| Jan. 8th, 2009 @ 09:40 pm 2008 Game Completion |
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Last year I completed 40 new games. This year I completed....40 new games! Funny how things work out. I completed about three times as many RPGs this year, plus I replayed 6 games compared to 1 last year (not included in the afore-mentioned 40), so I'm happy with it. Earlier this year I started doing individual writeups for each game, but I didn't finish it since it was rather time-consuming and nobody really commented (wah wah). Now, in order of completion:
1/09/08 -- Tomb Raider: Legend (Normal) -- Xbox 360
A good ol' time. Much more action-oriented than Anniversary. Actually, beyond from the first level, I can't think of a single puzzle. But the brisk pace makes it addictive enough to beat in a single sitting. Beating a game in one sitting, no matter how long, is a good thing in my book.
1/10/08 -- Super Stardust HD (Normal) -- PSN
Not at all a Geometry Wars clone. There's a real depth in the weapon and enemy varieties that takes it a step beyond the boatloads of other twinstick shooters popping up. The soundtrack is fantastic, too.
1/15/08 -- Rock Band (Hard) - Xbox 360
I love Rock Band. I love it so much that I hate it. Between solo sessions and all the time spent with the band at a friend's house, I'm seriously burnt out on this type of game. I'll be happy when my flame returns, because I love rocking out with the drums and guitar.
1/18/08 -- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Normal) -- Playstation 3
Pretty much Tomb Raider without the puzzles and with a very, very shiny coat of paint. I mean, damn. It's really pretty. The platforming lines were way too obvious, but it's entertaining throughout.
1/24/08 -- Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition (Normal) -- Playstation 2
One of my favorite action games ever. I gotta disagree with Reeve -- the final fight against Vergil was one of my favorites. I was annoyed with the boss before him, though.
1/26/08 -- No More Heroes (Mild) -- Wii
Amusing hack-and-slash. It's pretty simple, and that's part of the beauty. The Wii remote is used perfectly, and I hope to see more developers realize it just isn't good enough for precise movements. The overworld is just stupid, though; intentionally, yes, but that doesn't make it any more fun to trudge through.
1/27/08 -- Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (Normal) -- DS
I like Elite Beat Agents more, but it's all the same. Smile-rific fun. Yeah, smile-rific. Wanna fight about it?
2/23/08 -- Devil May Cry 4 (Devil Hunter) -- Playstation 3
Two fantastic characters put into a game that's only half as good as Devil May Cry 3.
2/24/08 -- Astro Boy: Omega Factor (Normal) -- Gameboy Advance
The second half of the game has a whole bunch of annoying fetch quests, but it's hard to get bored when the game is nothing more than boss fight after boss fight. A nice amount of depth for such a simple game, too.
2/28/08 -- Klonoa: Empire of Dreams -- Gameboy Advance
I definitely prefer handheld Klonoa. There's more of an emphasis on the puzzles, and Klonoa is at its best when you have to think.
3/02/08 -- Dynamite Headdy (Normal - Freeplay) -- Genesis
A really hard game with a really dumb lack of continues. It's only feasible to complete this game if you substitute a level select code as a means of "continues". It's worth it, though. One of the coolest, strangest Treasure games I've played. I should post some youtube links for the soundtrack sometime.
3/04/08 -- McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure (Normal) -- Genesis
I played this a lot as a kid. I never beat it on normal, though, which unlocks a whole lot of extra levels. That's why I'm counting this one as a "new" game on the list. It's not a great game, but it's entertaining enough thanks to its absurdity.
3/16/08 -- Condemned 2: Bloodshot -- Xbox 360
Fantastic game, but then they go and botch the ending. Well, not just the ending, but the whole final level. A new, very annoying enemy type is introduced, gunplay suddenly takes center stage of melee combat, and the story gets pretty silly. The last hour or two is a chore, pretty much, something you force through only because you've come so far already. Everything before that is scary as all hell and a blast to play.
3/18/08 -- Advance Wars: Days of Ruin -- DS
My favorite Advance Wars game, easily. Aside from some cool gameplay additions (and very necessary rebalancing), I'm most impressed with the story and music featured this time. Seriously, it's a good story!
3/20/08 -- Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat -- Gamecube
Hah, bought this for $10 or so back during.....my first year at EB? I dunno when, but it was collecting dust for awhile. Spending an afternnon knocking on bongos was pretty novel, but I won't be coming back to it any time soon. Or ever.
3/26/08 -- Wipeout Pure -- PSP
A whole lot of content in this one....assuming you can findthe old track packs online. This is actually the first Wipeout I'd played since the original, so it was nice to see how far the ship controls have come. It'd be better if the higher difficulties weren't so blatantly unfair.
4/01/08 -- Klonoa: Door to Phantomile -- PS1
I was kind of bored off and on during this game. As stated above, the puzzle bits were the best. But there's more of an emphasis on the platforming here. Klonoa isn't bad as a platformer, and the worlds featured are charming. I just find that I go brain dead during the run-and-jump sections. The ending was uncharacteristically sad, but I liked that.
4/05/08 -- Call of Duty 2 -- Xbox 360
My grandfather was in World War II, so I'd feel bad saying something like "this game puts your right into the battlefield!" But, damn. What a thrill. Some of the level design is repetitive, though (clearing houses in Germany, over and over and over again, one by one).
4/10/08 -- Call of Duty 4 -- Xbox 360
The atmosphere isn't quite as dramatic as Call of Duty 2, but it looks infinitely better and puts some badass tech in your hands. Plus, the final level reminded me of Virtua Cop 2. Kick ass.
4/20/08 -- Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops -- PSP
This game gives a strong first impressions. Then, for the next five hours, you tell yourself that you're not enjoying the game that much because you don't have a solid grasp of the many, many new gameplay elements presented. You figure, pretty soon, it'll all click. Then it clicks, and you realize the problem is that the game ain't all that fun. The controls and camera are clunky, the bosses are lame, and the level design pretty dull for the most part. Here's the part where I say, "the music was good, though!"
4/26/08 -- Guitar Hero 2 (Hard) -- Xbox 360
My Rock Band burn-out dwindled just enough for me to wrap up the last dozen songs in Guitar Hero 2.
5/04/08 -- Digital Devil Saga 2 -- PS2
The conclusion to one of the most unique RPGs I've played. This one is equally unique, but the story is pretty....out there, by the time it all ends. A satisfying ending for such a bizarre tale, just not quite the one I was hoping for.
5/13/08 -- Mass Effect -- Xbox 360
Big surprise, this one. I seemed to be the only person in the world not impressed with Knights of the Old Republic, and I expected this to be the same old song and dance. Well, same song, but different dance. The battle system is the big thing here, as the shooter-meets-RPG formula works much better than sitting and watching my character miss half the time with melee weapons. I'll be playing this game again, someday....and probably again after that.
5/15/08 -- Prince of Persia: Two Thrones -- Gamecube
Eh. I beat this only so I could say I've completed the Sands of Time trilogy. It's much better than Warrior Within, but it lacks the polish in every facet - platforming, combat, plot - that would be necessary to create a superior sequel to Sands of Time. I could swear SoT looked alot better, too, but I'll have to refersh my memory.
5/31/08 -- Persona 3 -- Playstation 2
Persona is proud to be totally different from any other JRPG. It's also proud to be one of the few games that deserves to be 80 hours.
6/08/08 -- Home Alone 2 -- Genesis
A terrible platformer from my younger days. I could make it to the final level, but I never could make it to the top of that giant Christmas tree with all the shit flying at me. Playing last year was a good reminder that my skills have come a long way over the past 15 years. Climbing the tree was still annoying, though. Oh, and the game sucks.
6/13/08 -- Metal Gear Solid 4 -- Playstation 3
It's nice to know that a franchise can go on for twenty years and appreciate that, someday, everything needs to be wrapped up. All the questions I had forgotten and all the questions I didn't realize were questions found an answer here. They may continue Metal Gear with a different character, but all that mattered ended here. Shame the gameplay-cutscene ratio is too busted for quick replays ot be any fun.
8/24/08 -- Klonoa 2 -- Playstation 2
Same deal as Door to Phantomile, but a whole lot prettier.
8/27/08 -- Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty -- PSN
I'm glad we were given at least a little bit of R&C to tide us over for the year, but all this three-hour game really does is make you want more.
9/13/08 -- Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories -- PS2
There's a good cast here, but it has to be said that they aren't as compelling as Disgaea's hopeless bunch. The gameplay was a step up all around, though. It was about time they gave healers experience for healing. Also, I beat this one in 30 hours. That really surprised me, considering the original stole 70 hours of my life.
9/20/08 -- Bionic Commando: Rearmed -- PSN
Another great Capcom action game. What I love about Capcom is their boss designs are every bit as good as Treasure, but Capcom happens to know about quality level design, too. They also happen to be the masters of remakes.
9/21/08 -- Burnout Paradise -- Playstation 3
Picking up the last few wins was a bit annoying, but this game is essentially SSX3 with cars. I love it. I love it I love it. I can just drive around town and have a blast. That's what I usually did, too.
10/04/08 -- Silent Hill: Homecoming -- Playstation 3
The combatis a great improvement over the old games, and the graphics were pretty much a spot-on evolution. But the story remains pretty dull throughout and doesn't end on the bang it needs.
10/10/08 -- Cave Story -- PC
More heart and soul than so, so many of the "Hollywood" game releases lining every shelf. This game was made by one man, and he didn't make it for money, He made it to be played. So play it! Consider it Mom's homemade brownies compared to that factory-made shit you can get at Dollar General.
10/11/08 -- Castle Crashers -- Live Arcade
An intelligently-designed brawler with a great sense of humor. Make sure you play with friends, obviously.
10/22/08 -- Braid -- Live Arcade
It's a puzzle platformer like Klonoa, only it's 90% puzzles and 10% platforming. Beautiful music, beautiful art design, and a story that will put your brain to work. Seriously, my mouth was agape during the ending. Wide-fucking-open. Metal Gear Solid 4 didn't do that to me.
11/18/08 -- Mirror's Edge -- Playstation 3
The first half has a whole lot of running, a whole lot of jumping, and a few bits here and there where you have to dispatch guards. The second half has a whole lot of running, a whole lot of jumping, and a whole lot of dying. Or, if you prefer. a whole lot of shooting. I'm not sure which I prefer - having my game end repeatedly, or witnessing the game I'm playing mutate into something I didn't want it to be. I ended up doing a whole lot of shooting, and disenchanted doesn't begin to describe my feelings.
11/18/08 -- Little Big Planet -- Playstation 3
Here we have an extremely charming platformer where jumping is not fun. No, in Little Big Planet, grabbing things and swinging is, essentially the new "jumping". Thankfully, there is an endless stream of user-designed levels that capitalize on this. And vehicles! As with Castle Crashers, this game needs to be played with friends.
12/04/08 -- Valkyria Chronicles -- Playstation 3
Mass Effect meets Final Fantasy Tactics. Add in a bucket of Skies of Arcadia in the aesthetics department, and you have an excellent game. The final boss was a pain, though. Also, this one wins the "Classiest Love Story of '08" award.
12/29/08 -- Persona 4 -- Playstation 2
This sequel is much better than Persona 3 in some ways, but so much worse in others. There are a handful of common-sense design flaws that kill the pacing, and someone who hasn't already beaten Persona 3 and knows how they want to play the game will be very, very bored. I love it, but I could fault no one for hating it. If I ever write fanfiction, it'll be for these characters.
Replays
6/03/08 -- Metal Gear Solid -- PS1
6/05/08 -- Metal Gear Solid 2 -- PS2
6/07/08 -- Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence -- PS2
Played these three in preparation for the following week's release of Metal Gear Solid 4. I feel badass for going through them in five days. The funniest thing I remember is telling myself during MGS1 "hah, they'll probably never mention Dr. Clark again." Oh, but they did, and it was rather shocking. Makes me smile.
8/18/08 -- Shadow of the Colossus -- PS2
Still one of the best games ever. I made a really cool discovery during this playthrough, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. That's a little frustrating.
10/28/08 -- Sonic the Hedgehog -- Genesis
10/30/08 -- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 -- Genesis
I'm sure I'll find time to wrap up Sonic 3 & Knuckles, which I started immediately after these two. We all need "constants" in life. Something that never changes, something we can fall back on. These games are one of mine.
Beatings by System (new plays and replays together)
PS1 - 2
PS2 - 9
PS3 - 11
PSP - 2
Xbox - 0
Xbox 360 - 9
Genesis - 5
Saturn - 0
Dreamcast - 0
Gamecube - 2
Wii - 1
GBA - 2
DS - 11
PC - 1
Kind of enlightening. I thought I had played more PS2 games than PS3, and I didn't realize there were that many 360 games in the mix. While I prefer PS3, I'll never say I don't love my 360, too. No replays on either Xbox, Saturn, or Dreamcast. Unfortunate to see them neglected so.
Top 5 Lists (because I feel like it - oh, and replays not included, only fresh beatings)
Best Endings
1. Braid
2. Persona 3
3. Tomb Raider Legend
4. Devil May Cry 3
5. Call of Duty 4
No MGS4? Yep, no MGS4. The ending went on for way too long, and several overdone musical flourishes hurt the mood. Oh, and he really didn't need to come back. You know who.
Best Music
1. Pesona 4
2. Metal Gear Solid 4
3. Cave Story
4. Bionic Commando
5. Valkyria Chronicles
Worst Games
1. Home Alone 2
2. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
3. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
4. McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure
5. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Haha, yeah. I had more fun with Ronald than DK. Suck it, monkey. Honorable mention goes out to Sonic Heroes, which I couldn't bring myself to complete after several attempts. It's so bad I can't stand it. Incidentally, Sonic Heroes would've received this same honorable mention back in 2006.
Best Games
1. Persona 3
2. Metal Gear Solid 4
3. Valkyria Chronicles
4. Cave Story
5. Call of Duty 4
Picking five was tough, but those define the year pretty well.
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