52 Games Challenge 2024!!!!!

[bikingjahuty]

10. Virtua Cop (Arcade)

Between the arcade version and the Saturn port, I've probably beat Virtua Cop a hundred times at this point, but every once and I while I really get the urge to play through it once more, which is precisely what I did this afternoon. Virtua Cop is about as classic of a 90s arcade game as they come. While not very long, the light gun gameplay is still very addictive as you should bad guys popping out of pretty much every place they possibly can. Meanwhile you're picking up more powerful weapons and health items, and also not trying to kill innocent people who just love to step right in your line of fire. The bosses are also pretty fun, although the final boss is a tad on the easy side. Maybe the best thing about Virtua Cop both back in 1994 and today is its amazing presentation. Virtua Cop's OST is legendary, as are its graphics which still retain a distinct charm about them. I'll always love this Sega arcade gem, and I'm certain I'll probably play this game again within the next couple years like I always do. (1/21/24) [37/50]

[bikingjahuty]

1. Battletoads (Genesis) - ABANDONED

Like many gamers old enough to remember the 8-bit and 16-bit days, Battletoads has been a continual thorn in my side for decades. In fact, prior to tonight, I'd never made it past the infamous Turbo Tunnels. After beating this section, I felt a brief moment of victory, followed by the crushing realization that it only gets harder the further into the game you go. I got a little further to the part where you have to platform on a bunch of moving snakes, and that part broke me. I've come to terms with the fact that I will likely never beat this game despite having tried since 1992/1993 when I first got this game. This game's reputation as being brutal is well deserved. For what it's worth, it's a fairly fun game to play, and has an amazing OST. I just wish it was slightly easier, as even for an older game, this game is relentless! (1/21/24)

[bikingjahuty]

I feel like I don't play enough pre-5th gen games, so I decided to have a nice Sunday night of Beat Em' Ups, focusing on ones I've never played and seem to get mentioned when the term "hidden gem" comes up. One of the games might be, sort of a hidden gem, while the other was anything but.


11. The Tick (Genesis)

I know the beat em' up genre is not typically known for being the least monotonous genre out there, but this game definitely takes the tedium present in a lot of games from this genre to a whole new level. For one, this is one of the longest beat em' ups I think I've ever played, and to make matters worse, very few stages, enemies, or bosses are at all interesting for fun to fight against. There is some humor in this game, but it literally becomes stale before you even finish the 2nd stage. There are also some really annoying platforming sections throughout the game where you have a bunch of random objects flying out you with almost no time to react. The OST is nothing great either, nor are the sound effects from the Tick or the enemies you fight. This game should be a hard pass for anyone looking for even a decent beat em' up to play. (1/21/24) [22/50]

12. The Punisher (Genesis)

I used to own this game back in the day, and never got around to playing it by the time I sold it off. Fortunately I have it on a Mega SD, and decided to play through it. Much to my surprise, it's actually a pretty fun beat em' up, with a fairly interesting story, cool enemies and bosses, and fairly interesting gameplay. One cool aspect of the Punisher is the ability to shoot enemies during select parts of the game. The enemy AI was also pretty balanced, offering a decent challenge, while avoiding being cheap or annoying. The OST is fairly average, but good, and the visuals are pretty good for the most part. There are certainly other beat em' ups on the Genesis I enjoy more, but for what it is, this game was no slouch. (1/21/24) [31/50]

[kashell]

10. Mega Man X6

My neighborhood was an ice rink over the weekend, so I did replay of this while being at home. I'm not sure why. Maybe so I could make my inevitable replay of X4 all the more sweeter? This game isn't good. It's nowhere near X5 levels, but it's clear the series peaked at X4. Hell, for some it peaked just at X. Yes, there were some good stage tunes and a few neat bosses, but it was just a messy, contrived entry in the series.

[dhaabi]

08. Hyper Meteor || Playdate || 01.16.24



With a name like Hyper Meteor on a system that has so far offered its players a handful of fun arcade-style games, the title gave some hint as to what kind of genre the game would be. While some may find it to be a clone of the classic Asteroids, it is far from it.

In short, Hyper Meteor is a simple action game which has the player thrusting their spacecraft into meteors and other obstacles in head-on collisions, not by using projectile shots. With space being cramped and full of numerous enemy types, surviving requires a small level of strategic play. For every obstacle, there are two sides: white, which signifies the item's vulnerable points to strike, and black, which signifies its armored points to avoid as they result in losing a life token. As new levels are achieved, new enemy types may spawn with those already unlocked which are unlike the default meteors which are free-floating, non-targeting obstructions. Instead, other obstacles are more like actual enemies. One type actively but slowly drifts toward the player, whereas another shoots projectiles in several directions it faces.

Alongside the basic attack system, there is a heavy emphasis on scoring which determines new stages being achieved in real-time with more difficult encounters yielding higher point totals and the ability to gain additional life tokens upon reaching score milestones. This mechanic is complemented by the game's scoring which leans into its arcade nature through a combo system. In the corner, a gauge is present that refills with each collision but quickly depletes. Naturally, this encourages faster gameplay which rewards risk. Of course, being precise in one's movements are obviously crucial to reach higher scores and longer sessions. To go far, there is a balance needing to be achieved to target the smaller craters which serve as fodder to quickly refill the gauge as they are fully white, meaning they cannot harm the player.

Bearing some similarities to its reference material, Hyper Meteor stands as its own with individuality. Alongside what's been mentioned above, Hyper Meteor's playing field size is quite small, meaning there is not a lot of space to navigate around obstacles. At the same time, player control is not as floaty and and fast-moving as one may expect, which I prefer. Another item worth mentioning is that two different control layouts—either the D-pad or face buttons in pair with the system's crank—are offered which is a welcomed addition.

To my surprise, Hyper Meteor is perhaps my go-to arcade-style game included with the Playdate, as of this writing. With each new attempt, I actually notice my skill improving and the capability to achieve longer runs, which I find myself still greatly motivated to pursue.

[dhaabi]

09. The White Door || PC || 01.20.24



With the Rusty Lake franchise having seemingly concluded both the Cube Escape and Rusty Lake sub-series of games, developer Rusty Lake's more recent endeavors have been expanding upon the overarching Rusty Lake narrative through other, slightly different, gameplay and visual types. At least, this is my assumption after having finished The White Door.

Controlling protagonist Robert Hill, players assume the role of someone seemingly new, foreign to the involvement of Dale, Laura, and the larger Vanderboom ancestry. However, that is actually not the case, as Robert has been shown at least on two occasions, although their presence and bearing on the overall narrative at that point was little. Having woken up in a room that's locked from the outside, there is a posted schedule to follow to progress time. As the game's title suggests, a white door is your most obvious obstacle in maintaining your state of being trapped. That said, shortly after starting, it becomes apparent how you're checked in to some sort of mental health facility.

As the schedule implies, you must follow it with each passing day. At certain intervals, usually when the day ends, a short flashback event will appear for the player to control through. As players will come to learn, Robert has connections with the murdered woman, Laura. These flashback sections place a heavy emphasis on story, with progressing through each line of dialogue or action requiring some sort of simple input to maintain player engagement. As the day continues, players will have to pass a series of short objectives such as eating breakfast and simple recreation at night. However, there are also other tasks such as memory tests which are often more like visual tests. Additionally, a staff member appears once a day to check Robert's well-being which often requires the player to recount information from details scattered about the room. Fortunately, the game doesn't force the player to actually recall information, as there are no consequences alongside the player being able to freely move about the room to further investigate specific details.

While playing, it's apparent how The White Door deviates from every single one of the previous Rusty Lake franchise games, which is likely why the game's name formatting omits any formal connection to either aforementioned sub-series. In The White Door, the screen is halved. On the left is a top-down view of the room you're in which allows you to see various items which you may interact with. On the right is an up-close screen showing the items you near which are able to be interacted with. This right side is how the actual interaction is performed, requiring the player to drag and click. At times, more detailed information is also presented on this side which highlights crucial details necessary to progress through the game's puzzle narrative. Unlike every other game so far, items aren't collected. In fact, items don't even interact with another. In truth, the amount of gameplay is perhaps lowest in this entry, as puzzle objectives usually appear as brief interruptions to the relatively fast-moving story. On that note, while the level of narration and storytelling has varied across each Rusty Lake game, The White Door is the most narrative-driven experience so far. After nearly every action being taken, narration follows. In many instances, the action even follows the narration, as if it's guiding players in what to do.

Bolstered by its emphasis on story-telling, The White Door presents a bleak plot about loss, the decline of mental health, and losing what it means to be one's self. By every account, the game is very much a side narrative to the ongoing story, but it's one which offers adequate details to fill in some gaps while remaining true to the dark and disturbing nature the franchise is known for.

[kashell]

11. Shadow Hearts: From the New World

It's been nearly 20 years since I played this and thought a replay was in order. With the strategy guide in my possession finally, I had every intention of doing everything: side-quests, collectables, etc. Well, that idea got thrown out the window when I reached the halfway point (and the battle track went from epic to awful). This was worse than I remembered. I can see myself going through the original and Covenant in years to come. Maybe there'll come a time when I do another run of Koudelka. This, however, I will never play this game again unless there's a release of the entire Shadow Hearts series on one disc/cart that includes QoL changes, trophies, etc. And knowing how borked Aruze and the Shadow Hearts IP is, that's never going to happen. The game's goofy characters and lack of barely any horror themed atmosphere aren't my biggest issues, although they don't help. It's that the game's poorly balanced to the point that outside grinding is constant necessity. Since battles take too long, doing said grinding takes even more time. Building Stock takes time. Enemies constantly get multiple turns in a row. Maybe they wanted to make things more challenging but this wasn't the right way to do it. When those credits rolled, I returned the disc to the case and the case to the shelf. Out of sight/mind.

[tripredacus]

6. Heroes of Might and Magic III HD Edition

Marked this as red, because of some bug or particularities with the game that prevent me from actually completing it. First, this is only the original release of the game and does not include the expansions. My plan was to just complete the campaign options, of which there are seven. There are three you can see from the start and I was able to play and complete the first two. The first campaign was easy. The second was challenging in the third portion and I had to restart it many times. Basically the issue was that I was going too slow. The third one was the same issue in the third segment but I decided to cheat to get past it in the end.

Yet, after beating the first three campaigns, it did not unlock the additional ones. I only got an achievement for the first two, and the third I got the cheating achievement. I come to find out that you need to play all of the campaign options on a single save or else the extra options won't unlock. This isn't an issue I had with the original game (of which I still own and will play again some day on original hardware) because the idea of using multiple saves was not something that had occurred to me back then. I did not know about using multiple saves until well after the youtube era where I watched others use them. I used a 1-2-3 save system and replaced them every time I started a new scenario. I partly blame the game for not having any sort of mention that when you complete a scenario, if you start a new one, it technically doesn't count as a continuation.

As far as it being an HD version, it in itself is fine. It isn't a full upscale as the battles get a border since it uses a grid that is designed for 4:3 displays and they did not add any new tiles for widescreen. The only issues I found was the dispell effect draws on the border and doesn't go away for the entirety of the battle. Other issues is that the sound mutes when you move the mouse cursor past the bounds of the window if you are using windowed or multi-mon. One time I encountered a bug where it played the monster removed sound in the map screen constantly.

I certainly remember this game and also remember *some* of the campaigns. Just the first two. It may be possible I could not beat it originally either and that I had only played the scenarios. Or it is possible that I did not spend that much time with this game. I still do prefer HOMM2 and 4 over this version. I also recall HOMM4 was exceedingly difficult to find in the US because it got short printed and that the only way to find it for a decent price was to import it from UK. It did eventually get a reprint in the US as a budget title that showed up on the Walmart jewel case rack, which was how I finally managed to get it. HOMM2 was one of those situations where I had gotten the demo from the PC Gamer CD and then was able to go out and get the full game later on.

I'll leave it installed because the scenarios can be fun still. We'll see if it manages to stick around.

[telly]

Game 2 - God of War: Ragnarök (PS4) - 41 Hours

I didn't realize when I started this game that I would have needed to have a minor in Norse studies beforehand Jokes aside, I did enjoy my time playing this game, though as you can probably guess, I didn't really enjoy the story. I knew it was going to be a bad time after I watched the GoW4 recap and still had no idea what was going on in the first game. I dunno, it just never really clicked with me. It was very long, very twisty and convoluted with tons of lore and backstory that the game just assumes you know. And even with all that, I found the story to be boring. It's ultimately a story about not trying to follow a preordained prophecy and then following it after all? That's what I got out of it anyway. I also really didn't like the voice acting, particularly for the older Atreus and Odin. Odin in particular was a very boring and cliche villain. Again, something that I know is well praised about this game, but just didn't connect with me personally.

What did connect with me though was the combat, exploration, and visuals. The game is very beautiful just like the first, and scored masterfully. My favorite moments in this game were just exploring the world, riding in my boat, doing quests as they became open to me and enjoying the game's satisfying combat. Were there a lot of glitches? Yeah. Are there arguably TOO many combat mechanics, weapons, and equipment to manage? Sure. Did I die more times than I thought I should have on normal? You bet. Nonetheless, I didn't want to stop playing purely because I was enjoying the gameplay that much. It was especially nice to be able to visit all of the realms this time around.

Looking back at my previous review of GoW4, I was not surprised to read that I basically have the same thoughts about this game as I did the previous game. Great combat, great visuals, great exploration, kind of a bad story. Not a bad experience though at all.

[telekill]

I won't be doing a blurb for every game completed, but I just finished Star Wars: Jedi Survivor (PS5). Great game. I had been interested in the first for a while, hearing it played like Uncharted and finally it released on PS Plus. Played it and enjoyed it. Then the sequel had a half off during Black Friday that I couldn't pass up.

Game in general starts you with the powers you gained in the first game. Something I'm thankful of as most games just have you start from scratch and it sucks. Without going into too much detail, by the end of the game, Cal is basically a God. I expect with a rumored third game in developement, that they could have him take on Vader and win, but somehow Vader lives for his cannon death in the movies.

Quite a few plot twists in the game that I won't be detailing, but it felt right when the game was about to end, the team decided to extend it a few hours just because. Still good. Looking forward to a third game. If one is made, I expect we won't see it until the end of the PS5 generation.

Starting God of War Ragnarok (PS5).

[bikingjahuty]

I won't be doing a blurb for every game completed, but I just finished Star Wars: Jedi Survivor (PS5). Great game. I had been interested in the first for a while, hearing it played like Uncharted and finally it released on PS Plus. Played it and enjoyed it. Then the sequel had a half off during Black Friday that I couldn't pass up.

Game in general starts you with the powers you gained in the first game. Something I'm thankful of as most games just have you start from scratch and it sucks. Without going into too much detail, by the end of the game, Cal is basically a God. I expect with a rumored third game in developement, that they could have him take on Vader and win, but somehow Vader lives for his cannon death in the movies.

Quite a few plot twists in the game that I won't be detailing, but it felt right when the game was about to end, the team decided to extend it a few hours just because. Still good. Looking forward to a third game. If one is made, I expect we won't see it until the end of the PS5 generation.

Starting God of War Ragnarok (PS5).

I think the third game will take place 5+ years after the events of Survivor, and will revolve around Cal, but place more of an emphasis on Kata (Bode's daughter). I think she will even be a playable character throughout most of the game. I think they will start you off with only a few basic force techniques much like Cal at the beginning of Fallen Order, but then give her a variety of new techniques that even Cal didn't have. At the very least, I feel like half the game will have you play as Kata while the other half will be with Cal. I could even see a situation where you play a third of the game a Cal, a third as Kata, and a third as either Marin (sp?) or some other new character, possibly another apprentice. While Disney has been no stranger to retconning the aspects of Star Wars they still consider canon, considering Cal is nowhere in the original trilogy or any of the canon afterwards, I'm 90% certain they will kill him off by the end of the game. Assuming the game isn't a complete flop or heavily rejected by fans, I can see them handing the torch over to Kata for further sequels. Just my theory, but it seemed like the end of the game was setting the next game up for this potentially.

[dhaabi]

10. Samsara Room || PC || 01.24.24



With few Rusty Lake games remaining, the next game for me to play is a remake of developer Rusty Lake's very first game created for Flash. As a remake, Samsara Room greatly expands upon its original source material (which I've confirmed after watching another's playthrough of the original 2013 release after my own), although it certainly shares the same foundation.

With the above comment in mind, it wasn't surprising to find out that there are no story elements presented in Samara Room, just as several of the first games in the series proper also omitted. However, this is not to say there isn't a plot, because there certainly is, and it's one that only those having played specific entries in the franchise so far will fully understand. With that said, Samsara Room's subject matter relates to rebirth and enlightenment, which is immediately referenced in the game's title (although I wasn't aware of the term samara's definition until later on.)

Before watching a playthrough of the 2013 game, I had assumed even these details were either updated or added later to grant a better connection between Samara Room and the franchise, but that's actually not the case. At its core, Samara Room shares the exact same visual elements as its source material which also connects to the other Rusty Lake games. So, it was interesting to learn just how much of the Rusty Lake series owes to the developer's very first game. Continuing with similarities, it's clear how the 2013 release served as a stepping stone to the series's first proper game, Cube Escape: Seasons, as the gameplay loop is the exact same. In both games, the single room you're trapped in changes depending on player influence as the main puzzle objective comes closer to be solved. This is only possible because room types can be freely explored once a room's initial puzzles are complemented, at least, until the game's final section. In Samsara Room specifically, the player-character's forum will transform to mimic certain key items, which I found to be a simple yet fun detail corresponding to the game's theme.

All things considered, Samara Room is a game that is best enjoyed when knowing its history. Despite the remake being the developer's sixteenth game, it very much feels like one of their earliest due to a lesser emphasis on story. But, there isn't any question that it's a part of the Rusty Lake franchise, as the game shares themes, genre, and gameplay styles with other entries. Even so, I found myself enjoying the more detailed connections to the ongoing franchise narrative which weren't present in the 2013 release.

[bikingjahuty]

13. Virtua Cop 2 (Arcade)

What's funny is it wasn't until I started playing Virtua Cop 2 earlier today that I realized I don't even remember the last time I played through it. I'm certain I've beat it at least twice in my life, but honestly the last time I can remember actually getting through all three stages from start to finish may have actually been the early 2000s. I say this, because there is a remarkable amount of content in the game that I'd completely forgotten about. But anyhow, Virtua Cop 2 looks better from a visual presentation standpoint compared to the first game, however it unfortunately lacks in the audio department with the first game having a significantly better OST. Gameplay is pretty standard for a mid 90s lightgun game, and I didn't find it any better or worse than the first game. There seems to be more enemies and stuff going on which is a bonus, but it just feels like the placement of enemies in some sections of the game just felt lacking compared to the original Virtua Cop. Overall, I prefer the first game, but Virtua Cop 2 is definitely no slouch in the fun department as it's a true 90s arcade classic. (1/28/24) [35/50]

[telekill]

I think the third game will take place 5+ years after the events of Survivor, and will revolve around Cal, but place more of an emphasis on Kata (Bode's daughter). I think she will even be a playable character throughout most of the game. I think they will start you off with only a few basic force techniques much like Cal at the beginning of Fallen Order, but then give her a variety of new techniques that even Cal didn't have. At the very least, I feel like half the game will have you play as Kata while the other half will be with Cal. I could even see a situation where you play a third of the game a Cal, a third as Kata, and a third as either Marin (sp?) or some other new character, possibly another apprentice. While Disney has been no stranger to retconning the aspects of Star Wars they still consider canon, considering Cal is nowhere in the original trilogy or any of the canon afterwards, I'm 90% certain they will kill him off by the end of the game. Assuming the game isn't a complete flop or heavily rejected by fans, I can see them handing the torch over to Kata for further sequels. Just my theory, but it seemed like the end of the game was setting the next game up for this potentially.

That's definitely a possibility. Cal is almost too powerful at this point. It would make sense for the torch to be passed down.

[telly]

Game 3 - Celeste (PS4) - 7 Hours

I thought this was a fantastic game. It's polished to a mirror sheen down to the tiniest detail. The controls are astounding and despite it being a very hard game, it never was enough to make me stop playing. There are maybe 5 screens across the whole game that I found were very difficult. The last area in particular goes on a little too long, but otherwise I really enjoyed playing. The smooth gameplay and controls are punctuated by a beautiful soundtrack and a simple yet touching story with some very likeable characters and a great overall message. I'm really glad I got around to playing this.