Games Beaten In 2018!

[Austin]

27. Mega Man 8 (Saturn) - First time I have finished this game. Was hoping for a great time, but I left the experience feeling severely irritated. That last word in particular sums up much of this game: Irritating. It starts off well with a solid intro stage, but the level design throughout much of the rest of the game is complete tedium at its finest. Many puzzle elements and things that intentionally slow down the gameplay, and very un-Mega Man like. The bosses are decent, the visuals are great, the soundtrack is solid, and the controls are fine. The core part of the game though--the main stages themselves--are a complete chore to get through and the game is not worth the effort as a result. Curious to know what others think about this one..

28. Mega Man 9 (360/Xbone) - Played through this via the Mega Man Legacy Collection 2. I also finished it for the first time. Unlike 8, I really enjoyed this one. It had a greater difficulty curve than the NES originals and so it required work, but it was satisfying overall. Nice music, and the visuals and gameplay fit right in line with something like Mega Man 2 specifically. I'm going to play through it again starting, well.. probably right now. Note: If playing via the 360 version via Xbox One's backwards compatibility feature, the image doesn't look as sharp as it does when played on the Mega Man Legacy Collection 2. The later option is the better choice in this case, and you'll get things like save states that weren't in the original release (not that I used them!).

[Skippy B. Coyote]

25. Resident Evil: Revelations (Nintendo 3DS)

 

After having played the run-and-gun Resident Evil 5 and passed over Resident Evil 6 for it being another light-on-horror action intensive title it was a real breath of fresh air playing through Resident Evil: Revelations, which was a delightful return to form for the series that felt very similar to Resident Evil 4. It had a good balance of slow suspenseful horror laden moments that kept you looking back over your shoulder constantly and frantic close-quarters combat, always keeping you low enough of ammo and health supplies to never truly feel safe. Add in an incredibly addictive Raid mode to play after you finish the main game (think Diablo but set in the Resident Evil universe and divided up into 10 minute levels) and it ends up being one heck of a great game with a ton of replay value, and quite possibly the best graphics on the 3DS to boot. Definitely pick this one up if you're a 3DS owner and enjoyed Resident Evil 4.

 

 

26. Adventure (Atari 2600)

 

A timeless classic that just never gets old! Even in the modern days of 4K HDR graphics there's still something just magical about the beautiful simplicity of console gaming's pioneering action/adventure title. Game 1 teaches you the ropes, Game 2 opens up a whole video game world to explore, and Game 3 turns you loose to go on as many high fantasy quests as your heart desires; with randomized item and enemy locations giving Adventure limitless replay value. There's a good reason why Adventure is beginning to become one of the more expensive and sought after Atari 2600 games, so go find yourself a copy right away if you're an Atari 2600 owner and haven't added this classic gaming masterpiece to your collection yet.

 

 

27. DOOM (Xbox One)

 

"They are rage, brutal, without mercy. But you. You will be worse. Rip and tear, until it is done."

 

The opening line of dialog at the very beginning of the game tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the 2016 reboot of Doom, but as long as I'm talking about it I'll toss in my two cents on this game. The original Doom is without a doubt one of my all time favorite games, and I've played through it at least once a year every year for as long as I can remember. I think I may like Doom 3 just a teeny tiny little bit more, mostly due to it being truly terrifying to play and it's extensive story exposition, but the original still holds a really special place in my heart. For anyone else who feels the same way, DOOM 2016 is an absolute "must play".

 

The gameplay is almost identical to the original Doom in that you run into a room, kill anything that moves, pick up health and ammo, and repeat until you find a red/blue/yellow keycard to unlock a door, then repeat once more until you come to the level's exit. There have been a few contemporary additions made, such as the ability to upgrade your guns and armor suit as well as perform melee kills with your fists or the chainsaw to gain extra health ammo, but I think those additions really compliment the classic gameplay style rather than get in the way of it. Going nuts with your fists and a berserk pack or chainsawing enemies was always one of the most fun but risky parts of the original Doom, and this time around the rewards for doing it are substantial and at times necessary.

 

The only negative things I could really say about DOOM are that at first my stomach did have a pretty hard time coping with the massive amounts of blood and gore in the game, particularly during the frequent melee kill sequences, but I think I was pretty desensitized to the extreme levels of graphic violence after a couple hours of gameplay and it never bothered my stomach again after that. Once you get used to all the blood and guts flying everywhere it actually becomes immensely satisfying to perform melee kills in the heat of battle. I did find myself occasionally missing the story exposition, atmospheric tension, and jump scares from Doom 3; but I understand their absence since DOOM was intended to be an intense pure action game akin to the original Doom rather than a slow plodding horror game like Doom 3 was. Fortunately there are still plenty of UAC PDAs laying around for you to read if you're into finding out the backstory, and though simpler in scope than Doom 3 I still felt that DOOM's story was engaging and always provided you reason to press forward beyond just killing every demon you could lay your hands on.

 

All in all I was really pleased with DOOM. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, since with it's major graphical overhaul it doesn't look much like the Doom games of old, but I'll be darned it if didn't play exactly like them; with a few contemporary enhancements and a couple extra buckets of blood thrown in for good measure. This game kept me glued to my TV from start to finish, and I had such an amazing time playing it that as soon as I finished the game I created a new save file and started it all over from the beginning to play through again. That is something I almost never do with any game, so I give DOOM my highest recommendation!

Edited March 22, 2018 by Jin

[oyamafamily]

Death Trap (Atari 2600)

 

I played this VCS game on 3 difficulty levels: Easy (square symbol), Normal (X, which is default) and Hard (diamond symbol). Normal mode I used for 2600 NEW HSC contest in progress (the 2-week Spring Holiday Special by Vocelli). And Hard mode is brutal and requires more and more strategy and concentration to destroy power generators and avoid touching the plasma fireballs, which are shot at fastest range. I beat this game on all 3 skill levels (Hard mode took me more and more attempts and resets to finish the mission and win a medal of merit).

 

Here is my gameplay footage which shows how to beat Death Trap on HARD mode.

Edited March 23, 2018 by oyamafamily

[+thegoldenband]

Death Trap (Atari 2600)

 

I played this VCS game on 3 difficulty levels: Easy (square symbol), Normal (X, which is default) and Hard (diamond symbol). Normal mode I used for 2600 NEW HSC contest in progress (the 2-week Spring Holiday Special by Vocelli). And Hard mode is brutal and requires more and more strategy and concentration to destroy power generators and avoid touching the plasma fireballs, which are shot at fastest range. I beat this game on all 3 skill levels (Hard mode took me more and more attempts and resets to finish the mission and win a medal of merit).

 

Here is my gameplay footage which shows how to beat Death Trap on HARD mode.

 

Congratulations on your win over Death Trap! It's very overlooked and a rare example of a VCS game that can unequivocally be beaten. I also beat the game on Hard mode a few years ago; it was a challenging and frustrating, but ultimately rewarding experience.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

28. Mortal Kombat II (Sega 32X)

 

Having grown up with the Genesis version of Mortal Kombat II I was pretty familiar with the game already and curious to see how the Sega 32X version stacked up to the Genesis version that I was used to. In short, the 32X version has slightly better graphics, a few extra sound bytes, animated backgrounds that were present in the original arcade version but missing in the Genesis port, and most important of all the computer AI difficulty has been completely overhauled.

 

The Genesis version of Mortal Kombat II would absolutely slaughter even experienced players on the easiest difficulty setting, whereas the difficulty levels are much more balanced and reasonable in the 32X version. For that reason alone I'd definitely recommend getting Mortal Kombat II on the 32X rather than the Genesis if you have a choice between the two, it's just a much more enjoyable game when you don't have to be an expert to play it.

 

 

29. Super Lucky's Tale (Xbox One)

 

Now we come to the sole reason I bought an Xbox One instead of a PS4 or Nintendo Switch for my current generation console. This Xbox One exclusive just looked so charming, whimsical, and all around wonderful that I couldn't pass it up. Having since played through Super Lucky's Tale from beginning to end I can safely say I made the right choice, as this is without a doubt my new all time favorite 3D platfomer!

 

The developers just nailed everything about this game in my opinion. The main character is cute as all get out, the story and supporting cast are adorable, the control is smooth and fluid, and there's a diverse variety of platforming and puzzle solving to do. Most of the stages are played in traditional 3D platforming style but there's also a good number of 2D side scrolling levels as well as some on-rails levels that reminded me a lot of modern Sonic games in the best kind of way. In between levels there's a variety of puzzle solving and marble maze mini games, all of which feel right at home and serve to break up the action nicely.

 

I think the thing I liked most about Super Lucky's Tale though (outside of the protagonist himself) was that it was genuinely challenging. I mostly lost interest in the Super Mario series long ago because to me none of the 3D Mario games ever really felt like they offered a level of challenge suitable for an adult gamer, but Super Lucky's Tale definitely requires some skill to beat; especially if you plan on collecting all the clovers in the game (which serve the same sort of functions as stars in the Mario series) like I did on my play through.

 

All in all I was absolutely thrilled with Super Lucky's Tale. It exceeded my every expectation, which is something that games hardly ever do these days, and I'll definitely be picking up the Gilly Island expansion DLC for it in the very near future. If you like 3D platformers and are looking for one that'll give you a good challenge and a lot of variety then by all means give Super Lucky's Tale a try!

[NGCD Maniac]

Finished last week Secret of Mana remake on PS4, good game overall, but its sad SquareEnix put so few effort in upgrading the game. All the problem found in an early 90s game are still there (like a really bad AI), and the new visual look like a cheap indie game, cannot be compare with other AAA SquareEnix games. I didnt enjoy either the story cut scene, they made sense back in 1993 with the limitation of the SNES, but they could have done a lot better on PS4. Stay with the SNES version.

 

Revisited and completed Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario World on my new Super NT, that amazing small console give a second life to my SNES games. If you have a SNES collection you need that console!

 

Just finished Air Zonk on Wii U Virtual Console. Really fun SHUMP, but it get really hard at they end. Those PC Engine (Turbografx16) look amazing in HD on the Wii U, I'll definitely buy more SHUMP and PC Engine games on the Wii U Virtual Console since I don't own the console and their expensive games... my Wii U is not useless yet!

Edited March 26, 2018 by NGCD Maniac

[HoshiChiri]

6. Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX (3Ds)

 

​I honestly thought I'd finished this one 2 years ago at PAX. Figured out I hadn't when I was looking up the Snowman song online & saw screenshots from this game. *shrugs* oh well, finished it now!

[Austin]

29. Stahlfeder (PS1) - Japan-exclusive, vertically scrolling shoot 'em up. It meshes 2D and 3D graphics, is relatively mediocre overall and mildly enjoyable at best. Some of the music is okay, some of the visuals are okay, some of the gameplay is just okay. You have a lot of different planes at your disposal, but none really feel satisfying to shoot with. The weapons--particularly powered up--feel too strong and you just rip through everything. Even on the hardest difficulty I didn't get much of a challenge from it. It's neat to have knowing it's uncommon and not many others have likely experienced it, but it's not worth going out of your way to track down a copy.

 

30. Two-Tenkaku (PS1) - Like the above, this is another Japan-exclusive, vertically scrolling shoot 'em up. It's unfortunately mediocre as well, but unlike Stahlfeder, it has an excuse for being as lackluster it is thanks to being the result of a game development competition. Visually it's about on-par with some 2D SNES shmups and the gameplay itself is probably the most comparable to something like Aero Fighters (Sonic Wings). The gameplay feels like it has more "punch" than Stalhfeder, but something still feels "off". It could be the lack of a feeling you get when shots connect with enemies, or perhaps the fire rate when using rapid fire, I don't know. Stages are fairly barren for much of the game and the normal difficulty mode is easy to rip through. I did find the hardest difficulty mode much more of a challenge than the hardest in Stahlfeder, so the game is definitely at its most entertaining there. The game also has these weird FMV cutscenes that just feel out of place with the rest of the game. At least there are some creative enemy and boss types later in the game, so at least part of the game is memorable from a visual standpoint.

[NGCD Maniac]

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars; completed that great RPG for the first time, a great mix of Mario and the talent of Squaresoft from the 90s. I love the humor in that game, and it look great in 1080p with my Super NT.

[HoshiChiri]

​7. Heavenly Sword (PS3)

 

​Picked this up on the cheap a few weeks ago. A fun, but deeply flawed game. If they'd focused on the combat & dropped the annoying sixaxis controls, it'd be a lot better. Also, as I discussed with the clerk at the store- in a world where we're focusing more and more on ethnic and female leads being in games- how the hell has this one been so forgotten? This is a game that's ripe for a sequel or a remake, give a chance to try and fix it up a bit.

[Gibstov]

Doom 3 (BFG edition).

 

I got this game when it originally came out in 2004, I don't remember why I stopped playing it, as I loved the atmosphere [it may be because my computer at the time struggled to run it]. So I recently decided to play through it and beat it. Now I am working on beating Quake, another game I loved but never completed.

Edited April 5, 2018 by Gibstov

[deepthaw]

Son got a Switch for Christmas. When he's not playing a Mario or Lego game, I'm using it for indie games (mostly.) Most of them are retro-styled.

 

Blaster Master Zero

Remake of the NES classic. Part of the "enhanced" retro style of modern games that look 8-bit, but upon further investigation, clearly do things that a real 8-bit system couldn't handle. Quality title - my main gripe was that the difficulty was too low. The original Blaster Master was brutal - this one was far too easy.

 

Mighty Gunvolt Burst

After Capcom decided to stop making Mega Man games, his creator went on to make Mighty No. 9 (which was poorly received) while the people who worked on the Mega Man Zero games went on to make Gunvolt. This is a crossover between those series done in 8-bit style. Basically a Mega Man clone except for a highly customizable weapon system. So customizable in fact, that the customizations become mostly meaningless once you realize how to make the most ridiculously powerful weapons you can. Difficult is somewhat inconsistent, but it's an otherwise enjoyable (and cheap!) couple evenings of play.

 

Retro City Rampage

This was originally a proof of concept for a Grand Theft Auto (in the style of 1 & 2, not 3 and later) game for NES. Filled to the brim with retrogaming and pop-culture references. I had a lot of fun stealing the van from TMNT for the NES and plowing through civilians. There are a handful of segments that steal mechanics from other classic games, and it feels like a missed opportunity that there weren't more of these. By the end, it felt more like work than fun to finish the game, but was overall enjoyable. Includes the NES proof-of-concept as a bonus feature.

 

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Technically neither classic nor retro, this game nonetheless instilled in me the sense of wonder and exploration that I felt as a child when I first played the original Zelda. There's a reason practically every place that gives gaming awards gave it game of the year. Even the jaded grognards among us (which I frequently am) need to give it a try. It's the only game I've logged 70+ hours on in over a decade, and it never felt like it was dragging. And apparently the Wii U version is just as good as the Switch version, so you might not even need to buy a Switch.

[+thegoldenband]

17. Toys: Let the Toy Wars Begin! (SNES)

 

Between the Genesis and SNES versions, I've beaten this more times than I can count.

 

18. HardBall III (Genesis)

19. HardBall '94 (Genesis)

 

I'm disinclined to "grade" these since my mission was simply to beat them as quickly as possible -- in this case, by simulating the season up until the championships, then buying a team and playing out the championships, save-scumming as necessary. Both games play well, but at least one of them is vulnerable to the "CPU has no idea what to do when you've got runners on 1st and 3rd" exploit that the RBI series has...and HardBall's AI prioritizes 2nd base over home plate, allowing you to score ad lib.

 

20. Land of Illusion (Master System)

 

Lovely game in its way, well-designed and attractive. But I don't like semi-mandatory secrets: if you want me to collect all 15 stars, do like Donkey Kong Country and make it clear whether I've found all the ones in a particular stage. B.

 

21. Virtual Hydlide (Saturn)

 

I'm not a big fan of the "guilty pleasure" descriptor for games -- or any form of media, really -- but Virtual Hydlide comes close. Is a bad game you enjoy playing still a bad game? Maybe...but I wasn't enjoying the end of my run on Easy, when I had to fight the final boss for nearly two hours, while running in circles to recharge my health, before getting the better of him.

 

Bizarrely Hard mode is almost easier, since the automap isn't already filled in for you and it's clearer where you have and haven't been. I also discovered that I had missed an important weapon and a helpful item in my first playthrough; with those, the final boss fight was so easy as to be anticlimactic.

 

Anyway, Virtual Hydlide is a very sincere pumpkin patch, and I hope the Great Pumpkin visits it someday, at 5 frames per second. C-.

 

22. Tennis Arena (PAL prototype) (Saturn)

23. Break Point (aka Break Point Tennis) (Saturn)

 

These two Saturn games are the only tennis games I hadn't beaten on the platform -- which, given that there are only three, is less impressive than it might sound. The Japanese version of Tennis Arena was actually released, but is ultra-rare and doesn't seem to have been dumped, so I played the PAL prototype which may be less complete (so I won't be grading it). Your only option is to win a single match, so I did just that.

 

(The Japanese version also has a Tournament mode, which is greyed out in the PAL prototype. If it's functional, I'm guessing it's just a way for the player to put together a tournament of hand-selected players -- because the PlayStation release not only has a Tournament mode that does exactly that, but also a World Tour mode that's totally missing from the Saturn version! How do you release a sports game without a career mode?!)

 

Meanwhile Break Point is riddled with obvious flaws, including laggy controls, mediocre graphics, and ball dynamics that make it almost impossible to take a good crack at a crosscourt winner. But the latter issue also gives it an odd sort of strategic depth, forcing you to construct points instead of simply overpowering the CPU with mindless patterns or mega-shots. It's too bad the game's presentation and controls are such a chore, because it's one of the few games I've played in which I had to concentrate to win every point against the stronger opponents. C-.

[Austin]

31. Omega Five (Xbox 360) - This is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up that was released near the beginning of 2008 for Xbox Live Arcade. It's similar in vein to earlier shmups like Forgotten Worlds, S.C.A.T., and to a lesser extent, Side Arms. The game is short at just four stages, but the visuals are beautiful for the time, the soundtrack is excellent, stage progression is extremely varied and the gameplay is very addicting. Extra characters and modes unlock with different characteristics and play styles, multiple modes exist, and there are separate high score tables for each character and mode type making this a great game for score chasers. This is a really tight package that, while maybe short, is definitely worth going back to. Also compatible on Xbox One which is a nice bonus these days.

 

32. Contra (Xbox 360/arcade) - I haven't spent much time with this for more than a game or two here and there in a while, but buckled down and dedicated time to it recently for a YouTube playthrough. It's short.. super short, but that makes it a good game for repeat playthroughs and it's easy to practice as a result. The arcade version gets a bit of flack from fans of the NES games, but I enjoy playing through this (after I've re-adapted to its unique 12-way aiming system) for how much it is similar-yet-different to its NES home conversion. For some reason I remember having a perfect rhythm with this game back when it was released on Xbox Live Arcade in 2006, but I just couldn't find it again and had to make up new strategies for myself. Weird how with the passage of time, you just start to forget things. Maybe that's just a sign of me playing too many videogames? Too many things to cram into my brain and maybe it can only take too much. Who knows, ha.

 

33. Mega Man X2 (SNES) - This is a game I finished once many years ago, but it never resonated much with me and so I forgot most of what I experienced (outside the things I didn't enjoy). I recently picked up the cheaper Japanese version to play it again on the original hardware (not via a collection of some sort, like on PS2), and I ended up enjoying it a good bit this time around. Visually it's solid and mostly an improvement over what you see in the original Mega Man X. Audio is fine as well with some good tunes. The challenge is also increased which after having played through every other X game up to Part 6 in recent months, was welcome and helped keep me on my toes. Going through it again I remember why I had issues with it previously, such as some of the item and armor upgrades being in somewhat cryptic locations. Whereas in many other games in the series I was able to find nearly everything on my own, with X2 I had to resort to walkthroughs even after experimenting heavily. The helmet upgrade acts as a guide to secrets, but there are some places where hidden items lay that you would never, ever think to bother to scan. That aside, I think it's a really solid entry in the series and I can see why some might prefer it over others. X1 and X4 are still my favorite, and after getting between the cracks of X6 that's up there for me too thanks to the flexibility and challenge, but X2 is an excellent game in the series that I do highly recommend. Much more so than X3 or X5.

 

34. Ultimate DOOM and DOOM II (PC) - I play these so often it's almost like they are a part of the same game to me, so I may as well just glue my first playthroughs of the year together here. I ran through Ultimate DOOM about two weeks ago, then I ran through DOOM II the other night (Ultra Violence on both, naturally). I still feel like Ultimate DOOM holds up fantastic with some truly amazing map design, although Episode 4 still feels inconsistent with me with some really, really strong maps, and some fairly lackluster ones too. DOOM II is a bit different in that when I play through in a single sitting, I get worn out faster than I do with Ultimate DOOM. That's probably due to the intensity level being raised across the board, and the fact it's not episodic in nature--you just go from one map to the next, so for someone like me who binges, I am less likely to take a break. Also, DOOM II has a tendency of using more muted colors, less bright blues and things like the original DOOM did, so I feel that can wear on me as well in a long session. Still, there's still a lot of map designs here that are tough to top, and both of these games combined are an absolute favorite of mine. With these campaigns I typically use the Gzdoom source port which lets me play them at 1080p, as well as interpolated for a framerate higher than the stock MS-DOS versions (60, versus 35).

[deepthaw]

34. Ultimate DOOM and DOOM II (PC) - I play these so often it's almost like they are a part of the same game to me, so I may as well just glue my first playthroughs of the year together here. I ran through Ultimate DOOM about two weeks ago, then I ran through DOOM II the other night (Ultra Violence on both, naturally). I still feel like Ultimate DOOM holds up fantastic with some truly amazing map design, although Episode 4 still feels inconsistent with me with some really, really strong maps, and some fairly lackluster ones too. DOOM II is a bit different in that when I play through in a single sitting, I get worn out faster than I do with Ultimate DOOM. That's probably due to the intensity level being raised across the board, and the fact it's not episodic in nature--you just go from one map to the next, so for someone like me who binges, I am less likely to take a break. Also, DOOM II has a tendency of using more muted colors, less bright blues and things like the original DOOM did, so I feel that can wear on me as well in a long session. Still, there's still a lot of map designs here that are tough to top, and both of these games combined are an absolute favorite of mine. With these campaigns I typically use the Gzdoom source port which lets me play them at 1080p, as well as interpolated for a framerate higher than the stock MS-DOS versions (60, versus 35).

 

You should replay Duke Nukem 3D. Holds up rather well, and has some similar source ports for higher res, etc.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

30. Breakout (Atari 2600)

After playing through a couple pretty lengthy games I decided to take a little break, quite literally since I was playing Breakout! This one of the handful of arcade games on the Atari 2600 that actually ends at some point, and in the case of Breakout the ending arrives after just two screens worth of bricks. Completing two screens a lot trickier than it sounds though and it did take me a good bit of practice to pull off. Fortunately the additional game modes give Breakout some good replay value and I've continued to go back and play the timed Game 5 mode now and then to see how fast I can beat it. On that note, I'm pretty sure that the inclusion of Game 5 makes Breakout the first home console game with a built in timer for speed running. Neat stuff!

 

 

31. Dead Space (Xbox 360)

 

Dead Space is a game I had been wanting to play for a very long time, since I loved the prequel Dead Space: Extraction on the Wii. Being that the only other Dead Space game I had played prior to this one was an on-rails light gun game I wasn't sure what to expect going into the original Dead Space, but I did end up enjoying it quite a bit. The atmosphere and sound design was incredibly effective, making me feel genuinely afraid to go into rooms at time; which is a rare achievement since I've played so many horror games over the years that I have pretty hard time finding a game that scares me these days.

 

The only real complaint I could make about Dead Space is that it does get pretty monotonous at times, as the game sends you on a seemingly endless series of "this part of the ship broke down, go find the part to fix it" fetch quests. The engaging story and frequent scares do a good job of making up for the repetitive gameplay though, and all in all I really enjoyed Dead Space. I think I liked the on-rails prequel Dead Space: Extraction a bit more, due in part to my affinity for light gun games and Dead Space: Extraction being the absolute best light gun game I've ever played, but also because of Extraction's significantly more detailed narrative. Still, the original was a darn good game and one that I'd recommend to any horror fan.

 

 

32. Alien: Isolation (Xbox One)

 

Tonight I finished another horror game, and this one earned the distinction of being the most truly terrifying and overwhelmingly stressful game I've ever played. I can say without any shame whatsoever that there was a point about 5 hours in when Alien: Isolation was giving me such intense anxiety that I didn't think I was going to be able to finish the game. I did stick with it though, but only after turning down the difficulty from Normal to Easy, then to Novice (the easiest setting) for the remaining 20 hours or so of the game. The biggest problem I had that caused me to crank the difficulty way down is that the alien's AI was frankly just too smart. On Normal difficulty I'd find myself spending hours replaying the same 10 minute segment, dying over and over again because no matter where I hid or what I'd try the alien would always find me, rip me out of my hiding place, and kill me on sight. It was like playing Sneak n' Peek with a xenomorph who always peeks at the screen while you're hiding so it can find you every single time.

 

Turning down the difficulty to Easy didn't help much, I was still dying over and over again and getting stuck constantly, but once I dialed it down to Novice I actually started making decent progress in the game. I still died frequently, but only when I made an obvious mistake like making too much noise and drawing attention to myself; and those are the kind of mistakes that you can learn from and do better on your next try. At that point the frustration disappeared and the game actually became quite a bit of fun... then again, maybe "fun" is the wrong word. There's nothing "fun" about Alien: Isolation, even on the easiest difficulty setting playing this game is still an incredibly stressful and psychologically taxing experience. That is the experience I bought the game for though, and I can safely say that Alien: Isolation delivered it in spades.

 

Alien: Isolation isn't without it's problems, it's probably half a dozen hours longer than it should have been and the actual gameplay mechanics are rather repetitive, but it is the most authentic Alien movie experience you'll find in a video game. From the outstanding retro-furistic environment designs straight out of the original Alien movie to the equally excellent sound, you won't find another Alien series video game that looks, sounds, and feels as completely accurate to the films as Alien: Isolation. Everything in this game just feels right, including the constant feeling of dread and impending doom you get playing it. It doesn't feel good, but it does feel right.

Edited April 11, 2018 by Jin

[Skippy B. Coyote]

33. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

 

Of all the games I've beaten this year there is no other game that I felt even close to as satisfied for having completed as Super Mario Bros. 3. I had never even played this game until last week, but knowing that it was one of those "timeless classic" sort of games that you hear people talk about all the time I thought I'd give it a go. I ended up playing through the game in 2 player mode with my wife (she got to be Mario and I was Luigi) and on our first attempt at beating it we spent 11 hours playing and ultimately made it to world 8-2 before getting completely stuck and giving up out of frustration. At that point I thought we were just done with it, since we were both thoroughly frustrated and didn't feel like it was even possible for us to beat anything this hard, but after a few days had passed the aggravation diminished and I felt like giving it another try; so I asked the spousal unit if she wanted to play Super Mario Bros. 3 again.

 

Somewhat to my surprise she was game to try it again too, but this time we did a little research in advance to learn the locations of the warp whistles so we could skip over some of the particularly brutal parts and save our really good power ups like P-Wings and Lakitu's Clouds for the hardest parts of World 8. With a solid strategy planned out we played through Worlds 1, 2 and the first half of World 3, then used a whistle to warp to World 5, played through World 5 and 6, and as soon as we got to World 7 we whistle warped to World 8 with a good supply of P-Wings and Lakitu's Clouds at the ready. The P-Wings definitely came in handy for flying over the tank convoy levels and the Lakitu's Clouds were put to use skipping the absolutely brutal 8-1 level, though we didn't plan quite well enough because we ran out of P-Wings right before the very last tank convoy level that comes before Bowser's Castle. After trying and failing at getting anywhere near completing the final tank convoy level half a dozen times each I thought for sure we were going to have to play through the whole game again from the beginning and make sure we saved a P-Wing for that last convoy, because there didn't seem to be any way that someone without super-human gaming abilities could possibly finish that level, until all of a sudden my wife seemingly miraculously navigated her way through it without any power ups at all and never taking a single hit. Needless to say I was stunned.

 

After running that long tank convoy gauntlet the final level, Bowser's Castle, actually didn't seem all that tough and we both picked up on what the game wanted us to do to defeat Bowser really quickly. It took us a few tries each but before too long I did make it to the end of the level and defeat Bowser, and I gotta say—without spoiling anything—that the ending was absolutely hilarious. There were big hugs and major congratulations all around after we finished Super Mario Bros. 3, because that was one helluva tough game, but with both pulled our weight and got each other through the hardest parts that the other was having trouble with. Having now finally conquered this beast my feelings on Super Mario Bros. 3 have changed a lot since I started playing it. At first I hated the game for how difficult it was and how slippery the controls felt compared to the Sonic the Hedgehog games that I was used to and grew up with on the Genesis, but once I got a feel for the controls and got better at the game it actually ended up being quite a bit of fun. Playing 2 player with the spousal unit was a real blast too once we learned what levels to save our power ups for, and I'd be totally happy to play through this game with her again next year. I definitely get why Super Mario Bros. 3 is considered a timeless classic now.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Jin

[digdugnate]

i don't know if this counts as 'beating', but by God i'm not playing this game for a while, lol. I finished every race/series in Forza Motorsport 7 for XBox One.

 

[HoshiChiri]

8. Bayonetta (Xbox 360)

 

Ended up putting this one in not to play it specifically, but to see if the horrible buzzing noise my 360 produced when I checked if I'd beaten Beautiful Katamari was the disc or system. (It's the disc.) This was followed by 2 realizations: That I'd never finished Bayonetta, and that I'd forgotten how much fun it was! This is a game that really has a lot of 'ending' to it. Beat final boss, credits roll- no wait, one more quick fight! OK, now credits roll- no wait, fights happening under the credits! OK, credits over- no wait, final cutscene. Actually, one more cutscene... it was all nice content, but it got to a point was I was sitting there going "is this ever going to stop?!"

[Austin]

35. Quake (PC) - I usually run through this once or twice a year. Since I've been on a DOOM kick lately, I decided to fire up some Quake and download some mods and expansions. To warm up though I did the usual run through all four episodes. Always a good time for me as this was one I've always gone back to over the years. I did this via the QuakeSpasm source port which seems pretty faithful to the original engine. I also downloaded the "Episode 5: Dimension of the Past" that was released back in 2016 and played through that as well. Solid episode that fits in pretty well with the original four.

36. Quake - Mission Pack 1: Scourge of Armagon (PC) - Quake's first official expansion pack. This is a decent set of maps and features some interesting things you don't really see in the original game, like scripted scenes and real-time map transformations/alterations. There are new enemy and power-up types and some of the later maps can be pretty tough. The final boss is a bit of a cakewalk, but I suppose there's at least a boss. Good expansion overall and I'd say it's a must-play if you're big into the original Quake. I'll be firing up the second expansion shortly, as while I finished the first back in the day, I never tackled the follow up.

37. DOOM (Ancient Aliens) (PC) - Ancient Aliens is a full 32 map mega wad for DOOM II. It features some new enemy types, all new music and interesting level design. The big standout in this WAD is the usage of neon colors and it gives everything a very distinct look. The integrated story is hilarious if you aren't taking it seriously (really, it's pretty tongue-in-cheek), and some of the things done in-engine are pretty impressive, like a section that gives you the illusion of traveling through space in a UFO, or taking a teleporter and traveling through some alternate dimension briefly. It's cool stuff. If you are into aftermarket DOOM map packs/WADs, this one is a must-play. (see more info here to download it.)

[HoshiChiri]

9. Astal (Saturn)

 

​​I've been attempting this one on and off since I first got my Saturn, but today is the day I finally wrapped it up! Normally platformers really get me angry (I'm not so good with the timed jumping deals), but this one wasn't as aggravating. Not becuase it was easier, just becuase it's so damn PRETTY! If anything makes me wish I had a framemeister, it's this game.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

It's been a while since I updated my list for this year, so I've got 4 more games to add and talk about today.

 

 

34. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Nintendo Wii)

 

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of light gun shooters, and this one is just fantastic! It nails that classic arcade shooting action while also adding in some nice modern conventions like the ability to choose 3 weapons in addition to your default pistol to carry with into any given level, and a nice upgrade system to enhance said weapons with the money you earn by completing levels and various objectives throughout the game. As an added bonus, Darkside Chronicles also does pretty accurate job of retelling the stories of Resident Evil 2 and Code Veronica in light gun shooter form, while adding in a third story of new and appropriately fitting mythos to the Resident Evil franchise that fleshes out some character relationships from Resident Evil 4 a bit. If you like light gun shooters this one is a no-brainer to add to your collection.

 

 

35. Pole Position (Atari 2600)

 

Short, simple, fun, and infinitely replayable. Like most arcade ports on the Atari 2600, Pole Position is one of those games I can pick up and play any day of the week and always have a good time with; but unlike most Atari 2600 games this one actually has an ending. It takes a fair bit of practice and skill to make it to the end of the race, but it's always satisfying when you do. I try to play Pole Position at least a few times year and the afternoon that I spent playing it this time around was definitely time well spent. I actually managed to break 60,000 points this time too, which I was especially pleased about.

 

 

36. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo 3DS)

 

The first of two classic N64 ports on the 3DS that I've played recently, Ocarina of Time was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I had never really played it much before this, barring making it through the first dungeon once to try it out when I used to own The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the GameCube half a decade or so ago, but I knew going into it that many people considered it the greatest video game of all time. Having now completed Ocarina of Time after some 30 odd hours of gameplay I can certainly see where they're coming from, but there are a few annoyances that kept me from thinking quite as highly of it as others might.

 

First off, Navi is the most annoying little shi... ahem, "companion" that I've ever been saddled with in a game. Her constant "Wake up!" and "Hey! Listen!" quips just drove me nuts, and what really bugged me was that she'd often misdirect you. To give a spoiler-free example, there's one part of the game where you need to investigate a windmill and do something there, but all the while Navi is insisting that you go check out a well in the ground even though there's nothing to be done there. One of my other major frustrations with the game was the L-Targeting system, which I know was a new thing when this game came out, but compared to other Zelda games I've played like Twilight Princess the L-Targeting in Ocarina of Time felt really unreliable and would often lock onto things off to the left or right when the enemy I needed to target was standing right in front of me.

 

Lastly in the complaint department, Ocarina of Time is totally a "guide game". By that I mean there are various puzzles in the game that are just too cryptic for the average person to figure out on their own, necessitating the additional purchase of a strategy guide if you were to play the game back when it first came out. Fortunately the developers of Ocarina of Time's 3D remake addressed this by including hint stones that you can go to any time to receive a "vision of the future", which is basically just a short video showing you where you need to go and what you need to do next. I only used this feature 3 or 4 times during my play through when I was really stumped for half an hour or more, but it was a nice feature to have as it saved me a trip to GameFAQs.com to figure out what exactly the game wanted me to do next.

 

I know I've been really hard on Ocarina of Time in this review, but for the most part I did really enjoy it and I can totally see how mind blowing this game would have been back when it was first released. When Ocarina of Time came out it was probably the first time most players had been given the opportunity to explore an enormous sprawling three-dimensional world full of interesting characters and diverse vibrant locales, with secrets to find around every corner and tons of stuff to do. The game is just chalked full of side quests and I found myself constantly getting distracted from the main objectives because it was so much fun to wander around and explore every nook and cranny of Hyrule, just to see what might be there. And seeing in it all in 3D... holy cow. The view out over Hyrule Field in particular is undoubtably the most astonishing and impressive use of 3D that I've ever seen in a 3DS game and the landscape looks like it just goes on for miles beyond the screen. "Stunning" is definitely the right word for the 3D effect in Ocarina of Time 3D, putting it right up there with Sonic Generations as one of the most impressive games to see in 3D on the 3DS.

 

In spite of a few annoyances here and there I really did have a marvelous time with this game, and at some point I will definitely go back and play the Master Quest mode that unlocks upon completing the main game. I've got a whole stack of games on my "to play" list right now, but I could easily ignore them all and just go play Ocarina of Time again. It may debatable whether or not it's the greatest video game of all time, but I don't think there's any denying that it's an all around fantastic game that was well worth playing.

 

 

37. Star Fox 64 3D (Nintendo 3DS)

 

I should preface this review by saying that my opinion of this game is going to be very contrary to the majority of Star Fox fans, so prepare to disagree with everything I'm about to say. The very first Star Fox game I ever played was Star Fox Adventures on the GameCube and I adored it, in fact it's easily one of my Top 5 all time favorite video games. After that I played Star Fox Assault on the GameCube as well and, while it was definitely more action focused than the Zelda-like Star Fox Adventures, I still thought it was wonderful. Beautiful graphics, a great story and cast of characters, lots of mission variety, and it was all around just a ton of fun to play. I actually hold the HighScore.com world record for Arcade Mode in Star Fox Assault, which tells you how much time I've spent playing it over the years. After Assault my next Star Fox game was Star Fox Command on the DS, which I don't remember a whole lot about other than that I enjoyed it, and that brings me to today's reviewed game.

 

Maybe it was just too much hype surrounding Star Fox 64 in the gaming community, with most fans lauding it as the greatest Star Fox game ever, but having now played through and completed the game I feel kinda let down; especially considering the price I paid for this rather rare 3DS title. The game was ridiculously short (it only took me 2 hours to complete it from beginning to end, and I was playing on "N64 Mode" which is essentially Hard difficulty), the missions were all very simple and lacking in variety, and the voice acting was somewhere between The House of the Dead 2 and the original Resident Evil in terms of awfulness. I guess the 3D graphics looked nice, but the whole game just kind of left a "meh" taste in my mouth. Maybe Star Fox 64 was one of those games that you had to own and play the heck out of back in the day to truly appreciate it, but without the rosy glasses of nostalgia to color my impression of it I just don't see what everyone is so excited about. It's a short, poorly voice acted, monotonous rail shooter with a story about as pointlessly cliche as video game stories get.

 

I know fans have been crying for a "return to form" for the Star Fox franchise ever since Star Fox Adventures, but if Star Fox 64 what they want more of then I hope Nintendo continues to ignore them. Both Star Fox Adventures and Star Fox Assault were vastly better games in just about every conceivable way, if you ask me. I guess if you loved this game back in the day or are just dying to play something with furries in it on the 3DS (and you can't afford Solatorobo) than give Star Fox 64 3D a try, but I can't help but feel like it's a lesser game of a greater franchise.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Jin

[derFunkenstein]

#5 TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist

Never played it before, but I like Turtles in Time. This is a much easier game for whatever reason, and short. Took me about an hour, and I put it to bed on the first try on default settings of 3 lives/3 continues.

[Austin]

38. MUSHA (Sega Genesis) - Hard Mode playthrough(s). I'm mostly used to playing on Normal. On Hard, enemy count seems to be about the same, but bullets are much faster and enemies later on seem to take much longer to destroy. This causes them to really pile up on you and the groups are tough to manage as a result. I also have to have my speed cranked up to the max (whereas on Normal I like to have it set about halfway), and despite this the homing missiles in later stages are still extremely troublesome to deal with. One run the other day was pretty smooth and I 1CC'd the game, but my second attempted run this morning was met with failure at the final stage. This was because I died at the boss two levels prior and just wasn't able to get back up to snuff with my power-ups on the following stage, setting me up for a difficult time by the time I reached the final level. It's certainly not easy on Hard, that's for sure, and the way it implements its "difficulty" is hard for me to deal with, it's not what I am used to.

 

39. Castlevania Bloodlines (Sega Genesis) - Expert Mode playthrough. Definitely much trickier to get through but I did manage to do it, although I had to burn through both continues in the process. Need more practice on this one.. Tried it again today and was super tired, and I bombed out at the factory as a result. Will try again soon..

 

40. OutRun 2019 (Sega Genesis) - Used to play this one a lot back in the late '90s. Took me a few tries to get the hang of things again. When playing it, I have to remember to play it like OutRun 2019, not classic arcade OutRun. What I mean by this is, when your boost is active (a new mechanic to 2019), it's OK to touch things on the side of the track--you will clip them and still maintain a high speed. This is the opposite of the traditional OutRun where touching anything on the outskirts of the track will cause you to stop or flip over, losing significant time in the process. Once you learn to play the game by its rules, it's fairly easy on the normal difficulty. Four courses with multiple routes each, and I'd guestimate the playthrough probably takes about 30 minutes if you don't lose. Decent visuals and catchy music, definitely worth playing, especially for OutRun fans.

[Austin]

I know fans have been crying for a "return to form" for the Star Fox franchise ever since Star Fox Adventures, but if Star Fox 64 what they want more of then I hope Nintendo continues to ignore them. Both Star Fox Adventures and Star Fox Assault were vastly better games in just about every conceivable way, if you ask me. I guess if you loved this game back in the day or are just dying to play something with furries in it on the 3DS (and you can't afford Solatorobo) than give Star Fox 64 3D a try, but I can't help but feel like it's a lesser game of a greater franchise.

 

You're smoking crack.