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StarTopic The 2023 Completed Games Thread

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Not counting all of the Super Mario Bros games I beat for the badges since I had beaten those already, so on to the next full game:

17. The Quarry (PS5). I will spoiler tag but not going to talk story elements really

mostly had a good time with this. Cinematics, voice acting, story elements mostly top notch. A little uncanny valley on some faces though. Loved the “creature feature” story. Fell flat at the ending since it’s just a quick “where are they now” type of thing with no played out resolution. Biggest complaint is the aiming controls blow and there isn’t a specific indicator between traversal markers vs clue markers. Too many times I felt I was looking for clues but triggered a path. Aiming totally screwed my story over, so felt like that was a gameplay issue and not my fault. Luckily I could chapter select and use accessibility features to replay this sections without QTE timing messing me up. Good overall and want to play Until Dawn now
 
35th game finished for 2023: a replay of Resident Evil 2 Remake, but this time on Hardcore in order to get those Famiboards badges! I pretty much felt like I was getting a stomach ulcer from the stress of ammo and ink ribbons dwindling while Mr. X breathes down Claire's vulnerable neck. But at the same time, now I feel like I can S-rank it... oh no, what have I gotten myself into?
 
1) Guardians of the Galaxy - Cloud Version (NSW)
2) Rise of the Third Power (NSW)
3) Haiku, the Robot (NSW)
4) Fire Emblem Engage (NSW)
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA NSO)*
6) WareWare Inc. (GBA NSO)*
7) Panzer Dragoon Remake (NSW)*
8) Final Fantasy IX (NSW)*
9) UnMetal (NSW)
10) Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (NSW)
11) Octopath Traveler 2 (NSW)
12) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (NSW)
13) Citizen Sleeper : Purge (NSW)
14) Metroid Fusion (GBA NSO)*
15) The Red Strings Club (NSW)
16) Earthbound Beginnings (NES NSO)
17) Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (NSW)
18) Dungeon Encounters (NSW)
19) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (NSW)
20) Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance (NSW)
21) Picross S9 (NSW)
22) Persona 5 Royal (NSW)
23) Dragon Ball FighterZ (NSW - Game Trial NSO)
24) Brotato (NSW)
24) Voice of Cards: Beasts of Burden (NSW)
25) Unsighted (NSW)
26) Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe (NSW)
27) Mercenaries Lament : Requiem of the Silver Wolf (NSW)
28) Vampire Survivors (NSW)
29) Sea of Stars (NSW)
30) ABZÛ (NSW)
31) Steins;Gate Elite (NSW)
32) Dorfromantik (NSW)
33) Diabolic (NSW)
34) Road 96 (NSW)
35) Knight vs. Giant: The Broken Excalibur (NSW)

36) Dredge (NSW)

At it's core, Dredge is pretty simple. You are a fisherman. Your life is on your boat. Each day, you sail out into the ocean consisting of a small archipelago of islands and try to catch some fish so that you can pay for improvements to your boat so you can catch even more varied fish. And you guessed it, you can outfit your boat to dredge up building materials, small bits of treasure, and other, darker things.

There are plenty of NPC's sprinkled around the archipelago with quests for you to do, always involving what you can pull up from the ocean. The gameplay loop is very tight, and fishing up different kinds of fish, crabs, and trinkets always feels engaging. Somehow all you do in this game is drive your boat around and fish and it was never once boring. Part of this is because each day is on a timer, fishing passes the time, and generally you do not want to be out on the water once the sun sets. Things can get weird.

That's the true hook of Dredge. It's Lovecraft inspired horror and it's done wonderfully. I read several of Lovecraft's stories years ago, and I can't think of another game that has captured the feeling of the books as well as this one. Desolate and hopeless, the world of Dredge always feels like the truth is hiding just out of reach. It also feels like you don't want to look to closely into what is going on, like you wouldn't be able to understand it anyway. I mean that in the best way possible. Things exist on the fringes of this world that are never meant to be understood. If you really like Lovecraft inspired games, check it out. Even if you have never heard of H.P. Lovecraft, I think there is a lot to like here.
 
35)We Love katamari Reroll
I’ll probably keep going back to clear all the optional stuff but the credits rolled so it goes head. Most jovial game about cosmic horror around
36)Captain Toad treasure tracker
Again some of the unlockable and super difficult levels aren’t cleared but I finished the main story. The complete unlocks and bonus challenges are brutttaalllll
Previous games:
1)Yoku’s island express
2)Live a Live
3)Arcade Paradise
4)The Great Ace Attorney Adventures
5)Immortal Fenyx rising
6) SD Gundam Battle Alliance
7)Nier Automata
8)Crimson Skies High road to revenge
9)Stacking
10)Conker Live and reloaded
11)Legend of Zelda the minish Cap
12)Ducktales remastered
13)Vostok Inc
14) Star Wars Battlefront(OG)
15)Kirby and the forgotten land
16) Xenoblade chronicles 3 Future Redeemed
17) Sonic Adventure(Xbox)
18)Rhapsody a Musical Adventure
19)Legend Of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
20)The Great Ace Attorney 2 Resolve
21) Super Mario Advance(Super Mario Bros 2)
22)Lunistice
23)Ghost Trick(phone version)
24) Crusader of Centy
25)Cosmic Star Heroine
26) SMA2 SMW
27)SMA3 YI
28)SMA4 SMB3
29)SMB the Lost Levels(All Stars)
30)SMB(all Stars)
31) FFVIII
32) From Dust
33) Sonic Adventure 2
34) FEWTH
 
29 — Forza Motorsport
This is probably the best driving has ever felt in a game to me. It looks fantastic even in performance mode on Series S, the theoretical worst this game could look. The upgrade system of having to log time with a car to unlock its full potential makes a ton of sense, in that Video Game sorta way. The assists are very well done and really do make you a better driver.

Unfortunately, things were uneven for me on the technical side. I don’t think Quick Resume worked a single time. I’d go to apply part upgrades or a new paint job to my car and it would just…hang indefinitely, forcing me to quit the app and restart. If it happened between races in a cup, the entire progress of my last race would be wiped out, including practice. Stuff like that started to take away from the experience the more I played. I continue to not really like the Drivatar AI model for something as sim-like as FM; everyone sort of drives like a jerk, which sort of forces you to drive like a jerk. The penalty system can pretty intelligently flag that behaviour, which helps, but it still doesn’t quite feel sportsmanlike.

I’m still playing but felt I had completed enough to have more or less final thoughts on it. I ended up more conflicted than I thought I’d be, but it’s still a very good time.*

*— If you are way into cars with elaborate anime girl murals on them, please add one star to this review.

The Scores So Far:
★ — Not bad!
★★ — Pretty dang good.
★★★ — Blew me away.

I only really finish games I like and even a one star is a positive review! It’s just to show how much I enjoyed it in relativity.

★
Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp
Baba is You
Castle Crumble
Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk 2
Diablo IV
Melatonin
Metroid Dread
Pentiment
stitch.
Vampire Survivors

★★
Cocoon
Forza Motorsport
F-ZERO 99
Hitman Freelancer
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
NYT Word Games
Quake II
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
The Talos Principle
Triangle Strategy
XC3: Future Redeemed

★★★
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Bonfire Peaks
Octopath Traveler II
Resident Evil 4
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Zelda: TotK
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Barely Able said:
Not counting all of the Super Mario Bros games I beat for the badges since I had beaten those already, so on to the next full game:

17. The Quarry (PS5). I will spoiler tag but not going to talk story elements really

mostly had a good time with this. Cinematics, voice acting, story elements mostly top notch. A little uncanny valley on some faces though. Loved the “creature feature” story. Fell flat at the ending since it’s just a quick “where are they now” type of thing with no played out resolution. Biggest complaint is the aiming controls blow and there isn’t a specific indicator between traversal markers vs clue markers. Too many times I felt I was looking for clues but triggered a path. Aiming totally screwed my story over, so felt like that was a gameplay issue and not my fault. Luckily I could chapter select and use accessibility features to replay this sections without QTE timing messing me up. Good overall and want to play Until Dawn now
Click to expand...
Oh wow I totally forgot about Mario! I beat Mario Bros 1 and 2 this year
 
Games finished - 2023

*Denotes Replay

1) Guardians of the Galaxy - Cloud Version (NSW)
2) Rise of the Third Power (NSW)
3) Haiku, the Robot (NSW)
4) Fire Emblem Engage (NSW)
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA NSO)*
6) WareWare Inc. (GBA NSO)*
7) Panzer Dragoon Remake (NSW)*
8) Final Fantasy IX (NSW)*
9) UnMetal (NSW)
10) Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (NSW)
11) Octopath Traveler 2 (NSW)
12) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (NSW)
13) Citizen Sleeper : Purge (NSW)
14) Metroid Fusion (GBA NSO)*
15) The Red Strings Club (NSW)
16) Earthbound Beginnings (NES NSO)
17) Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (NSW)
18) Dungeon Encounters (NSW)
19) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (NSW)
20) Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance (NSW)
21) Picross S9 (NSW)
22) Persona 5 Royal (NSW)
23) Dragon Ball FighterZ (NSW - Game Trial NSO)
24) Brotato (NSW)
24) Voice of Cards: Beasts of Burden (NSW)
25) Unsighted (NSW)
26) Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe (NSW)
27) Mercenaries Lament : Requiem of the Silver Wolf (NSW)
28) Vampire Survivors (NSW)
29) Sea of Stars (NSW)
30) ABZÛ (NSW)
31) Steins;Gate Elite (NSW)
32) Dorfromantik (NSW)
33) Diabolic (NSW)
34) Road 96 (NSW)
35) Knight vs. Giant: The Broken Excalibur (NSW)
36) Dredge (NSW)

37) Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk and Milk outside of bag of milk outside a bag of milk (NSW)

Milk etcetera is a visual novel and it's short. Well under 2 hours short. I would also categorize it as a horror game, and those sensitive to trauma might want to steer clear. I think it's interesting when comparing it to the game I completed literally yesterday, Dredge. Both games prey on your fear of the unknown. While Dredge made me fear the impossible unknowns in the deep waters of the world and beyond, this made me fear the impossible unknowns of the trauma of a single person. The two games will likely remain linked in my mind for that reason.

As an aside, I am now looking forward to Mario more than ever.
 
1. Nier Automata (Switch)
2. Lunistice (Switch)
3. Super Mario Land 2 (NSO)
4. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch)
5. Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)
6. Fire Emblem Engage (Switch)
7. The Legend of Zelda: the Minish Cap (NSO)
8. Wario Land 3 (NSO)
9. A Space for the Unbound (Switch)
10. Kirby's Dream Land (NSO)
11. Advance Wars 1&2 Reboot Camp (Switch)
12. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)
13. Final Fantasy (Pixel Remaster, Switch)
14. Goldeneye (NSO)
15. Oxenfree II Lost Signals (Switch)
16. Pikmin 4 (Switch)
17. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (NSO)
18. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (Switch)
19. Telltale's The Expanse (Xbox Series S)
20. Sea of Stars (Switch)
Now, I know there's post-game here, but I'm not going to get to that for another month or two.

However, even without playing that content and having only hit the default ending, I came to really love this game. Glorious 2D visuals, animations, really tight level design and a narrative which, while it starts out slow, really ramps up in quality as the game goes on. A superb game and I'll look forward to returning to it.

Finished (for now) just in time for Super Mario Bros Wonder. Also have Cocoon to try on Xbox Series S, and will resume my Starfield campaign at some point.
 
33. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest (SNES) [8/10]

Played on NSO. I played through DKC for the first time on NSO earlier this year and was unimpressed. A few months later I bought a physical copy and read something about how the game should be played like Sonic the Hedgehog or Crash Bandicoot and decided to give it another try and enjoyed it much more. Unlike Donkey Kong Country which has instinct-based platforming where ideally you're always moving forward, Donkey Kong Country 2 removes the big guy and has more traditional platforming akin to Mario. Platforming is more straight forward with a focus on powerups and finding collectables.

To my disappointment, I did enjoy this quite a bit. The change in style is disappointing as someone who really enjoys DKC1 now, but it is definitely much more beginner friendly and the Kremling themes keep things exciting. The game really shines when it focuses on verticality and rope climbing, which is fitting as the entire game is a Donkey Kong Jr. tribute. It is somewhat bittersweet as one can't help but think this could have been the best game in the trilogy if they had DK's partner be DK Jr. from the very beginning. All in all this is my least favorite of the Rare DK games but it is very good and a must play despite some bad levels.

34. Pikmin (Gamecube) [10/10]

I went back to play this classic on the Gamecube to see how it compares to the Switch re-release. And it holds up of course. I think the muddier visuals and correct text size go a long way to making it a better experience, as does using the correct controller. An all-time classic.

35. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie's Double Trouble! (SNES) [8/10]

I snagged a copy of this and played through it to finish the trilogy. It has a lot of the same positives and negatives of DKC2, but with much worse visual quality for some reason. Despite that I did prefer the playable characters and environments so I would consider this one slightly better than Diddy Kong's Quest. Once again the rope levels were a highlight, it's where the controls work the best. There are some pretty crappy gimmick levels and bosses in this game, and it has the elephant which is the worst animal buddy in the franchise.

36. Luigi's Mansion (Gamecube) [10/10]

I remember Gamecube's launch being criticized back in the day for not having a Mario game at launch, but it's crazy how they came out swinging with two of the best games they ever made right away. Luigi's Mansion is a perfect package and we'll likely never get a game like it again, at least not from Nintendo. The visuals are perfect with a slightly uncanny effect, and the blurriness makes the ghosts look real. The sound and music work so well to create a legitimately scary atmosphere. The gameplay is the most fun the series would ever get and once it's all over it's short enough that you'll want to jump right back in to try and get a better rating. Another all time classic for the Game Cube.

37. Altered Beast (PS2) [9.5/10]

An underrated gem and one of the best action-adventure games on the PS2. Made by SEGA AM1, the creators of the original Altered Beast and classic 3D action game Dynamite Deka.

Altered Beast reimagines the franchise as a biothriller in the vein of Resident Evil. You are an amnesiatic operator who must escape from a city where a mysterious mist has turned the residents and local wildlife into zombies and mutant monsters. As you go along you will unlock new monster transformations such as a werewolf, a fishman, and a minotaur. There is a huge amount of content in this game, from unlockable combat modes to a large post game with optional unlockable transformations to unlockable dossier-style lore entries on every single enemy, of which there are over 100. The game itself is around 10 hours with multiple difficulty options and a scored boss rush.

This is a 3D action game without a lock-on or a block button. It has a learning curve and will be frustrating at first, but once you get the hand of things the combat is rewarding. I think this is one of the best examples I've seen of bringing the beatem up genre to 3D. I hope one day SEGA remasters this game. It was seemingly made for an American audience but it only ever released in Europe and Japan.
 
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SPIDER-MAN 2

Yup, already. I just went ahead and beelined the main story so I could go online without fear of spoilers, and now that I;m done I can enjoy exploraion and sidequests at my own pace.

In short...This is the Tears of the Kingdom to Spider-Man 1's Breath of the Wild. It took a perfect game and made it bigger, better and bolder. The map is so much more detailed and varied, and the new gameplay options all made combat and exploration take massive steps up from before. I think it does suffer from overcomplicating a few things, there was a beautiful simplicity to the first game, but I having so many more options, especally with 2 Spider-Men to play with.

This game takes everything to the next level and is probably one of the most visually stunning games ever made. Outside doesnt look as good as New York looks in this game. Pictures and videos just do not do it justice, This is next gen that feels like next gen, which so far only FF16 has managed to do for me before.

The story is defenitly the biggest talking point, but hard to get into without spoilers. All I'll say is that I've consumed countless versions of Spider-man stories, and loved the Alien Costume saga most of all...... and this game definetly did it justice! It took in several iconic elements all while going in it's own unique direction.

I think some comic die hards might not like some of the changes, but they were all done in service of making this story the best it could be, and I think they pulled off a wonderful, emotional, and high stakes thrill ride that kept me on the edge of my seat with every set piece and moment. I dont know if it quite reaches the emotional highs of Spider-Man 1, but I think I can attribue that to it being something new, whereas we're prepared this time.

This has been a time where some games I've been looking forward too for a long time have let me down.....and I was scared Spider-Man 2 wasnt going to live up to the pedestal I put the first game on. I'm happy to report that I had nothing to worry about. Spider-Man 2 is my game of the year.

(Maybe Mario RPG will be fight for that crown...guess we'll have to see!)
 
38. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch) [9.5/10]

There's a lot to be said about this game, but it's really best to be experienced yourself. I never thought I'd live to see the NSMB series die, and I couldn't be happier that it's gone. An essential Switch pickup.

39. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortez Strikes Back (Playstation) [5/10]

I beat Crash 1 earlier this year, and have been playing through Crash's sister series of Donkey Kong Country this year so I thought it was time to revisit Crash 2. This game is a huge disappointment and a big step down in quality from the first game. Like Diddy Kong's Quest, this game stops the focus on pure platforming and asks the player to look for collectables first and foremost. Luckily the mandatory collectables are much more obvious, but the game is really bogged down by all the stuff it wants you to collect. A lot of these things were in the original Crash but we're genuine secrets instead of boxes to check.

This would maybe be fine, but the big issue with Crash 2 is how it completely destroys the things that made the series interesting in the first place. All the progression is gone, the unique island theme is replaced by generic platformer level themes, and your girlfriend is gone and replaced by a giant talking head that Playstation devs thought was so exciting back in the day. The game will have multiple levels of the same theme and the same gimmick some times but evenly space them others, making the whole thing feel very slapped together and making individual levels blend together. The final boss is horrible, even when compared to the lackluster final boss's of the previous game.

One positive change is the slide which is actually pretty fun but that's not enough to make this a good sequel.
 
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Playing through several big games at the moment (Cyberpunk, Cloudpunk, and trying out the first Spider-Man, but this one I likely won't complete because it's just the very definition of a checklist game), so completed some stuff on my phone:

92. A Girl In The Window

Another point-and-click adventure game by Dark Dome. I still think they miss the spooky atmosphere by a mile, not in the least because the artstyle reminds me of Tim Buckley's drawings, but it's ok. Fun to play for like an hour, nothing will get you stuck. Feel like devs saw the success of Rusty Lake games and decided to do the same. Speaking of...

93. Cube Escape: Paradox

Rusty Lake is also an escape-the-room franchise/dev with fairly simplistic artstyle, yet the devs actually manage to pull of spooky atmosphere much more. The whole series is very Twin Peaksy, and I've played some of them already. Hell, maybe I've even played this one, but I don't remember if I've completed it before. I wouldn't describe most their games as hard, but I do enjoy them playing with time and space and often reusing enviroments for different purposes. Definitely an atmospheric game.
 
I should write down all the games I've completed this year (eventually).

But I finished Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. I got it during the summer (physical sale) and wanted to play it during Halloween cause why not. And it was a really delightful experience from start to finish (still got to finish the post-game stuff). I've never played the Bayo Trilogy, but I know the story/characters/etc, so I picked this game because of its artstyle and structure (not that I dislike action games, I love Astral Chain and might try the Bayo games later). I can understand why people asked who this game was for given the audience for the franchise so I guess it was for me lol.

I wont go to deep but I really enjoyed the overall package, if I had to give a complaint it would be the map. Since the game has elevation and zones, you will get easily confused on where the collectables are. I thought it was better to just walk around and use landmarks for direction.

Music was interesting, having those low tunes in certain areas of the forest and more bombastic tunes in the populated areas, good sound mixing too. Boss music, specially the last few, fantastic. I enjoyed the combat, simple but fun. Traversal was nice, specially with the elemental powers. The story was lovely, it was interesting seeing Cereza slowly gaining her confidence to get where she is in the main games and the va's were great. In the end a great game, I would recommend whether you are Bayo fan or not, and I hope to see more games like this from that team.
 
#4. SIGNALIS

A game I heard so much about, and can only echo the resounding praise I heard before playing- it features tank controls that are fun to play with, survival horror resource scarcity and phantasmagoric enemies deteriorating and oozing at every turn, and a fantastically captivating story.

I easily place this up there with the PS1 and 90s greats, except this one has an art style to die for and a lot of modern tactics that remind you you're in the future too. This team has played all of the survival horror games you have, and they've delivered something wonderful and original. Way better than the host of imitators in the indie scene right now, which usually lack the writing and game systems to make an experience truly fun to explore.

11/10, loved it. Achieved my first forum badge too!

iu


2023 so far...
1. Deep Rock Galactic (PC)
2. Returnal (PC)
3. Lake Haven Chrysalis (PC)
4. SIGNALIS (PC)
 
meatbag said:
Everything I hear about Signalis makes it seem like it's right up my bloodstained alley. Maybe I'll get it on the next Steam sale.
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It's not going anywhere, and it's a singular experience- I'd wait until you feel a strange itch festering inside the mind on a rainy day, or a snowbound weekend...
 
16. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed - My knowledge of Xenoblade lore was a little foggy but after a refresher I finally played through this. World design is fantastic as always and the ending was very satisfying. I know a lot of this felt like events missing from the base game but tbh idk how or where you fit it in. It was a great addition that I felt a little more comfortable exploring due to the more simplified nature of its design (like no major class change-ups).

17. Vampire Survivors - Genuinely didn't know there were credits to reach lol but now that I have, and now that i've dumped an additional 35 hours into the Switch version, I'm ready to call this one of my favorite games of the last 5 years. It's an addicting game so much greater than the sum of its parts.
 
Just adding these four that I've finished in the year, hadn't updated in a while! Summer was a dry spell for actually finishing anything, than lots recently.

Jun. 11 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)
Sep. 19 - Sea of Stars (Switch)
Sep. 30 - The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails (Switch)
Oct. 20 - Assassin's Creed: Mirage (PS5)

Zelda was a 10/10, Sea of Stars a 9/10, Nayuta and Mirage both 7/10.
 
15. Super Mario Bros Wonder(NSW)

I grew up on the old 2D Mario games. Even when Super Mario 64 came out I was playing the older games, even Lost Levels. When I think of my childhood it's playing Super Mario All Stars going through each game over and over and over again. I can't tell you how many times I've replayed SMB 1 + 2 + 3. Countless. Why? They're unbridled fun. Each game adds something the previous didn't with a breadth of new ideas. But there is one thing that is center to the games and that is creative fun.

And that's what Super Mario Bros Wonder is. It's brimming with creativity and childish fun. It's hard not to play the game with a smile on your face and the game starts it off very quickly in the second level of the game. While playing I feel like you can tell where the 3D team's input came into play just from the presentation alone as it almost reminds me of 3D World. The purple coins reminded me of the purple coins from Odyssey and even the shops seemed like they were taken from Odyssey and changed to match the vibe of Wonder. There's also the layout of the levels themselves. The world map is littered with levels that take a small gimmick from another level or a badge and gives you a new challenge. It's very much like how 3D Mario games teach you something and then put you to the test soon after. The game is made to make you better at every mechanic it gives you. Wonder seeds are so fun and every time I ran into one I was excited to see what gimmick it was going to deliver. The badges were also great and didn't ruin the experience either. It enhanced the game thoroughly.

Another positive thing is the music. I don't think I had any issues with the tracks whatsoever. The underground theme is especially fantastic. Speaking of music, I think this game makes it clear that Nintendo needs to do a rhythm game very soon.

If I had to complain it would be some small things. I think not having an indicator that you've 100%'d a level on the world map is a mistake. Pausing and then scrolling through each level is meh. I also find making all of the yoshis and nabbit easy mode is also a mistake. Why not Peach? Why not Mario? Why are some just easy mode and some aren't? Why can't I play as Yoshi like I could Mario? This should be an option in the menu, not something designated for a character. Also, Bowser Jr is a scrub and those boss battles are middling but I never expect much from boss battles in 2D mario game anyways. The final one was fun at least.

With that said, the Mario C-team has delivered what I believe to be the best 2D Mario game since Super Mario World. I debated calling it the best one ever but I want to let that marinate a bit. I don't want to make a knee jerk opinion after just finishing the game but It was just so much fun. I cannot stress how fun it is. It's not that hard, but it doesn't need to be hard(the last level makes up for it). It's amazing after all these decades Nintendo is able to make a 2D Mario so much fun. (9.75/10)
 
I envy you bastards who are wrapping up Wonder. Haven’t gotten to touch my Switch for a few days now!

Christo750 said:
Vampire Survivors
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May I interest you in the completely free (NOT F2P) V-tuber version HoloCure?

touchfuzzy said:
Sea of Stars a 9/10
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Really have got to play that one of these days

Hocot8 said:
I also find making all of the yoshis and nabbit easy mode is also a mistake
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True, I wanted to play as Nabbit, but I didn’t want to take away the challenge!
 
meatbag said:
True, I wanted to play as Nabbit, but I didn’t want to take away the challenge!
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I just know people who would love to play as yoshi. And what about the young girls who want to play as peach but want or need the game to be easier? That's kind of my thought process. I think it's a odd decision choice for Nintendo when they care about making games, especially Mario games, friendly for the youngins.
 
94. Marvel's Spider-Man

I believe I've only seen one superhero movie in all of my life, so I'm not the best person to judge how competent this game is as an adaptation, yet the hype of the second game got to me.

I've always considered Spider-Man to be my favorite superhero based on what I've heard, and I'm not happy to say that this game absolutely destroyed that notion.

I think I now get what people describe when they talk about awful Marvel humor, as this game's story, which is servicable, fully rests on its supporting characters, since Spider-Man himself is insufferable quippy asshole. Not only some of his "jokes" make no sense, but it's so tiring to see this type of character again and again. It's been done for decades now and he brings nothing new to the game. The trope got so tiring that it actively destroyed Ghostbusters for me, since Bill Murray's dry sarcastic character, who was novel at the time, now gives me the same feeling as every other character of that kind, even if he is better written.

As a game, I believe Spider-Man is also painfully mediocre. While it controls well, it doesn't provide enough content to justify being so massive. All the side-missions and random crimes ask you to do one of two or three things over and over, and there's no exploration to speak of.

This game can be best described as a collectathon, yet for whatever reason it doesn't want you to explore at all. Its world map, which already you barely interact with by virtue of flying everywhere, does look good and feels alive, yet the game never really asks you to look at it too closely. Everything from sidequests to myriad of collectables appear on the minimap as soon as you unlock access to them, so the entire game is just traveling to the point on the map and grabbling something.

I honestly hate this part the most, because I feel like any better game would give you hints and subtle ways, not just plop a dot on your radar. Imagine if Banjo-Kazooie just had a radar pointing out everything you can grab, or if MGS' soliton radar had information about the full map of the game along with every box on it.

I think the game might've been better as a linear mission-based experience, as I feel like otherwise player spends 80-90% of game time just swinging around. I can see how it might be relaxing to some in the same way as Wind Waker's sailing is, yet Wind Waker has explorable islands, not just 55 backpacks around the sea to grab and sail away in-between story dungeons.

Ultimately, Spider-Man isn't a BAD game. It's competent. There are tons of animations, and swinging around the city feels good for some time. Yet it's just another open-world product much like those made by Ubisoft on a yearly basis with fairly ok story and uninspired design that tries to rely on your happy chemicals every time you collect a shiny.

It's an ok game if you want to turn off the sound and listen to a podcast while going from point A to point B with your brain turned off. Nothing more. The only reason I've beaten it is because I needed to play something while my husband isn't home, since he's interested in the stories of the better games I play at the moment.
 
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Total by system:
PS3 - 5
PS5 - 14
NS - 5
NSO - 2 (counting separately because they're not strictly Switch games)
iOS - 1
  1. Lost Judgement (PS5) - 97 hours - 10/10
  2. Fire Emblem: Engage (NS) - 44 hours - 5/10
  3. Ryu Ga Gotoku: Kenzan! (PS3) - 70 hours - 10/10
  4. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (NSO) - 2 hours - 9.5/10
  5. Like a Dragon: Ishin! Kiwami (PS5) - 125 hours - 11/10
  6. Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga (NSO) - 20 hours - 9/10
  7. Yakuza: Dead Souls (PS3) - 30 hours - 8.5/10
  8. The Kaito Files (PS5) - 15 hours - 11/10
  9. Yakuza 1 HD (PS3) - 10 hours - 7/10
  10. Yakuza 2 HD (PS3) - 15 hours - 8/10
  11. Yakuza 3 Remastered (PS5) - 80 hours - 10/10
  12. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (NS) - 20 hours - 7/10
  13. Octopath Traveller 2 (PS5) - 60 hours - 8.5/10
  14. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (NS) - 75 hours - 7/10
  15. Metroid Prime Remastered (NS) - 15 hours - 8/10
  16. Diablo IV (PS5) - 5 hours (retired) - 1.5/10
  17. Tokyo Jungle (PS3) - 5 hours - 8.5/10
  18. Pikmin 4 (NS) - 80 hours - 11/10
  19. Dragon Quest X Offline - 30 hours (retired) - 1/10
  20. Street Fighter 6 (PS5) - 30 hours - 9/10
  21. Game Dev Story (iOS) - 10 hours - 9.5/10

  22. Persona 5 Royal (PS5) - 89 hours - 11/10
    Wow, I 'm glad I gave P5 a second chance. I tried it when it came to Game Pass and it didn't click (tbf I didn't go past the intro segment..), having tried and bounced hard off of SMTIV and Persona Q before this I just chalked it up to not liking the series but I couldn't have been more wrong.
    Everything is just so well made, the battle system is great fun, the acid jazz soundtrack blew my mind, the art style is fantastic and the characters are all well-written and likeable (Kawakami's easily my favourite character, wish she got more screen time..) Definitely one of the best RPGs I've ever played. Shout out to something I don't see mentioned often either - the fast forward option in this game is perfect! As a speed reader, it moves at just the right speed for me to get all the text instead of just skipping everything like a lot of other games do. Great QoL I really appreciated.

  23. Persona 5 Strikers (PS5) - 56 hours - 11/10
    One of the best musou games I've had the joy of playing. Expands on P5's story in a great and meaningful way and blends P5's gameplay with musou in a really really good way. The soundtrack slaps as well, so many great remixes. I liked Sophia as well, her scene where she gets her Persona was a great feel-good moment. This being so good has me very interested in Tactica when it comes out.

  24. Yakuza 0 (PS5) - 135 hours - GOAT
    I've said so much about Y0 I won't go on about it. It's still the best game ever, the end.

  25. Civilization VI (PS5) - 15 hours - 9/10
    I played through one game of Civ on PS+ so I'll count that as finished. First time ever playing through on the highest difficulty and it was hard as nails in the end. It's great and I put 100 hours into it when it came to Switch a few years ago. Still some stuff I prefer V for but it's great.

  26. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS5) - 30 hours - 11/10
    Can't believe I actually got through this again before Gaiden tbh. My third playthrough total. It's an incredible, incredible game. I skipped through most of the cutscenes since I know what happens which kept runtime low. Loved revisiting a few of the substories to get ready for 8.
 
Short update to include the Separate Ways DLC campaign from the RE4 remake and Pokémon Crystal Legacy. Keeping it relatively short because I'm on a crappy device.

Separate Ways was pretty great and exceeded my expectations for how cheap it was. The original was little more than a neat sidemode so I didn't exactly mourn its exclusion from the remake plus it felt like a pipedream to expect something more substantial. But they actually managed to flesh it out enough that it manages to stand on its own even though you obviously revisit the same locations. Only thing I didn't like was Ada's voice acting/direction. Didn't mind much in the main game but it's pretty flat here. (Obviously doesn't excuse all the harassment directed towards the voice actress)

I consider the original Pokémon Crystal my favourite entry in the series but I will gladly admit that a large part of my love is based on vibes. There's a lot uniquely great about it but from a purely technical and balancing perspective it's kind of a mess. Some of the issues even made it to HGSS. Despite that I've played it countless of times and even dabbled in hacks of it. After spending north of 70h on it, I think Legacy might be my favourite of the bunch and probably my preferred way to play Crystal period. If you're interested and have an hour to spare this video goes into great detail about all the small changes. But the tl;dw is that you can catch/evolve all 251 Pokémon by yourself, previously Kanto-exclusive Gen 2 mons are now in logical places in Johto and the entire game has been given a much better difficulty curve by raising levels and even changing teams. Besides that there'a also a lot of smaller tweaks that make for a very well rounded experience that's fundamentally still the same game. Can only recommend. They're also planning to release "DLC" for the Kanto part that I'm really looking forward to.

  1. Dark Souls III
  2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)
  3. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
  4. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
  5. Donkey Kong Country
  6. Metroid Prime Remastered
  7. Metroid Fusion
  8. Kirby's Dream Land
  9. WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!
  10. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
  11. Resident Evil 4 Remake
  12. Nintendo Switch Sports
  13. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
  14. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (Linked Game)
  15. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (Project Restoration)
  16. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  17. The Room
  18. The Room Two
  19. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  20. Dredge
  21. Storyteller
  22. Luna's Fishing Garden
  23. Nuclear Blaze
  24. The Room Three
  25. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
  26. Spaceplan
  27. The Gardens Between
  28. Pikmin 4
  29. Xenoblade Chronicles 3
  30. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
  31. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  32. Rygar: The Legendary Adventure
  33. Judgment
  34. Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways
  35. Pokémon Crystal Legacy
 
Last time I updated this list was in june, my god. I've been busy with a new part time job so didn'thave much time to play anything else. But Anyway...

5. Super Mario Bros Wonder

I really don't have much to say about it really. It's a pretty good game and incredibly creative too. a bit short, but pretty good nontheless. Only complaints I have about it are the bubble flower working against you most of the time, Bowser Jr being the onlly other boss aside from bowser and how slippery it feels at times.

Overall, a pretty good experience
uhh 9/10

Previus games completed
  1. Honkai Impact 3rd part 1
  2. Omori
  3. Metroid Prime Remastered
  4. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom

Objective for the rest of the year is to beat 13 sentinels and then hopefully I'llmanage to play Lies of P and Hi-Fi Rush
 
40. Donkey Kong 64 (Nintendo 64) [8.5/10]

I bought an N64 and a CRT, games look and control great on it. This game has a bad reputation but I think it is still pretty fun to play. It has the absolute best portrayal of these characters in the Rare games, with DK's voice and moves in particular being perfect. The music is still very good and the atmosphere is great, exploring the levels and running around is really fun.

The place where the game falters is in some of the level design and the bonus barrels. The different types of collectables aren't bad on principle, but some of the mid-game worlds are really haphazard in what is where which makes things feel a little too chaotic and unfocused. The bonus barrels can get quite bad (Beaver Bother) and at best are just boring and easy, like with the watermelon shooting games.

Despite the flaws, this game has some absolute series peaks. Creepy Castle is the best designed level in the game and almost feels like it's from a different game entirely and the entire stretch from hideout helm to the end is incredible. I have a feeling the Kremlings will return in the next Donkey Kong game, but if they never return it's hard to imagine a better conclusion to their story than K. Rool getting knocked out like Bald Bull by Chunky Kong, then being distracted by Candy Kong likes he's on WWF Monday Night Raw and blasted by Funky Kong's boot rocket launcher in the ass.
 
Doing some late year cleanup before I can fully commit myself to Mario and Alan Wake 2 so I finally finished Kaze and the Wild Masks. I previously dropped it at the final world because I got frustrated with it but I felt the need to see it to the end. I say this in the most complimentary way possible but it's so blatantly inspired by Donkey Kong Country it feels like a game that originally came out shortly after the release of DKC3. Still, it manages to carve out its own place thanks to slightly different controls and its own takes on the classic DKCisms. The titular masks are basically this game's animal partners and they alter the gameplay quite a bit. Especially love the dragon (?) mask here. As I said before, the game can be a bit frustrating at times but it never feels unfair. Mostly enjoyed my time with it and it's easily the best indie 2D platformer I've played aside from Celeste.

edit: oh yeah, Drainus as well. This initially drew comparisons to Ikaruga because of its absorption mechanic which is fair I guess but I think it isn't quite as well designed. Still, it's good fun, has nice pixelart and soundtrack that gets you pumped and cool time-travel story. Difficulty is mild throughout most of the game up until the latter third or so when it ramps up a bit but the upgrade system helps here. Definitely a good pick for people like me who are shmup noobs but like playing them.

edit2: Quickly finished En Garde! before my brother comes to watch Pluto lol. Honestly, what a fantastic game. Has a unique swashbuckling vibe with endearing characters and great humour. The combat system is super satisfying and the light platforming helps break up the pace. Hope it comes to consoles so I can double dip.

  1. Dark Souls III
  2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)
  3. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
  4. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
  5. Donkey Kong Country
  6. Metroid Prime Remastered
  7. Metroid Fusion
  8. Kirby's Dream Land
  9. WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!
  10. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
  11. Resident Evil 4 Remake
  12. Nintendo Switch Sports
  13. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
  14. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (Linked Game)
  15. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (Project Restoration)
  16. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  17. The Room
  18. The Room Two
  19. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  20. Dredge
  21. Storyteller
  22. Luna's Fishing Garden
  23. Nuclear Blaze
  24. The Room Three
  25. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
  26. Spaceplan
  27. The Gardens Between
  28. Pikmin 4
  29. Xenoblade Chronicles 3
  30. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
  31. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  32. Rygar: The Legendary Adventure
  33. Judgment
  34. Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways
  35. Pokémon Crystal Legacy
  36. Kaze and the Wild Masks
  37. Drainus
  38. En Garde!
 
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37) Super Mario Bros Wonder
Wowie zowie

Previous games:
1)Yoku’s island express
2)Live a Live
3)Arcade Paradise
4)The Great Ace Attorney Adventures
5)Immortal Fenyx rising
6) SD Gundam Battle Alliance
7)Nier Automata
8)Crimson Skies High road to revenge
9)Stacking
10)Conker Live and reloaded
11)Legend of Zelda the minish Cap
12)Ducktales remastered
13)Vostok Inc
14) Star Wars Battlefront(OG)
15)Kirby and the forgotten land
16) Xenoblade chronicles 3 Future Redeemed
17) Sonic Adventure(Xbox)
18)Rhapsody a Musical Adventure
19)Legend Of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
20)The Great Ace Attorney 2 Resolve
21) Super Mario Advance(Super Mario Bros 2)
22)Lunistice
23)Ghost Trick(phone version)
24) Crusader of Centy
25)Cosmic Star Heroine
26) SMA2 SMW
27)SMA3 YI
28)SMA4 SMB3
29)SMB the Lost Levels(All Stars)
30)SMB(all Stars)
31) FFVIII
32) From Dust
33) Sonic Adventure 2
34) FEWTH
35)We Love katamari Reroll
36)Captain Toad treasure tracker
 
Dardan Sandiego said:
Short update to include the Separate Ways DLC campaign from the RE4 remake and Pokémon Crystal Legacy. Keeping it relatively short because I'm on a crappy device.

Separate Ways was pretty great and exceeded my expectations for how cheap it was. The original was little more than a neat sidemode so I didn't exactly mourn its exclusion from the remake plus it felt like a pipedream to expect something more substantial. But they actually managed to flesh it out enough that it manages to stand on its own even though you obviously revisit the same locations. Only thing I didn't like was Ada's voice acting/direction. Didn't mind much in the main game but it's pretty flat here. (Obviously doesn't excuse all the harassment directed towards the voice actress)

I consider the original Pokémon Crystal my favourite entry in the series but I will gladly admit that a large part of my love is based on vibes. There's a lot uniquely great about it but from a purely technical and balancing perspective it's kind of a mess. Some of the issues even made it to HGSS. Despite that I've played it countless of times and even dabbled in hacks of it. After spending north of 70h on it, I think Legacy might be my favourite of the bunch and probably my preferred way to play Crystal period. If you're interested and have an hour to spare this video goes into great detail about all the small changes. But the tl;dw is that you can catch/evolve all 251 Pokémon by yourself, previously Kanto-exclusive Gen 2 mons are now in logical places in Johto and the entire game has been given a much better difficulty curve by raising levels and even changing teams. Besides that there'a also a lot of smaller tweaks that make for a very well rounded experience that's fundamentally still the same game. Can only recommend. They're also planning to release "DLC" for the Kanto part that I'm really looking forward to.

  1. Dark Souls III
  2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)
  3. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
  4. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
  5. Donkey Kong Country
  6. Metroid Prime Remastered
  7. Metroid Fusion
  8. Kirby's Dream Land
  9. WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!
  10. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
  11. Resident Evil 4 Remake
  12. Nintendo Switch Sports
  13. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
  14. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (Linked Game)
  15. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (Project Restoration)
  16. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  17. The Room
  18. The Room Two
  19. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  20. Dredge
  21. Storyteller
  22. Luna's Fishing Garden
  23. Nuclear Blaze
  24. The Room Three
  25. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
  26. Spaceplan
  27. The Gardens Between
  28. Pikmin 4
  29. Xenoblade Chronicles 3
  30. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
  31. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  32. Rygar: The Legendary Adventure
  33. Judgment
  34. Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways
  35. Pokémon Crystal Legacy
Click to expand...

Dardan Sandiego said:
Doing some late year cleanup before I can fully commit myself to Mario and Alan Wake 2 so I finally finished Kaze and the Wild Masks. I previously dropped it at the final world because I got frustrated with it but I felt the need to see it to the end. I say this in the most complimentary way possible but it's so blatantly inspired by Donkey Kong Country it feels like a game that originally came out shortly after the release of DKC3. Still, it manages to carve out its own place thanks to slightly different controls and its own takes on the classic DKCisms. The titular masks are basically this game's animal partners and they alter the gameplay quite a bit. Especially love the dragon (?) mask here. As I said before, the game can be a bit frustrating at times but it never feels unfair. Mostly enjoyed my time with it and it's easily the best indie 2D platformer I've played aside from Celeste.

edit: oh yeah, Drainus as well. This initially drew comparisons to Ikaruga because of its absorption mechanic which is fair I guess but I think it isn't quite as well designed. Still, it's good fun, has nice pixelart and soundtrack that gets you pumped and cool time-travel story. Difficulty is mild throughout most of the game up until the latter third or so when it ramps up a bit but the upgrade system helps here. Definitely a good pick for people like me who are shmup noobs but like playing them.

edit2: Quickly finished En Garde! before my brother comes to watch Pluto lol. Honestly, what a fantastic game. Has a unique swashbuckling vibe with endearing characters and great humour. The combat system is super satisfying and the light platforming helps break up the pace. Hope it comes to consoles so I can double dip.

  1. Dark Souls III
  2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)
  3. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
  4. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
  5. Donkey Kong Country
  6. Metroid Prime Remastered
  7. Metroid Fusion
  8. Kirby's Dream Land
  9. WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!
  10. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
  11. Resident Evil 4 Remake
  12. Nintendo Switch Sports
  13. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
  14. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (Linked Game)
  15. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (Project Restoration)
  16. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  17. The Room
  18. The Room Two
  19. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  20. Dredge
  21. Storyteller
  22. Luna's Fishing Garden
  23. Nuclear Blaze
  24. The Room Three
  25. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
  26. Spaceplan
  27. The Gardens Between
  28. Pikmin 4
  29. Xenoblade Chronicles 3
  30. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
  31. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  32. Rygar: The Legendary Adventure
  33. Judgment
  34. Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways
  35. Pokémon Crystal Legacy
  36. Kaze and the Wild Masks
  37. Drainus
  38. En Garde!
Click to expand...
I’ve heard a lot about Crystal Legacy, and I think I’d like to give it a shot. Thanks for the brief review!

Also, I’d never heard of En Garde!, but it looks awesome and it’s on sale right now. I think I’m gonna pick that one up.
 
Red Monster said:
I’ve heard a lot about Crystal Legacy, and I think I’d like to give it a shot. Thanks for the brief review!

Also, I’d never heard of En Garde!, but it looks awesome and it’s on sale right now. I think I’m gonna pick that one up.
Click to expand...
Make sure you get the 1.1 patch. There's a progression halting glitch in Kanto that is fixed plus some other changes (and the option to change the time and day in the opening screen).

As for En Garde!, I hope you enjoy it! My #1 advice is to use the environment as much as you can. There's a ton of shit lying around to help you with combat encounters and it's an absolute must later on when there's big crowds that can rush you.
 
95. Ghostwire: Tokyo

An admittedly flawed exsperience that's nonetheless one of the best open-world games I've played.

Best described as an FPS collectathon, this game's main draw is lack of annoying markers everywhere, which allows you to hunt for myriad of collectibles yourself (imagine that!)

Collecting ghosts, various relics, finding tanuki and jizo statues all feels satisfying, and most collectibles yield good rewards. There's even a hint system that allows you to see where a certain item might be that's very smart: it can't be overused and requires some money to show you a single item on the map.

This is what separates Ghostwire from other games for me. Its map is dense and actually requires you to look at it so you could find various hidden things, as opposed to games that would mark their rewards immediately. If there's one thing about exploration I really disliked is that there seems to be a random event happening on the map that's unmarked. I've only found it two times out of maybe 10, which means I've completed the game at like 98% completion.

I've enjoyed all of my ~25 hours with Ghostwire, just walking around night Tokyo, jumping across roofs, reading about Japanese culture, and busting ghosts, but while gameplay loop is very satisfying, the story and quests can be lacking. The story feels like a synopsis and I'd guess can be completed in 4-5 hours. While your character and his passenger who temporarily possesses you are enjoyable, the rest are somewhat underdeveloped and don't show up as much as you'd want them to.

Side-quests are also quite samey with a few memorable ones, but, thankfully, quite short, and provide some good rewards for their completion. That said, this game is all about exploration. It's a bit Breath of the Wild-y in that regard. If you don't enjoy the gameplay loop, there's barely anything else for you to do.

Combat feels really satisfying, although it should be mentioned that since you get more powerful as game goes on, enemies at the beginning can feel really tanky. There's also not enough variety to them. While you'll meet all sorts of weird creatures, most of them are relegated to a sidequest NPC, so you'll be battling 5 variations of salaryman and the same amount of schoolchildren.

The artstyle is easily one of the best in the industry, but I do wish the game would show more, as some enemy variations don't even behave like their counterparts. For example, normal salaryman and shielding salaryman look quite samey (except one is fat), but are pretty different in terms of strategy.

Despite its obvious shortcomings, the world and the collection of things provided enough entertainment for me to not get bored ever, and I was quite sad to see the notice of point of no return as I was finishing the game.

It's a perfect halloween spooker: not scary at all (although featuring exactly one jumpscare for some reason) but atmospheric and incredibly cool-looking. Not for everyone, but I recommend you try it.
 
Finished some more games so a small update :)

Full games:
  1. Pikmin 4
  2. Octopath Traveler II
  3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  4. Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE
  5. Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters (though some I didn't fully finish yet :p)
  6. Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe
  7. Baldur's Gate III
  8. Sea of Stars
  9. Pokémon Sun/Moon
  10. Super Mario Bros. (NES NSO)
  11. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
  12. Fire Emblem Engage
  13. Pokémon Legends: Arceus (100%)

DLC/Updates:
  1. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (with all the updates)
  2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
  3. Fire Emblem Engage: Fell Xenologue
  4. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: Part 1 - The Teal Mask
MMORPG's:
  1. World of Warcraft: Dragonflight (up until Razegath Normal)
  2. Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons (right on time for Secrets of the Obscure)
Played the prologue of Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U. Now I will be checking my Nintendo Switch backlog what to play next to Luigi's Mansion 3 which I am playing co-op.
 
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ZSaberLink said:
5. Kirby's Adventure (2/24/2023) - Beat this game on NSO. It's interesting to see how much of an improvement this game is over the original game. However I will say some of the secrets are kind of mind boggling hard to find without a guide. Plus I'm not sure how well I would've played the game without frequent rewinds. Separately, performance definitely suffered a lot when there were a lot of sprites on screen. I assume the game was pushing the NES hardware super hard. Overall it was a fun game and the first one with copy abilities! I don't think this stayed later, but kind of was annoying immediately losing your ability when you get hit. Also I admit I wasn't expecting the ending that actually happened. I hear they remade this game for GBA?

So far:
1. Kaze and the Wild Masks - 1/6/2023
2. Panzer Dragoon Remake - 1/14/2023
3. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins - 2/12/2023
4. Kirby's Dreamland - 2/12/2023
5. Kirby's Adventure - 2/24/2023
Click to expand...
It's been a while since I've posted here. I've also forgotten when exactly I beat these games, but this is what I've been since last time.
6. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Thankfully a lot better than Breath of the Wild and I generally enjoyed finishing it. Still a far cry from the old 3D Zeldas imo, but fun.
7. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Great first attempt at a 3D Kirby. It's generally just a very pretty Kirby, but it was done well
8. The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog - definitely a lot better than I was expecting for a free game. Pretty fun!
 
96. The 7th Guest

Oh god how I dislike trying to run old PC games. I remember buying like 3 copies of Myst and none worked properly. The 7th Guest Anniversary Edition functions, albeit weirdly, but I do wish it was easier to explore old PC library.

So, I've seen a part of VR remake and it intrigued me, so I decided to check out the original. It's a fun game with some pretty bad acting, but after seeing even less than an hour of VR version I'm a bit disappointed. 7th Guest is technically impressive for a time, but it's a little unfocused. The story is pretty neat, but a little disjointed due to being presented in small chunks throughout. The puzzles are the meat of the game, but there are also very few of them.

There are maybe 15-20 puzzles in the game, usually one per room, and that kinda bummed me out. I just expected more after seeing some of VR remake, which usually has a few of them per room. Unlike other point-and-click adventures, you don't really use or collect anything. You just go into a room, wave a cursor, see when it changes to amazing skull with throbbing brain, click on something, and solve a puzzle. Puzzles vary in their quality very much: some are cute and feel original, some might just be crappy sliding puzzles, and there are a few that kinda don't have any explanation to them which I felt could've benefitted from more exposition.

I don't think it's a hard game at all, and from what I've seen (again, I couldn't run it, so I had to watch a playthrough) I do prefer Myst's gameplay, but the music and the atmosphere are pretty good! I prefer spooky mansion to weird island, even if most of the screens of the game didn't really serve any purpose.
 
41. Hogan's Alley (NES) [8/10]

This is really fun! The Mode A is a little barebones, but the shooting is really responsive and it's easy to get tricked by the civilians. Mode B is really fun, especially to figure out which areas you should watch the fastest and to see a nice city. Mode C is really tough and requires both reflexes and strategy which is great. I see myself playing this a lot for a few rounds to try and get a new high score in the future, right now it's up there with Excitebike, Mario, and Urban Champion as my favorite black box games.
 
38) Mario and Luigi Superstar saga
Shocked how fast I got through this thanks to rewind allowing a glass cannon run. Fun and I’m not sure I had finished it before. Last time I accidentally corrupted my save 3/4 through

Previous games:
1)Yoku’s island express
2)Live a Live
3)Arcade Paradise
4)The Great Ace Attorney Adventures
5)Immortal Fenyx rising
6) SD Gundam Battle Alliance
7)Nier Automata
8)Crimson Skies High road to revenge
9)Stacking
10)Conker Live and reloaded
11)Legend of Zelda the minish Cap
12)Ducktales remastered
13)Vostok Inc
14) Star Wars Battlefront(OG)
15)Kirby and the forgotten land
16) Xenoblade chronicles 3 Future Redeemed
17) Sonic Adventure(Xbox)
18)Rhapsody a Musical Adventure
19)Legend Of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
20)The Great Ace Attorney 2 Resolve
21) Super Mario Advance(Super Mario Bros 2)
22)Lunistice
23)Ghost Trick(phone version)
24) Crusader of Centy
25)Cosmic Star Heroine
26) SMA2 SMW
27)SMA3 YI
28)SMA4 SMB3
29)SMB the Lost Levels(All Stars)
30)SMB(all Stars)
31) FFVIII
32) From Dust
33) Sonic Adventure 2
34) FEWTH
35)We Love katamari Reroll
36)Captain Toad treasure tracker
37) Super Mario Bros Wonder
 
1) Hi-Fi Rush (XS) - 9/10
2) Vampire Survivors (XS) - 5/10
3) A Monster's Expedition (PS5) - 10/10
4) Titanfall 2 (XS) - 8/10
5) The Last of Us Part 1 Remake (PS5) - 10/10
6) Understand (PC) - 7/10
7) GNOG (PS5) - 5/10
8) Pokemon Shining Pearl (Switch) - 4/10
9) A Space for the Unbound (Switch) - 8/10
10) WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (Switch) - 7/10
11) Pokemon Stadium (Switch) - 6/10
12) Pokemon Crystal (3DS) - 7/10
13) Golden Idol Mysteries: The Spider of Lanka (PC) - 8/10
14) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch) - 10/10
15) Planet of Lana (XS) - 8/10
16) Humanity (PS5) - 10/10
17) Dordogne (XS) - 6/10
18) We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie (PS5) - 10/10
19) Pikmin (Switch) - 9/10
20) Pikmin 2 (Switch) - 7/10
21) Pikmin 3 (Switch) - 10/10
22) Hey! Pikmin (3DS) - 4/10
23) Pikmin 4 (Switch) - 9/10
24) Venba (XS) - 6/10
25) Patrick's Parabox (PS5) - 9/10
26) Tren (PS5) - 8/10
27) LOCK (PS5) - 7/10

Been a while since my last update, so a lot to add and adding my thoughts on each game is a little daunting but generally this window of time is defined by finally receiving my Playdate and going through a bunch of games where the main input is through a crank. Interesting device and games have been pretty hit and miss so far - halfway through season 1 nearly (I'm saving Crankin's Time Travel Adventure for a little while in the future), another 12 to go!

A few other highlights:
Chants of Sennaar is an exceptional title and a great recommendation for anyone after and Obra Dinn-like.
Getting myself back into point and click/adventure games on Switch starting with Hob's Barrow - great atmosphere on that one, perfect for this time of year.
Cocoon was a great experience too, just wish there was more to it.

28) Supraland: Six Inches Under (XS) - 6/10
29) Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS5) - 9/10
30) Casual Birder (Playdate) - 7/10
31) Whitewater Wipeout (Playdate) - 6/10
32) Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5) - 6/10
33) Boogie Loops (Playdate) - 1/10
34) Lost Your Marbles (Playdate) - 6/10
35) The Looker (PC) - 6/10
36) F-Zero 99 (Switch) - 7/10
37) Pick Pack Pup (Playdate) - 8/10
38) Flipper Lifter (Playdate) - 4/10
39) Echoic Memory (Playdate) - 3/10
40) Cocoon (XS) - 8/10
41) Omaze (Playdate) - 7/10
42) Demon Quest '85 (Playdate) - 7/10
43) Hyper Meteor (Playdate) - 5/10
44) Zipper (Playdate) - 4/10
45) Executive Golf DX (Playdate) - 2/10
46) The Excavation of Hob's Barrow (Switch) - 8/10
47) Afterdream (Switch) - 6/10
48) Chants of Sennaar (PS5) - 10/10
 
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meatbag said:
Indeed a great game, and honestly the best of the Mario RPGs.


I haven’t played Obra Dinn yet, which would be easier to get into between it and Chants of Sennaar?
Click to expand...
I think they both pretty easy to get into - at a push, I'd say Obra Dinn is worth doing first but it really just depends whether you want to decipher a language (Sennaar) or work out what happened to the crew of a ship (Obra Dinn)
 
I'm not sure why I haven't done this yet, but better late than never! I'm sure I've forgotten things here, but this is everything coming to mind. I'd love to have more time to play, but 2023 has been (without a doubt) the busiest year of my life and I just haven't had as much time.


Full games

1) Fire Emblem Engage - 9/10

I know it's not the most popular FE title, but this will always hold a soft spot in my heart as the game that turned me into an FE fan. Last year, I was the kind of guy that thought FE looked stupid and groaned every time it showed up in a Direct, but I see now that I couldn't have been any more wrong. I fell in love with FE, its stories, and its gameplay with this title, and you'll see it's made a major impact on my game choices this year. Even if I'm playing Normal/Casual, FE just makes me feel so intelligent every time I figure out a new strategy and win on the battlefield. It's incredibly rewarding.

2) Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe - 8/10

This one was a lot of fun. I have a friend who adores the Wii original (which I've never played) and I enjoyed chatting with him about this. It made for some good memories, looks great, and the challenge stages were a lot of fun. In the grand scheme of things, though, it didn't particularly stand out this year. Of all the games I've beaten in 2023 thus far, it's the most forgettable... but that's not really Kirby's fault, more so a result of 2023 being such an amazing year for games otherwise.

3) Fire Emblem: Three Houses - 10/10

This game felt like Engage but was far better. I love the split paths; I took the Blue Lions route and hope to go back to the other two someday. The theming, story, gameplay, and everything else is just so wonderful. You can feel the love that the developers poured into this. To show you how amazing this game is, I'll leave you with this: Tears of the Kingdom is my most anticipated game of all time, and after a week straight of playing TotK, I'd go days without touching it because I was still so busy finishing up Three Houses. Not every game can share time with Tears of the Kingdom soon after release, but Three Houses fit the bill.

4) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 10/10

Here it is - the game we were all waiting for! This game is epic in every imaginable way and the gameplay is absolutely unrivalled. Ultrahand and Fuse add so much creativity to the experience and the feeling of discovering the Depths for the first time was insane. Despite the 10/10 score, I don't think the game is perfect. There are some areas I wish had been done differently. Part of me still wishes we'd gotten an entirely new world with the sky islands and Depths, as much as that would have been to develop. Most of my critiques lie with its relation to its predecessor. But ultimately, the gameplay here is just so damn good that it'd be a crime to give it any other score. It's my favourite game of all time despite my critiques. I played TotK more in the first few months than most other games, and standing on its own, I feel confident calling it the best game I've ever played.

5) Pikmin 4 - 10/10

Pikmin is a series I've wanted to become a fan of for some time, and Pikmin 4 finally brought this wish to life. The game is absurdly addicting and charming. It bursts with character every step of the way. Getting Platinum on the Dandori Challenges was a highlight for me... I felt so smart when I crafted an elaborate strategy to get everything done as fast as possible. I'm not sure if I'd like Pikmin 1, 2, or 3, but 4 was an absolute highlight of the year.

6) Fire Emblem Awakening - 9.25/10

I just finished this the other day, and again, Fire Emblem never fails to impress. This game was magical and it was great to experience the game that supposedly saved the series. The story was great and I struggled at certain points, making it even more satisfying to surpass those obstacles. The only reason this doesn't get a 10/10 is because of the sheer epicness of the games on this list that do get a perfect score, in comparison.


DLC

1) Fire Emblem Engage Fell Xenologue - 8/10

This was a lot of fun and a great addition to FE Engage. The story was a little forced with the alternate dimension, but all in all I enjoyed the experience and it was well worth the money I paid for it.

2) Mariokart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass Wave 4 - 7.5/10

I had a lot of fun with this because it's more Mariokart 8. I hear some people say that later waves of the BCP are on-par with the base game, but I totally disagree. It's a far step over the embarrassing Wave 1, but it's still nowhere close to those original tracks. Despite that, it's a lot of fun to three-star all cups at every difficulty, and the price for the DLC is totally worth it given the quantity of extra tracks.

3) Mariokart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass Wave 5 - 7.5/10

Same as above.

4) Pokémon Violet: The Teal Mask - 5.75/10

The Pokémon DLC was fun but too flawed to give it a high score. The DLC runs like trash like the base game, the land is fairly forgettable, I don't like most of the new Pokémon species (yes, Ogerpon, this means you), the story was okay, only a few side quests of value, and Kieran just really annoyed me. It's more Pokémon so I know it'll be a good time, but yeah, I'd much rather Game Freak have spent the last year just fixing the base game with free patches.


Currently on the go:

1) Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright

2) Super Mario Bros. Wonder

3) Pokémon Black Version


Overall... what a year! 2023 has truly been a phenomenal year for gaming... and it's not even over yet!
 
doodlewhizz said:
it really just depends whether you want to decipher a language (Sennaar) or work out what happened to the crew of a ship (Obra Dinn)
Click to expand...
Hmm I’ll have to think about it. The mystery in Obra Dinn is more immediately intriguing to me but deciphering a language is quite fresh as a gameplay conceit. I could also just decide by whichever gets a decent sale first lol.

switchum said:
2023 has truly been a phenomenal year for gaming... and it's not even over yet!
Click to expand...
2023 is one for the history books, I agree. You have played some mighty fine games.
 
17. Pokemon Violet DLC: The Teal Mask

Just DLC, but I'm counting it. I enjoyed this for the most part, though it still has the slowdown issues that the main game had. I got a shiny Jangmo-o though, so that makes up for most shortcomings.

18. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

I thought this game was awesome. The story was really engaging, and it was cool to slowly piece everything together. It was cool to see different pieces of the story shown from multiple perspectives too. Highly recommended.

19. Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Just pure fun and joy all the way through. Very inventive, and gets better as it goes along. So great to have another 2D Mario game after so many years. Definitely one to replay down the line.

20. Picross S7

It's more Picross.

List for the year so far:

1. Fire Emblem Warriors: 3 Hopes
2. Fire Emblem Engage
3. Return to Monkey Island
4. Octopath Traveler 2
5. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
6. The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom
7. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney (replay)
8. PWAA Justice for All (replay)
9. PWAA Trials & Tribulations (replay)
10. Pokemon Trading Card Game (replay)
11. Pikmin 4
12. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
13. Minit Fun Racer
14. Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins (replay)
15. Super Mario Bros
16. Disco Elysium
17. Pokemon Violet DLC - The Teal Mask
18. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
19. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
20. Picross S7
 
1) Super Metroid (NSO)
2) Metroid Fusion (Wii U)
3) Metroid Dread (NSW)
4) Sonic Frontiers (PS5)
5) MX vs ATV Legends (XSS)
6) Kuru Kuru Kuruin (NSO)
7) Metroid Prime Remastered (NSW)
8) HiFi Rush (XSS)
9) Final Fantasy Crisis Core Reunion (NSW)
10) Spider-Man Miles Morales (PS5)
11) Sonic Spinball (NSO)
12) Sonic 3d Blast (XSS)
13) Sonic the Hedgehog (XSS)
14) Sonic CD (XSS)
15) Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS5)
16) Donald Duck Advance (GBA)
17) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (PS2)
18) Stunt Race FX (SNES)
19) Rhythm Tengoku (GBA)
20) Super Mario RPG (SNES)
21) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Turtles in Time (SNES)
22) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Hyperstone Heist (Genesis)
23) Tearaway (PSV)
24) Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure (GBA)
25) Gundam Battle Assault (PS1)
26) Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)
27) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Shredder’s Revenge (XSS)
28) Asura’s Wrath (XSS)
29) Ridge Racer (PS1)
30) Gravity Rush (PSV)

31) Ninpen Manmaru (Saturn)

A Japan-only 3D platformer that’s an adaptation of a manga and anime by the same name. The visuals are primitive for 3D, but they have a charm to them. The little blue penguin controls pretty well, although the camera control leaves a lot to be desired. The music consistently bops. The game got really tough during the last few stages, so there’s no shame in admitting that I used save states to get through them.
 
97. Prison City

An NES inspired platformer that stands on its own. I can't compare it to anything so it would easily be understood, and I think in the sea of Mega Man and Castlevania-likes that's great.

The structire of the game is very Mega Man - you pick one of 8 stages, then go on to the final stretch, but the gameplay is unlike anything I've seen. The levels are somewhat open, requiring you to find an informant and then a boss door. It controls and looks great, and the music is also on-par with some of NES' best.

Full recommend.

That said, there is one thing I was put off by: the final stretch. I think it's unfair for a game with 10-15 minute stages to dump a giant labyrinth and a two phase boss fight on you. I don't think it saves on checkpoints, either. I guess I can only be happy that I accidentally found an infinite lives secret, because this sudden shift could've put me off from a game had I died and game overed during the boss. So full warning: try this game, but as soon as you get to "Wily Castle" portion, be sure you have enough time, as depending on the difficulty you play on, it can be straight-up NES brutal. I've played on "Modern" mode which is the middle difficulty, and it still has extra lives, which I didn't mind, but I wish the difficulty curve was better, as it goes from fairly easy to sudden shift into incredibly challenging not even because of enemies and traps, but sheer length of the level.

That said, I do wish other levels were bigger, as quite a few of them feel like they're the size of a classic Mega Man stage only arranged in a different way, while others feel bigger and therefore more interesting to explore. Still, it provides enough insentive to replay with different difficulties and various secret modes, so I'll come back to it later, and this time prepared for the final gauntlet so that my experience isn't as soured at the end.
 
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