52 Games Challenge 2024!!!!!

[realpoketendonl]

10. Dr. Trolley's Problem

This is an indie game from itch.io, that I got with one of those massive bundles for charity, The idea is very simple: it's just a long list of trolley problems. You know, two tracks, different people on each track, a trolley is coming, decide whether or not to change its track.The big appeal is that after every problem, you then get statistics of what other players did. Sounds like it could be pretty interesting. I like the idea, as like a little distraction.

However, the game has a flaw and it's a big one. The text explaining the statistics very often seemed to be flat-out wrong. I feel like on half of the levels it either didn't match up with the diagram above it, or it didn't match what the level was like. That means it was often very unclear what other players actually did. That kind of breaks one of the main points of the game, which is a real shame. I don't know whether this is an inherent problem with the game or a bug. I did encounter multiple bugs like the pause menu not working, inputs not working anymore after tabbing in and out of the game, a few levels softlocking, and at some points for no reason a horde of clowns kept spawning in every level (no, really). But with PC games you never know whether that's the game's fault or the PC's, and I'm playing on Linux through Lutris on top of that so that may have something to do with it too, I don't know.

A few of the trolley problems did admittedly make me laugh though. And the 2020 and 2022 levels were clearly the creator stepping aside from the game's original concept to let out his frustrations with the state of the world, which some people may be put off by but I honestly found relatable. But yeah, the wrong text and bugs are a big problem.

Again though, I got it in a massive bundle with all proceeds going to charity, so I can't be too critical of it. Massive props to the creator for helping to support charity in that way. Personally though, while this game was cute to check out, I think you aren't missing out on anything by skipping it. (Glad to have supported charity though. I believe there are charity bundles on itch.io often, so do keep an eye out for that!)

[telekill]

7. Sonic CD (Sega CD) - Went back through Sonic Origins Collection version to get my Sonic CD file completed with all the unlocks such as DA Garden and Visual Studio. Had to beat all levels in Time Attack and get them below something obscure like 25:40-something. Managed 25:10 and called it good.


8. Jet Moto (PS1/PSN) - Had a blast replaying the first Jet Moto. I unlocked all the tracks and platinumed it. Enjoyed having the added trophy support with the PSN version. It amazes me how few people have managed to unlock some of these trophies. Platinumes are rare, obviously, but even completing a race on the second grouping of tracks was only about 8%. I've always liked seeing the percentages of how many have unlocked certain trophies, but in this case, the majority of people that would have accomplished these tasks did so on the original PS1 game when there was no trophy support. I'd be curious to see a percentage that included the original release, but of course, everything was still offline and never tracked then. So that will never happen.


9. Twisted Metal 2 (PS1/PSN) - Having enjoyed Jet Moto, I went back and bought the PSN version of Twisted Metal 2 for the trophy support. I still have the disc, but went specifically for the trophies and the ability to play couch coop with brother via share play. Gotta lova some of the new connectivity options in the updated systems. Even the kids are enjoying the old classic so long as I put God Mode on. lol.

[telly]

Game 9 - Alundra (PS1) - 31 Hours

This has always been one of my most wanted games on my wishlist when I created my profile on this site, and I can finally say that I've finished it. This game actually wasn't that enjoyable for me, which was honestly perplexing. There are a lot of things here that I really love, but the things that I didn't enjoy really got under my skin more than most games for some reason.

First let's talk about what I really loved. The game boasts a gorgeous pixel aesthetic with wonderful animations and very fluid controls. You are dropped within an expansive island to explore with plenty of secrets to uncover as you obtain more items during your journey. The story I found to be particularly touching. Not super complicated, but deep enough to keep me engaged and invested. The story is accentuated by some really great characters and honestly very impressive translations for how old the game is. The music is quite excellent, though there isn't enough music to support the such a long game. You'll be hearing the same track repeated 50 times over as you try to navigate what's honestly a very challenging game.

And that’s my biggest issue with the game, though isn't so much the controls or combat difficulty, but the level design. In fact, the game showers you with copious amounts of healing items and spells, and so I didn’t actually die all that much during my playthrough. No, instead the frustration lies with the forced 2D/3D perspective which completely messes with your sense of distance and depth, combined with some incredibly difficult jumps. It's difficult to describe if you haven't played it before. For example, you might be jumping across platforms from the top of the screen down, and you think a subsequent platform located below you on the screen is reachable but it’s in fact ABOVE you in 3D Space. Same thing when jumping from left to right; you don't know if the platform is above or below you in 3D space and therefore unreachable, or if your timing is wrong and is in fact level with the platform you are on. The game is also not consistent with what you can jump onto/over and what you can’t. It reminded me of the frustrating platforming elements in Super Mario RPG, times like, 1000. There's also some old school “where do I go moments” that tend to frustrate me (hint, talk to all the villagers if you’re stuck and then things happen!)

Considering the frustrations that I just mentioned, I unfortunately found this game to be a more difficult experience than a fun one, and I was honestly glad when it was over. That's not to say that this game doesn't have anything to offer or isn’t worth your time checking it out.

[Cartagia]

I got 100% in Blasphemous 2 last week.  Terrific Metroidvania.  Definitely superior to the first game, which I did like, but found clunky and awkward in some places.  The sequel had better combat and exploration, and more fun collectibles.  Big hearty recommend if this is a genre you like.  Shout out to Kashell for convincing me to pick it up when it was on sale.

Silent Hill: The Short Message is a decent walking simulator with awful dialogue and not great actual gameplay sections.  Dug the vibe, didn't care for the majority of the rest of it.

[kashell]

I got 100% in Blasphemous 2 last week.  Terrific Metroidvania.  Definitely superior to the first game, which I did like, but found clunky and awkward in some places.  The sequel had better combat and exploration, and more fun collectibles.  Big hearty recommend if this is a genre you like.  Shout out to Kashell for convincing me to pick it up when it was on sale.

Silent Hill: The Short Message is a decent walking simulator with awful dialogue and not great actual gameplay sections.  Dug the vibe, didn't care for the majority of the rest of it.

I'm so glad you liked it!

Agreed on The Short Message. I liked how modern day stuff (smart phones, social media, COVID) somehow got implemented in the Silent Hill universe but the game was so unfun to play. I'm glad it was free - even then it was still too much.

[kashell]

44. Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2

I'm not sure what it was that compelled me to get back into this series. I know I liked the first Swordcraft Story (and could have sworn I wrote a review for it!), but that was over a decade ago. Twin Age was a bit more recent, but not by much. Regardless, I'm glad I returned to Lyndbaum. Swordcraft Story 2 feels like a mostly solid follow-up from the first game. The themes and narrative are a bit more mature. There are some good and not-so-good additions that I'll talk about in a review. One thing that really baffled me was the lack of suspend feature. The first game had this, so why did it go away in the second. There's something called Anywhere Diaries that let you make a hard save, but for a game that is meant for quick romps having an item on hand isn't a good look. All that to say I think I prefer the first game over the second, but the second is still fun.

[kashell]

45. Skautfold: Usurper - A Ending

This is the second game in the Bloody Pack. This game is a Metroidvania. I use that term in the most liberal sense. Two crucial things were missing from this game to be considered part of that sub-genre. The first was a fast-travel feature. There were warp points that would send you back to the main area where you could do things like buy spells or re-spec your character, but that was it. This was a real nuisance because the interconnected world didn't feel very connected at all. Which, brings me to the second issue: the map. You can pull up a map, but unlike 99.99% of the Metroidvanias in existence, the map just showed an overall layout of the entire game. There was no way to tell where you actually were or how to get where you need to go. I need a word stronger than "useless" to explain just how bad that thing was. It's a shame that these two major issues, as well as some other minor ones, weren't looked at. This is because the game's setting, character art, and massive weapon supply are what captivated me. Sprinkle a ridiculous final boss (the only time I died in the game) that looks like something a five year old would draw when asked, "Draw a monster" and the game ended up being...I'm not sure. I need to think about this one before sitting down to review it.

[kamikazekeeg]

17 - Voices of the Void (PC 2022) - ENDLESS - Going to kinda end my time with the game here, as I don't think the game technically has an "end" and it is still a work in progress.  I kinda hit a point where I felt a little burnt out and not enough was happening to keep me engaged, though there's a decent amount to the game and a lot of weird things that can still happen as a lot of it happens due to the days as they progress.  I got up to Day 17, which was like...10 hours of playtime at the least, maybe more, I got super absorbed into it the past like 2 days lol The game can apparently have stuff lasting up past Day 40, so you can make this one long game experience.

The game itself is really interesting as the basic gimmick is you are sent to run a radar facility that sends pings into space, records what comes back, process it, and then ship out your results while also keeping the facility running properly.  It's one of those games that is partially survival (Food and sleep mechanics), partially management/busywork, with some fairly in depth mechanics.  It has a steep learning curve, but once you figure out the tech stuff, which you will in the first few hours, it gets very easy after that, which is kinda what lead to the burnout as signal hunting gets very repetitive.  There's also a lot of weird, odd, creepy, things that can happen, and I like that, it's not a jumpscare rollercoaster, it knows how to build tension and spread things out.  It's also abit playful as it's not too serious with what is going on.

It's unfinished, still being worked on I believe, but it's an interesting game.  I don't know if I could outright recommend it as you gotta be the type of person for a very long, involved, game, that has a lot of busywork, and it is a tad jank, enjoyable so sometimes, but I'll maybe come back to the game later on after a 1.0 state.

[telly]

Game 10: Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Protoman (Switch) - 22 Hours

Only one more game to go on the Legacy Collection and I will be finished with it! Let's dive into Battle Network 5, one of the two Battle Network games I enjoyed when I was a kid. Like all BN games after 3, there isn't a whole lot that's changed in terms of the gameplay (with one huge exception). There have been some tweaks and small visual improvements, and some rebalances to gameplay, with the biggest edition being DarkChips which provide an interesting twist to your folder building (I didn't use them in this playthrough). Otherwise it's pretty much all the same stuff under the hood, which is fine by me. These games are like comfort food for me that I can kind of go through on autopilot especially since I know more about the "meta" of this game's chip selection than the other entries. The story isn't anything special, as always, though I do like that we learn a bit more about the history of the net and the backstories of Wily and Lan's family lineages. Although, it was really dumb how your dad and friends are kidnapped for like 4 days in the story and your mom's like totally cool with it.

Anyway, the biggest change in this game from it's predecessors is the addition of some light tactical gameplay very similar to something like Final Fantasy Tactics or Ogre Battle. I absolutely love these sections. Not only does it mix up the gameplay a bit but you're pushed to delete viruses in one round in order to do well, which was a fun challenge to test myself with. The Navis that make up your team are all really interesting and you develop more of a bond with them than really any other group of side characters in the previous games. Compared to Team Colonel, I do feel like Team Protoman has a better "team" overall, particularly because Protoman is way more of a familiar face. Overall, a fantastic addition.

I think my main complaint is the holding back of the upgraded chips that come from viruses until you do some really obscure sidequesting to make them appear. Otherwise, viruses will continue to get stronger but will only give you the most basic version of their chip. It's a really strange gameplay decision and it confused me to no end as a kid.

[dhaabi]

25. Rhythm Heaven Fever || Wii || 06.13.24



About ten years ago, I was first introduced to the Rhythm Heaven series while playing the first entry released outside of Japan, and my time playing through it was memorable and well-enjoyed. So, as I began to play Rhythm Heaven Fever all these years later, my expectations were high.

In short, Rhythm Heaven Fever is a collection of simple rhythm action sequences framed in odd situational circumstances, such as one stage which has the player repeatedly kicking sports balls away from a pair of weasels to impress your love interest and another about answering interview questions as a wrestler by flexing your muscles. No matter the context, players are tasked with timely button presses. At most, two buttons are utilized in each stage, but the majority require just one. Should a stage require two, these buttons exist on opposite sides of the Wii Remote, so performing these actions in quick succession is easy. However, despite stage and rhythm design often being straightforward, mastering the game's difficulty will prove to be a challenge for the average player.

Across each stage, the player is tasked with responding in a variety of ways, including call-and-repeat, reaction, and strictly adhering to the time measure. Each style offers its own difficulty, such as the complementing visual cues being obscured, the offbeat being introduced unexpectedly, or the audio being removed altogether. For some segments of stages, discerning the rhythm is difficult. Only after numerous attempts to perfect those segments did they begin to become ingrained in my understanding in knowing how to respond. A helpful inclusion the game offers is that, for each stage, a practice mode is available in explaining to players what sort of rhythm is to be expected.

Unlike some rhythm games, Rhythm Heaven Fever does not fail players to poor performance on a whim but instead assigns a ranking grade at the end. At the same time, simple feedback is also given, although I imagine most players will know what sort of sections did they act poorly. Perhaps my only complaint with the game relies on how receiving the Superb rating, which is the best under normal circumstances. For two or three stages, the Superb rating may only be earned when successfully acting upon one singular action at the stage end. So, no matter how competent the player was prior to that final action, that Superb ranking can't be gained should an error be made in that final moment. For my playthrough, this affected me several times, which was quite upsetting.

About once every five stage attempts, the stage select screen will prompt players to perfect a specific stage, allowing for collectibles to be unlocked. During these moments, the player is given three attempts to accomplish this feat. To me, this inclusion offers a welcoming way to pad out game time in an optional way that's enticing. That said, I stopped playing once I received Superb ranking for all fifty stages, with seventeen being Perfect. While I wish achieving Perfect could be possible at any given moment, the spontaneity the system utilizes instead prohibits players from replaying stages endlessly to achieve that goal.

Of the fifty stages which are divided into ten sections, ten are referred to as Remix Stages. As one may suspect, each of these stages presents a unique challenge in combining elements of each stage comprising its section, therefore creating a new song with its own rhythm. For the final stage of the game, Remix 10 comprises segments of all 28 formal stages and two additional smaller ones. Usually, there are three score states: Superb, OK, and Try Again, with the former two allowing the player to advance the game. However, the OK rank is absent from Remix 10, so only the slightest amount of errors may be made across its four-minute song. The stage was incredibly difficult, with it taking me about ten full attempts at succeeding it. It's also worth mentioning that, after the seven set of stages are completed, the game's credits appear. The remaining three sets of stages revisit previous ones with new arrangements and a spike in difficulty. Additionally, a higher threshold for succeeding is implemented, meaning fewer mistakes can be made. During this final section of the game, I greatly enjoyed my time playing, as the rhythm was much more complex and engaging.

To be brief, Rhythm Heaven Fever is a fantastic entry in the series that's proven to be near flawless so far, and it's one that I think many who are fond of the genre will appreciate. Hopefully sooner than later, I'd like to play the most recent entry in the series, Rhythm Heaven Megamix.

[realpoketendonl]

11. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door [Switch]

Finally got to play this game now that it's been rereleased on Switch, and I gotta say, this game is truly deserving of all of the praise it gets.

I've only played the original Paper Mario and Super Paper Mario before, and even though it's been MANY years since my last playthroughs, I remember loving both and both leaving a strong impression on me. And TTYD definitely accomplishes the same. The characters, the world, the plot, the humour, gosh it's all so good! Both charming and quirky as hell, and really distinct and memorable. It's a game I just wanted to keep on going and going with. I even found myself actively going for sidequests, which for me - especially in an RPG - says a lot. I even went for - and beat - the Pit of 100 Trials immediately after the final boss just because I still wanted to play a little more.

This game is genuinely a masterpiece and I'm so glad to have finally played it. Highly, HIGHLY recommended!


12. The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog [PC]

The murder mystery visual novel released for free on April Fools' Day last year. I finally played it, and you know what? I genuinely liked it. It reads just like a well-written wholesome self-insert fanfiction, and I mean that in the best way. But what really caught me off guard is how legitimately funny the game is. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. There is no challenge to it at all, but I can excuse that for a game that's clearly just trying to be a fun and funny side thing. Not to mention, again, it's free. I think if you like the Sonic characters, or if you are somewhat in touch with the fanbase or its type of culture, you will find some enjoyment in this. Heck, it's only like 2 hours long anyway.

[bikingjahuty]

30. Streets of Rage 4 (PS4)

Being a Sega kid back in the early and mid 90s, I grew up with Streets of Rage 1 and 2, which in my book are still two of the best beat em' ups from that era. Years ago when I heard they were making a Streets of Rage 4 I was pretty excited, although for whatever reason it took me until last year to finally pick this game up on the PS4. I was feeling like playing a modern beat em up (originally was going to play TMNT Mutants in Manhattan, but of course it had to be the first PS4 game I've ever encountered that wouldn't work), and this game certainly fit the bill.


Streets of Rage 4 was surprisingly able to win me over to the point where I definitely like it more than the two aforementioned Streets of Rage games on the Genesis, which is definitely saying a lot. BTW, I've never played Street of Rage 3, although it's another game on the long backlog to play. But anyhow, the gameplay just felt a lot more balanced and fare compared to Streets of Rage 1 and 2, and also the boss fights were a lot more interesting and fun for the most part. A few very annoying sections, as well as the stage hazards in several stages being extremely annoying at times prevented this game from being awesome in the gameplay department, but for what it was, it was overall an improvement on the older games. A felt someone mixed on the visuals of Streets of Rage 4 at first, however there is so much enemy, boss, and variety in the stages that I definitely felt like it was a standout game visually. I also enjoyed the cool comic like scenes between levels in the story mode which really helped flesh things out even more. And then finally the OST was pretty great; it may have no been as iconic and catchy as the OST in the first two games, but it still had some excellent tracks and it deserves credit for that. I figured I'd like Streets of Rage 4, however I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. It's not going to set the world on fire and it doesn't compare to a few other modern beat em' ups I've played, but for what it is, it's a pretty damn good game. (6/18/24) [36/50]

[kashell]

46. X-Men Arcade Game - Nightcrawler

It was my 40th a few days ago and this 1-Up cabinet was my big gift from the hubs. I finally broke in my new toy, and with my homie: Nightcrawler. He has always been my favorite character. I think he was my first X-Men figure, so there's a bit of history there. I find his mutant power to be the most entertaining. It was a lot of fun just spamming it near the end and watching the boss gauntlet fall to their knees. His jumpy-jumpy-jump on downed enemies is still a riot. I have no idea why the live movies turned him into some bible thumper but eh. The way I see it, that's a different universe than the one the game takes place in.

[realpoketendonl]

13. Fat Bear Week

Another game from itch.io that I found in one of my 1000+ games charity bundles, but I just found out you can download it for free anyway. The object of the game is really simple: you're a bear, eat as much as you can before the time runs out. As soon as you get a little fat you roll around like a ball, so it becomes kind of Katamari-esque. The bears are absolutely adorable chonkers. I just wanna hug them! I did have a few technical problems though. I couldn't get it to run on Linux through Wine or Proton (which I don't fault the game for, to be clear), so I got out my old Windows 10 laptop, but there I encountered a bug that wouldn't let me jump after I got fat and started rolling. At some point it fixed itself, I don't know why or how, but that made everything significantly more doable. I 100% completed the game, but there's also only 3 levels, so that shouldn't take you very long. Can I really fault a completely free indie game for any of this though? No, I can't. That'd just be petty. It's a cute little game that'll bring a smile to your face if you've got 15 minutes to kill, and I'm sure children will adore it. It's free anyway, so what do you got to lose? I say give it a look, and give the creators some love! Here's the link: https://teamfatbears.itch.io/fatbearweek.

[kamikazekeeg]

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