Lurker > HaRRicH

Best core concept: Untitled Goose Game
HM: Papers, Please
HM: Mini Metro
HM: You Don't Know Jack
HM: Outland
HM: Bleed
25: Speedrunners HD
24: Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
23: VVVVVV
22: AM2R: Another Metroid 2 Remake
21: Bastion
20: Super Mario Oddysey
19: Super Mario Maker 2
18: Catherine
17: Celeste
16: Hotline Miami

More tomorrow.

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<b>#16: Hotline Miami
Released on 10/23/2012
Steam</b>
(written in 2017)

I cant decide if Hotline Miami aspires to have a higher meaning or not. Im too busy being lost in my trance of emotionless inner turmoil.

The soundtrack here is madness and complements the intense twitchy gameplay required to succeed here. You burst into peoples homes with an animal mask on and are expected to kill all the armed enemies inside. As hard as this can be and acknowledging how fast you have to react to your situations, the music keeps you in a sort of spell where you can do this without thinking. Its psychedelic techno-rock with a dark twinge, and the game experience would not be the same without it.

Its a little horrifying to describe the game like this. The good news is its just a game, and a top-down 2D game with sprite graphics at that. The bad news is that theres still a weird troubling narrative to fight through as if youre the good guy. The storyline calls you out as a player along the way, asking things like if you like to hurt people. This plotline doesnt go as deep as some other games, but you can still feel the cognitive dissonance of the games goals against your morality.

Hotline Miami has some nice subtle storytelling as well -- its not all character-says-this and man-kills-panthers-with-that. Theres a woman you save who eventually starts to live with you before the enemies enter your home and kill her; during this time, you see how your house changes to become a nicer place to live. You get newspaper articles along the way about some of the crimes youve committed. Its not all brilliant -- I cant tell if the secret ending enhances or diminishes the plot -- but ultimately its all about the gameplay here. The plot just directly and indirectly sets up your world along the way.

Ive heard Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number misses the point of this game, so I dont know that Ill bother with it. Even if I never do though, this is quite the experience as is.

NOW IN 2020: I still haven't played HM2, but i see it bundled with HM1 on sale sometimes so I'll probably commit one day.

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Also, incoming Operation Shadow.

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Yeah, I had similar thoughts watching your list grow! It's been fun watching and preparing for this list.

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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Celeste is also annoying because the main game is really easy and then the b-sides and bonus chapters are insanely difficult.

Super Meat Boy did a much better job at gradual skillset progression imo.

Celeste is terrific, but also I agree for this. Super Meat Boy had more ways to bounce around on your hardest levels available when you're stuck and there were just so many levels.

Also, I don't know how to really frame this conversation yet, but Super Meat Boy had you largely focusing on obstacles while Celeste had you largely focusing on powers. These have true similarities, but it's a different vibe of both character empowerment and allowing you to train on your skills. I don't think the golden feathers of Celeste made me better at other levels as much as Super Meat Boy riding out those magnetized lights for other levels, for example. You have to be good per level in Celeste in a more specific way than SMB, and while that's not some huge deal I think it's worth noting for conversations about their difficulty learning curves.

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<b>#17: Celeste
Released on 1/25/2018
Switch</b>
(written in 2020)

Oh hey, a tough-as-nails platformer with a positive message and a quality narrative!

I understood the game to be tough to beat all the content for, and this understanding was correct. I beat the game, the core of the mountain, and a few B-Sides while collecting the majority of its strawberries. However, Chapter 9 on the moon out-puzzled me and the difficulty just got to be too absurd for me with some of its mechanics. I didn't even get to the C-Sides or golden berries (those golden berries look ridiculous to get). Still, for just beating the game, it's got a great scale of difficulty.

The main game also has an interesting draw with its storyline. Madeline's struggle with climbing the mountain is as much with herself as it is with the climb. It deals with depression, insecurities, and a friend from the magical land of Seattle. Narrative-wise, the game peaked with the Reflection level. It had her mirror-self show off her powers in the face of calm-down techniques in a surreal beginning of the level, and at the end you face off against her in a chase battle that's one of the best bosses a tough high-speed platformer's ever given us.

Then you get double dash-abilities. That's pretty cool.

This is a worthy recommendation to any fan of the genre. If you just wanna go fast and beat hard levels, this game makes you feel good doing so.

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<b>#18: Catherine
Released in 2/17/2011
Xbox One</b>
(written in 2019)

I didn't think I ever played an Atlus game before. I had to look it up to learn they worked on Friday the 13th and Snowboard Kids. I also only watched part of the Persona 3 anime, so thats as close as I got to anything theyve done in recent years...but after playing Catherine, wow. Please get your games on Steam already, Atlus -- I only got to play this because my brother loaned me his Xbone a few days.

EDGE

First thing's first: that opening menu theme song is probably the best opening menu theme song I can think of. It's bumpin' and smooth in all the right ways. The game immediately had style thanks to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiYQwWg1KrY

EDGE

I'm surprised I liked the gameplay. Ive heard it compared to Q*Bert...and while its imagery immediately comes to mind and I know I played it, I really dont remember how that game actually plays other than this vague feeling that I didnt like it. Whatever that once was didnt really matter for me anymore here though.

EDGE

This is mechanically a game about building stairs out of blocks that make up the walls in your way, and its more satisfying than Pushmo ever was. Theres more too though -- there are sheep-people dying all around you while you run from screaming butthole monsters and escape into confessionals to answer difficult would-you-ratherish questions. You know, traditional mainstream gaming.

EDGE

Story-wise, I got the Good Katherine ending. I dont necessarily like how the game makes me feel helpless in Vinces most important moments of cheating due to cutscenes and all that, but it does a GREAT job with how you have little doses of control along the way. Who do you actually want to talk to at the bar? How would you like to handle your text messages? How drunk do you want to get tonight? The correct answer to that last one is enough to get the narrator to break the fourth wall and give me more beer-facts, now pour me another.

EDGE

This games got a ton of layers and its difficult to parse it all for its deeper meaning, but generally its an exploration of cheaters guilt in relationships and they told the story well through both cutscenes and gameplay. Bravo Atlus.

Catherine: Full Body is set to come out this year and its exciting to see it get more multiplayer-support after that competitive scene bubbled in the background awhile. It's also gonna be interesting to see how well or (more likely) how poorly they handle Rin's story, but, uh, hey, representation matters, right Erica? Just hope it goes well.

NOW IN 2020: I'm still watching a playthrough of Catherine: Full Body on Tarvould's Quest, but it seems largely the same storywise with new piano-playing and some newly-shaped blocks. I can deal with that...we'll see if the story changes much from here.

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<b>#19: Super Mario Maker 2
Released on 6/28/2019
Switch</b>
(written in 2020)

I never got to play the first Mario Maker, but this sequel is legit.

My favorite thing to do is to make and play my own levels. Yeah yeah, playing other levels, that's fun, whatever -- let me make another Hammer Bro gauntlet. Getting to own that level creativity takes me back to the days when my teachers would take away my first grader-drawings of level design doodles. They are not fully polished levels usually, no, but man have I learned how to dodge some hammers.

Kinda, anyway. Why are they still so hard to predict and work around after all these years?!

The game comes with 100+ levels Nintendo made, most of which are pretty fun. I don't really like the lantern-in-the-dark levels, but otherwise they're good. I guess I don't know how Nintendo bothers to make any other 2D Mario game anymore now that two Mario Maker games are out with most of our favorite versions of Mario mechanics. Like, would they make a "New New" Super Mario game with new physics, would they start making their own 1/3/World/New sequels, or? I imagine they'll keep making Mario Maker games, so it feels like that washes out most other 2D opportunities with Mario.

That pigeon is alright with me too, Yamamura. I really like how it trains players with videos in increasingly more advanced concepts on how to make better levels. That's good for both the game and the industry.

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Hey, got some similar love for SMO!

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<b>#20: Super Mario Odyssey
Released on 10/27/2017
Switch</b>
(written in 2020)

With Super Mario 64 having been my favorite game for so much of my life, I was excited to finally give this game a chance. The game did not disappoint.

The game's built around Cappy which makes a neat addition to the game. There are times when it's useful for jumps, but I guess I don't like it for its standard uses as much as I like to feel like I'm "breaking" the game with it (when to dive on and dive off from it for extra distances, finagling wall jumps in corners, etc.). In that regard, that brings a new dimension for me.

Enemy take-overs are fun, especially during that final run of the game. I love that creature you stabs wall with your nose for springing upward, for example. Around that same time late in the game, you also capture an incoming Bonzai Bill, Charging Chuck, and even Bowser himself during the final stretch of the game. That is a great final run. The game also nailed making it feel bad-ass to go under the moon's surface.

The costume changes were annoying when I needed to wear one at certain times, but otherwise these were fun. My enjoyment of SMO immediately escelated when I could be SM64 at Princess Peach's castle -- that is nothing short of nostalgia in HD, and that nostalgia was glorious.

The worlds were cool -- New Donk City and Bowser's samurai-themed world were crazy-good.

And the buttstomp feels the best it has since Super Mario 64. That immediate high jump after one is a nice touch too.

It's just so hard to imagine Super Mario 64 ever being replaced as my favorite game per say, but this is what a sequel for that game should look like. I don't know that I need 3D platformers as much as I used to, but I don't have anything bad to say here either. Great job Nintendo.

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<b>BEST CORE CONCEPT OF THE DECADE:
Untitled Goose Game
Released on 9/20/2019
Switch</b>
(written in 2020)

Few games have ever so clearly known their core concept for a game and then successfully explored the truths within that concept.

Their tagline is "It's a lovely day in the village, and you are a horrible goose." It is all you need to know.

It is a well-known story in my family about the time a goose attacked me as probably a six year old kid. Years later, my nephew and niece made a game with each other called Uncle and the Goose, and they just swatted their arms at each other. I'm glad neither of them bit each other, <I>unlike that goose from years ago..</I>

Anyway, House House figured out that universal fact about these geese-demons and then made a neat game, though it's hard to take descriptions of UGG seriously. Wikipedia calls it a puzzle-stealth game...and while that is correct, I can't read that with a straight face.

There's a lot to laugh at here, but I think the funniest aspect is that they made a regular goose but also recognized this false perception that geese have elegance, so they arm the goose-terrorist you play as with a playful piano soundtrack and cursive-written checklist of trouble to cause. This development team gooses.

The game's a little overpriced at $20, but while you wait for a sale the trailer is immediately clear if you want this game or not.

https://youtu.be/9LL2AtHo1gk

This is more Octodad than Goat Simulator, but that too doesn't really describe it well -- this isn't a ragdoll physics-type of comedy. You don't have wacky waving limbs or a super-elastic tongue. You're a goose, and your powers are limiting to honking and stealing.

Geese are the worst.

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I'm noticing a trend with your best parts...!

RoR1 was fine but I really wanna try RoR2.

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Man, Ori 2 is having its own Metroidvania experience leveling up with developers they're finding. That's gonna be a must play.

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<b>#21: Bastion
Released on 7/20/2011
Steam</b>
(written in 2015)

Narrative absolutely sells this game. Its plot isn't even that good, but the way the plot is given -- from the play-by-play commentary of the narration to throwing you in the middle of the story and making you pick up the pieces along the way -- is captivating from the get-go. Combine this with its lush worlds and rocking soundtrack, and you have everything you need to tip-toe past its ho-hum storyline for a fresh experience.

Oh, and it had gameplay too...good gameplay! The weapons were each unique and customizable , pairing up different weapons was great, there were training grounds for every weapon, and you even get special powers and bonuses on top of that. As the Stranger said, even "the best offense is a good defense" sometimes; bringing out the shield was more fun than I first expected. There were just a lot of ways to wreck havoc on the armies of creatures you'll find...and if you found it too easy to plow through them, you could always add specific challenges like enemies reflecting your attacks if you wanted to get more XP along the way.

It looks like Warner Bros. has really gotten its foot in the door with video games lately. Bastion, Batman, Lego, Mortal Kombat's return...hopefully they continue the good varied work.

NOW IN 2020: I used to listen to the soundtrack of this game a bunch. Not so much nowadays, but it was wild to hear it the first time. This idea of having voice-acting come in at certain game triggers seems so basic now, but Bastion was influential in how that could elevate a game's narrative.

I couldn't get the controls down for Transistor and I haven't tried Pyre yet. I know they both have definite fans, but man was Bastion good.

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<b>#22: AM2R (Another Metroid 2 Remake): Return of Samus
Released on 8/16/2016
PC</b>
(written in 2017)

By technicality of being a fanmade remake, this cannot be the best Nintendo game on my list...but since someone recently remade a Metroid-game from the Game Boy, AM2R manages to be both the newest and oldest game Ill mention here.

The world map is king here. Everything ties together nicely, so usually when you get a new power you have several new directions to go and maybe even a shortcut to connect the map better together. The areas are interesting when youre not stuck in slow-motion underwater, and you dont know what lies behind each door.

I enjoyed the boss fights -- especially the actual boss fights. Whenever that two-part fight happened with the eagle-boss after you get infinite jumps, man, that was HYYYYYPE! The other bosses came in a lot of different sizes and style too, outside of the Metroids which worked more like mini-bosses. The first time you fight a baby Metroids cool, but then you fight that creature a lot more and their automatic missile-dodging gets tiresome after awhile. The later forms of it are similar...and they try to shake it up with fighting more of them at once or giving you tougher terrain to battle on, but it becomes a chore sometimes. Omega Metroids are the exception since they will straight-up kill you and you dont fight them often.

One more complaint: this shinespark-business needs an in-game tutorial of some sort. Has a Metroid game actually trained players on how to do this move before? I get that only minor items and places cant be reached without it, and I get that many long-time Metroid players already know how to do it...but I dont think the series has required you to store your charged run and launch yourself elsewhere like AM2R requires for some of its items, has it?

Its a shame Nintendo DMCAd this game right after its release to the public, considering its a free game that very much honors the Metroid series. I havent followed its developer to see if AM2R is back up or not, but it wont cost a thing to download it if you can find it. If Metroid Prime: Federation Force doesnt appeal to you as a former Metroid fan, this might hit home instead.

NOW IN 2020: I had to look it up -- it's true, Milton Guasti was really hired to work on the next Ori game. That's a brilliant move. Bring. It. On.

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Feel free to continue Han, people are reading (right??) and it's a game celebration in here!

And yeah, I struggle with scary games but I'll add Dying Light to the list to watch tonight too.

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<b>#23: VVVVVV
Released on 1/11/2010
Steam</b>
(written in 2013)

I'm surprised I like this game so much, considering I played it immediately after having my wisdom teeth pulled. Then again, maybe that would make any game seem great...!

This is a simple platformer made complicated by difficulty, then simplified again by check-points, then complicated again with collectables. I also forget where I heard this phrase about VVVVVV, but this is a game that is in love with being a video game; from its retro graphics to its excellent soundtrack to random elephants, Terry Cavanagh had a blast making this. I like the open world it leaves you in as well; it's not Metroidvania'ish so much as just allowing you to take on the levels you find first, which works in its favor since you don't need to gain additional powers. It's very short, but that's not such a bad thing either.

I hear the 3DS-version is good, but I've not checked it out yet. Cavanagh's also done good work since putting this out, such as with a flash game called Hexagon. He has a way of pushing simple concepts, so I hope he continues with success.

NOW IN 2020: VVVVVV has an argument for soundtrack of the decade. It's just something like thirty minutes long, but once it' starts bumpin' it doesn't stop.

Also, hey, it's our oldest game on this list!

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<b>#24: Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
Released on 3/11/2015
Steam</b>
(written in 2019)

Ori is a game about bashing: a move where you latch onto projectiles, then hop one direction from them and launch said projectiles into the opposite direction.

About as soon as you learn that move, everything changes...and then it almost immediately throws you into maybe the coolest moment from anything I played in the past two years. How cool was that first sequence when you're escaping the rising water?! That was so hype.

The game's pretty slow up to that point, but it does a good job helping you get your other mechanics down before that bash-ability comes. I thoughts its save-state system and skill tree made sense to compliment the game. It's visually interesting all throughout -- in particular that bright calm pond-area -- and your powers prepare you well to...outrun an owl? Okay, yeah, I'm down for that.

There are no real boss fights, just some tough enemies meant to test you sometimes and dramatic escape sequences. It's an interesting choice that works, though I'd like to see what an Ori boss would look like one day.

I heard the guy behind Another Metroid 2 Remake was picked up for the Ori-sequel and that sounds amazing. I'll definitely be playing that.

NOW IN 2020: I would still like to try a boss fight with these mechanics sometime. I get that doesn't really fit their idea of the game, and...sure. They also make plenty of other good choices in the design here, with that first escape rush being a gaming highlight of the decade. Still, come on, it'd be cool.

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I'll watch a trailer when I get home, thanks!

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<b>#25: Speedrunner HD
Released on 8/29/2011
Xbox 360/PC</b>
(written in 2013)

Speedrunner HD is like a 2D version of Mirror's Edge combined with Bionic Commando, then given a multiplayer mode. Its biggest problems are glitches; countdowns to restart races get inconsistent, spikes cause levels to freeze, overtime is sometimes decided sporadically...it has a great simple core that needs more play-testing. It should also have more multiplayer levels; it's pretty easy to memorize and master the four or five it has now.

NOW IN 2020: That write-up was in the context of some games that needed sequels. In hindsight, the game took a lot of strides toward these issues and had a lot of hiccups along the way of pursuing them. Many new levels were added, though some levels got too complicated in paths. The mechanic of grapple-flying really fast after a big fall feels very good, but also it leads to insta-win situations for whoever is leading when this is accomplished which goes back to memorizing levels. Glitches continued. There was a love-hate-HATE relationship with the game during its evolution on PC in its early years.

Still, there is a lot of respect for this game. The powers and mechanics feel good, the shrinking camera is hype, and it's just so fun to get into sliding kick-wars that stop people's momentum. I'd like to see them start from scratch for a sequel with the concepts they learned during this development process.

Also, the game needs more music! Dun-dun-dun da-dun, da-dun-dun-dun..

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FIVE HONORABLE MENTIONS OF 2010-2019:

Papers, Please
Mini Metro
You Don't Know Jack
Outland
Bleed

Papers, Please was dauntingly oppressive. I understand the same dude behind this was also behind Return of the Obra Dinn and I've heard high praise for that game too...backlog time.

Mini Metro is just so chill and it makes me miss living in NYC...but also quickly reminds me how crowded NYC could be.

You Don't Know Jack is a perfect game for parties. Not much replay value here once you know the answers, but the wrong answer of the game was fun to find if you didn't get it the first time.

Outland does what Ikaruga does for platformers, sure, we all know that comparison now...but man is this so much more accessible. The learning curve is nice and the bosses were awesome.

Bleed is intense! I really need to try its sequel. It's battle after battle of good fun and it has just a touch of heart-felt appreciation it shows the player at the end too. The game being about Wren despite the deceptive opening video is a fun angle too.

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Happy new year!

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Never played DD, but I have at least two games coming with excellent narrators.

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Before we begin this decade properly, here's an ode to the greatest games I beat for my first time during this decade which released in 2009 or before (previous write-ups available upon request).

TOP TEN GAMES RELEASED BEFORE THIS DECADE I BEAT FOR MY FIRST TIME THIS DECADE:

HM: Elite Beat Agents
10: The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask 3D
9: Resident Evil 4
8: Batman: Arkham Asylum
7: Mario VS Donkey Kong
6: Chrono Trigger DS
5: Bioshock
4: Mirrors Edge
3.1: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
3: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
2.1: Phoenix Wright: Justice for All
2: Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations
1: Final Fantasy X

EBA is a fun little ball of energy.

LoZ:MM3D has the Moon...hated it so much in 2000's original release, but now I appreciate it (mostly) in 2019.

RE4 made me overcome scary games and there's too much cool variation here to deny it.

B:AA just feels so good to punch people. B:AC is on the backlog.

MvsDK brought lots of joy over many lunch breaks.

CT's music stands strong and it's fun to combine magic. #stealtheham

Bioshock was almost too scary, but I tanked up and became a wrench-wielding monster of my own...so then I became the scary one.

I heard ME's sequel didn't fix ME's issues and that is a shame -- still don't have another 3D series that nails running like this.

CV:DoS gets the nod over CS:PoR since I didn't like switching characters as much, but they're both very good and comparable. Never got around to CV:OoE.

PHOENIX! I quit midway through PW:SoJ and don't think the series is much for me anymore, but these were the second and third parts of arguably gaming's greatest trilogy. PW:TaT beats PW:JfA due to barging back into court to re-accuse Luke.

FFX makes me want to play more golden era FF games...only played FF7 and some of FF3/6 from then. Blitzball was awesome and Quick Hitting knuckleheads never felt so good. FFX was excellent.

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No no, wouldn't be right to do it by myself.

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I expected Mario and MMX to get some love, but...

ZaziGuado posted...

The Lion King Grasslands or whatever the first level is called.

...this is a pretty good answer too.

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**THERE MAY BE SPOILERS FOR EVERY GAME I MENTION, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!**

We know the drill: 2010-2019, what were the best games of the decade? I have twenty-five answers to highlight, plus some other fun categories for other noteworthy games too.

I've had previous write-ups for most of these games, so I'll be reposting them with some updated end-of-decade thoughts at the end of them. Cool? Cool.

Here we go.

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Cheers friends! I don't feel like I visit as much as I used to, but ya'll have meant a lot to me over the years and it's always good to peep back in.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Mega Man 9's the best in a top-tier series. All love for MM9.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Just watched it last night!

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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I don't always know what to do with your opinions (Braid/Meat Boy/SMW in the 90s and SM64 turned you off the Nintendo 64?!)...but I always enjoy your opinions.

Maximum taggage.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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This is off-topic, but since we're talking about beating games @wg64Z you had a good year with Tarvould's Quest:

*Catherine: Full Body has me marking out as somebody who only played the original.
*Stanley Parable's brilliant, glad you gave it a shot.
*The Mario All-Stars relay ran long but had a lot of fun anyway.
*The whole Extra Life marathon was nice to catch up on -- especially liked WWF No Mercy, Jackbox, and Untitled Goose Game.
*Master Quest was nice to revisit.
*Phoenix Wright, aw yeah of course that was good.
*Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes was hilarious.
*Eternal Darkness coming almost all in one swoop was a sweet surprise.

And I don't usually make time to watch games I haven't played before, but REmake 2, River City Girls, and even Mixed-Up Mother Goose had me tuning in. I watched ya'll a lot this year and I look forward to more soon.

(just a suggestion: Night in the Woods is both a good game and would probably be a good fit for ya'll if you like reading for characters like you did for Phoenix Wright)

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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I figure a lot of this argument comes from the pride we as gamers in the '80s and '90s felt from not only beating our games but also...

1) Beat at a time when developers were still learning how to train their players. We had to learn the hard way on so many games -- Let's Plays weren't around to show us, nor were there as many other similar games for us to learn from.

2) Beat at a time when developers haven't gotten away from the gimme-all-your-coins arcade mentality. Extra lives, continues, non-rechargeable shields...these definitely still exist and have a place in gaming, but there are players who just don't like these restrictions as much.

3) Beat at a time when glitches were more common. We had to work around developer oversights more.

4) Beat at a time when there weren't as many great or tough games as there are today. It was a bigger deal to beat our games then because we were seeing more or less every game that came out since the industry crashed. Why should Topher McNewperson care as much about Contra in this next decade as we once did?

5) Beat at a time when playing video games were still socially looked down upon. I still remember getting beaten up for knowing what Metroid was -- now Markoplier has a career. Yeah, I'll be a bit defensive about how tough video games were growing up because their difficulties went beyond the games.

...so I get the defense and I still hold onto the pride I had with beating certain games growing up (including Battletoads, I see you naysayers!). Still, I see most of this defense tied to ego. I can separate ego enough to see the difference between IF they beat a game and HOW they beat a game, and that's the line I think we're talking about here.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Standing by my stance, but that's pretty funny.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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"Yo, I just beat Super Mario 3!"

"Sweet, what did you play it on?"

"The Switch!"

"Cool!"

That's enough to tell you they beat it and they could have rewound or not.

Anything beyond that and you're qualifying how good that player is...which can be a fine and fun conversation, but plenty of bad players have beaten plenty of games. I saved something like 84 times when I played Resident Evil 4. I'm awful at it and horror games in general, but you can't take away I beat it by only using what the game gave me. Very similar thing here -- if they beat it, damn, just let them say they beat it and you can qualify it as you see fit afterward.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Alucard popped in a big way. Geralt will at least get a bump.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Cheers buddy, congratulations!

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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That brings up a good point: I'm assuming both versions are good versions on the Switch. I don't know if that is true though.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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pjbasis posted...

Do you prefer complexity or simplicity in an RPG.

I think simple? FF7's materia was awesome back in the day but weighed me down a few years ago when revisiting the game. Is FFX complicated? I think its turn-based system and sphere grid was great. CT fit the mold pretty well for me. SMRPG is unnecessarily simple, though not to the point of being a flaw. Undertale's perfectly simple and LISA is convoluted but I liked figuring that one out better when I figured out it's just a status-based RPG.


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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Chloe's great. Max is better and BiS doesn't compare with 1 (that rewind mechanic is the champ of this series), but yeah she's terrific.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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I see both FF-games are on sale for the Switch. Which is better?

Also, as someone who doesn't deal with many RPGs (loved FF7 and FFX while CT, SMRPG, and the time I got to the dark world in FF3/6 were legit too...modern RPGs I like best are LISA the Painful and Undertale), what questions might be worth asking to make sure I get the right choice in what's nearly 2020?

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Perfect, thank you -- beat it!

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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I recently started Celeste and have been definitely into it.

I don't understand the B-side (second one?) where real early on the bird tells you forward-dash. I can get to the bird and stand, but I don't get the angle it takes to go up and out of that room successfully.

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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Welp, Switch doesn't have any of them newer than the New Colossus afterall...thought I saw New Order on there earlier, but oh well. Thanks for the advice!

Time to get Celeste and South Park: the Fractured but Whole instead.
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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Specifically modern Wolfenstein games.

I'm interested in playing the games since they came back. Is it best to start with a certain game as in to play them in order? Or is it better to just start with the best game of them? Also, what's the best game of them? Nintendo's got some sales today and I'm trying to see if it's worth jumping in today.
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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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I wake up to it most mornings. Great song.
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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Saving.
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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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I'm a little behind on new stories. Oops.

Gotta get on it.
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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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The official
Red Hot Chilipinions (tm):

By the Way's the best album.

Californiacation has the best collection of their top-tier songs.

Under the Bridge is the greatest song of all time.
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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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Oooh, Hisstopher. That's pretty good.

I almost went with Scaly-um Snakespeare, but that felt like too much.
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O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
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