission and especially during fights in those large areas.  It's not constant, but it's pretty frequent and much of the final story mission is plagued with this, even in cutscenes.  This is probably my biggest annoyance that will likely be solved once I can play this on the PS5 and I'm sure it runs better on PC right now, but I went with Playstation for the Spider-Man content when that releases.

Overall, this is gonna be a divisive game and while I do like it, this is a game that's probably gonna be better off down the road when more story and characters are added as free updates.

[dhaabi]

12. Inside || PlayStation 4 || 09.07.20

As the follow-up to debut title Limbo, Inside takes what was great about Limbo and has nothing but excelled in being Playdate's follow-up project. With standard puzzle-platforming with a handful of trial-and-error puzzles, Inside introduces a world of curiosity, danger, and wonder. Just as Limbo, Inside begins with zero context, allowing for the player themselves to piece together the narrative unfolding as you delve deeper and deeper along your path. Just as many others across reviews have remained silent about specifics to what the game offers, I also can only recommend for others to experience this short but incredibly well-executed experience.

[maximo310]

5. Armored Warriors (PS4)

The gameplay in Armored Warriors is more or less about what you'd expect in a beat em' up. For everything Armored Warriors does right, it does something equally as wrong. For example, this game has a really cool mech customization/upgrade system that allows you to pick up various parts and weapons from defeated enemies and assimilate them into your mech, which allows for some cool variations in what your mech looks like, and how it functions in battle. This would make this game standout above the pack if it weren't for how ridiculously busy this game is most of the time and how there is no sense of balance or design for the most part in throwing enemies at you. As a result most of this game is a matter of beating and blasting the hell out of your opponents fast enough before you inevitably get destroyed. This would have been infuriating in the arcade, but being able to play the game on freeplay it becomes more of an annoyance mostly. And like nearly every beat em' up from the 90s, this game does get really, really repetitive to the point where you're just ready for it to be over by the time you get to the last couple stages.

I just want to say that even though the game can be pretty intimidating with the enemy waves, you do have multiple attacks that can be utilized with your arm/leg weapons ( which differ based on if you're dashing/jumping, and depending on movement input+weapon) along with two different specials ( that eat portions of your health bar) for crowd control.  Two weapons that can be extremely abused are the Turbo Jet leg parts ( stage 4) for its 4 way flame attack when jumping in the air & has a fast recharge, and the Shield Cannon (stage 5), which can not only hit targets from far away, but has an electric beam that can stun; a multi shot missile attack that covers most of the vertical axis, & a shield that blocks attacks ( very helpful for the last boss).

There's more viable attack options than this from what I've seen, but I remember that I used Drill+treads for early game & then shield cannon/treads from stage 5 onwards just to make some sections/bosses more consistent with my 1 credit clear strategy. I do agree that stage 4/5 are a pretty bad difficulty spike ( compared to stages 6/7) and that only having 2 lives to 1 credit clear the entire game ( no extends on default settings) is pretty ridiculous when other capcom beatemups give you at least 1/2 extends, or allow you to purchase a 1up.

Besides that tho, I think your review of the game is pretty good.

[bikingjahuty]

44. King of Fighters 97: Global Match (PS4)

Outside of 98 and a few of the newer KOF games I've never extensively put a lot of time into the other KOF games. I'm attempting to change that by playing a KOF title that I conveniently owned on the PS4. 97 Global Match is very good, in fact a lot better than what I had expected. I had played 97 before, but sadly with only a few exceptions I have a hard time distinguishing some of the earlier KOF games. I'm baffled I never remembered 97 though given how high quality most of the game is. I actually like the way this game plays slightly more than 98, and visually it is definitely on par with that game. A few complaints I had about 97 were its music and also its final stages. Regarding the audio there are rounds of fighting where no music plays at all; I found out this has to to with certain characters not having theme music, however I don't understand why they couldn't have just reused someone else's theme instead of fighting essentially in silence. However the tracks that are here are pretty good. My other compliant about the final/boss fights are pretty much a constant across all KOF games I've played. While not nearly as cheap as some other KOF games, 97's final stages are still pretty cheap and pretty infuriating to get through. Luckily the rest of the game is pretty solid and this is definitely one you should check out if you're a fan of 90s tournament fighters. (9/12/20) [35/50]

[telly]

Game 35 - F-Zero (SNESc) - 3 hours

+

One of my favorite games on the Super Nintendo, and easily my favorite racer on the system. The game is really fast and exhilarating, the controls are buttery smooth and responsive, and the music is amazing. Really a fantastic game. There aren't a ton of tracks or content, but what you do have is very fun to play. I kind of like how there aren't any items, because it makes winning the game more about skill (and getting lucky when bouncing off other racers).

-

I think my only complaint is that you need to get at least 3rd or better to advance, because that rule doesn't apply to any of the other racers. I wish it was a point system more akin to Mario Kart.

[Cartagia]

Didn't feel like getting out of bed too much over the weekend, so I pulled out the Switch and beat Donkey Kong Country.  It's a good game, but both of the sequels are vastly superior.

Finally beat the campaign on Beat Saber, which was, for lack of a better word, beating my ass.  It's incredibly fun, though, and not too shabby of a cardio workout.

A friend gifted me HuniePop on Steam a while back.  It's a surprisingly fun puzzle game hidden in a very horny title.

[justin8301]

MAN.. i really kinda dropped the ball this year... I started playing WoW Classic right around the beginning of the pandemic and that's pretty much all I've been playing. I am about 30 hours into Xenoblade Chronicles on the switch and I really need to get back to that. what a year guys.

[ignition365]

I'm all the way up to Sonic Adventure 2 now in my franchise run of Sonic.  Taking a break because I just really don't want game 100 this year to be Sonic Adventure 2... plus it's an achievement week on Xbox rewards, so prioritizing doing something on Xbox to get achievements.

[dhaabi]

13. Gitaroo Man || PlayStation 2 || 09.19.20

Having played through the game twice before eight years ago, I was definitely in for a treat once the company I had visiting showed interest in playing Gitaroo Man. They were able to get through the first three stages just barely passing and had enough, so I then took over to finish off the story. Much like PaRappa the Rapper, Gitaroo Man holds a lot of charm both in its flaws and its presentation—in addition to, well, its amazing music.  As a game with ten short stages, the difficulty spikes pretty quickly, although the game still encourages song mastery with its grading system and performance stats. Despite not having played the game in almost a decade, I was able to finish the game in one single sweep without any failures. Even though this should be seen as a good thing, I think that, during my initial time spent with the game long ago, the countless failures which yielded small improvements over time allowed my love for the game to grow to what it is today. Back then, I spent so much more time becoming acquainted with the rhythm system's quirks and shortcomings, and obviously the music itself too. Despite all of this, my time today with the game was much appreciated and I'm glad that a proper opportunity to revisit the game came along.

[bikingjahuty]

45. Super Mario 64 (Switch)

I was originally going to play Super Mario Galaxy when I picked up Mario 3D All Stars, but the call of Super Mario 64 was too strong so I played through that instead. I've replayed and beat Super Mario 64 so many times over the last 24-years that the game is barely a challenge anymore and I know most of it like the back of my hand. Still, the game is still magical and one of the most important games, not just for me personally, but to video games in general. It revolutionized the 3D platforming genre and set the standard for many, many years past its release. This game still plays excellent minus its annoying camera. The soundtrack is pretty much perfection thanks to Koji Kondo, and the graphics aren't actually that bad. Sure, it's earlier 3D, but given how this game doesn't try to do anything too complex or crazy like various other N64 or PS1 games. With this port to the Switch the game looks better than it ever has too. This game is definitely a great time to be had no matter how long its been since it was released, and for me it will always be one of my most cherished and loved games of all time. (9/19/20) [45/50]

[droaa]

January
1. Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu(Switch)-1/2/20-7.5/10
2. Street Fighter: The Movie(Saturn)-1/3/20-4/10
3. Bullet Witch(Xbox 360)-1/4/20-6.5/10
4. Katamari Damacy REROLL(Switch)-1/6/20-8.5/10
5. Virtua Fighter Remix(Saturn)-1/10/20-4/10
6. Bioshock Infinite(PS4)-1/14/20-9/10(Burial At Sea-1/15/20, Burial At Sea Episode 2-1/20/20)
7. Virtua Cop(Saturn)-1/22/20-7/10

March
8. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order(Switch)-3/18/20-7.5/10
9. Doki Doki Literature Club(PC)-3/20/20-9/10
10. Contra: Shattered Soldiers(PS2)-3/26/20-7/10
11. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II(Xbox 360)-3/27/20-6/10
12. The Matrix: Path of Neo(Xbox)-3/29/20-7.5/10

April
13. Captain America: Super Soldier(Xbox 360)-4/1/20-7/10
14. Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo(PS2)-4/6/10-6.5/10
15. Beyblade: Let it Rip!(PS1)-4/6-6.5/10
16. Kingdom Hearts III(PS4)-4/24-7/10
17. Resident Evil 3(PS4)-4/26/20-8/10
18. Capcom vs. SNK(DC)-4/26/20-7/10
19. 198X(PC)-4/26/20-8/10

June
20. Call of Juarez: The Cartel(PC)-6/1/20-6/10
21. Dark Souls Remastered(PS4)-6/16/20-9/10

July
22. The Last of Us Part II(PS4)-7/19/20-7/10
23. Silent Hill: Homecoming(PS3)-7/22/20-5/10
24. Mafia II(PC)-7/27/20-8/10

August
25. Mortal Kombat 11: Afternath(PS4)-8/4/20-8/10
26. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes(Switch)-8/7/20-7/10
27. Metal Slug(PC)-8/8/20-8/10
28. Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash(Wii U)-8/9/20-5/10
29. King of Fighters: Orochi Saga(PS4)-8/20/20-9/10

September
30. The King of Fighters 2001(PS2)-9/14/20-7/10
31. The King of Fighters 2002(PS2)-9/15/20-9/10
32. The King of Fighters 20002: Unlimited Match-9/16/20-9.5/10
33. The King of Fighters 2003-9/17/20-9/10
34. The King of Fighters: Neowave-9/20820-7/10
36.



Replay
1. Resident Evil 3: Nemeis(PC)-4/4/20-9/10
2. The King of Fighters 2000(PS4)-9/12/20-8/10


Now Playing
Ghost of Tsushima
Super Mario 3D World
Yugioh: Legacy of the Duelist-Link Evolution
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2


Nope List(Games abandoned)
1. Homefront(PC)


Playlist
Game Boy Advance: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Game Boy Color: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
GameCube: Die Hard: Vendetta
NES: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Nintendo 3DS: Metroid: Samus Returns
Nintendo 64: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Nintendo DS: Diddy Kong Racing DS
Nintendo Switch: The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
PC:
PlayStation: Parasite Eve II
PlayStation 2: Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
PlayStation 3: Silent Hill Downpour
PlayStation 4:
PlayStation Portable: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
PlayStation Vita: Persona 4: Golden
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive: Castlevania: Bloodlines
Super Nintendo: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Wii: Mad Dog McCree: Gunslinger Pack
Wii U: ZombiU
Xbox:
Xbox 360: Ninja Blade
Xbox One: Wolfenstein: The New Order

[ignition365]

Finished my 104th game (along with 105 and 106  )  Now that my goal is met, I'm gonna play some longer games... starting with Shin Megami Tensei: Persona.

[bikingjahuty]

Finished my 104th game (along with 105 and 106  )  Now that my goal is met, I'm gonna play some longer games... starting with Shin Megami Tensei: Persona.

Ever since I started my youtube channel my output of games beat has decreased unfortunately. Still, I should be on track to "play" 52 games, however I'd have to hit 56 games with no more abandoned games to reach my goal. I'm not too far off this number, but I might be cutting it close.

[telly]

I was doing really well but since starting Tales of Vesperia and picking up more stuff at work I don't think I'm going to be able to make it anymore I have some shorter SNES Classic and PC games I could play still, so we'll see.

I at least beat my personal best this year.