Board 8 > Post Each Time You Beat a Game: 2019 Edition

(+) Yeah! (+)

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Switch)

It may be the worst version that's out there, but I enjoyed it anyway except for the 4 times it crashed on me.

It crashed on me at the following parts
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When I used a Warp Room
Crashed at Tower of Twin Dragons
When I read a bookshelf
Crashed at the Inferno Cave

I enjoyed it all the same as every Castlevania/Metroidvania I've played in the past.
I can't wait for the patch to come out next week so it fixes the growing pains it has had since launch.
I'm looking forward to whatever content is also coming out in the future.
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Full Throttle Remastered for PC

It isn't among my Top 5 of 90s LucasArts games, but it is still a solid addition to a great decade from the developer.
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Squidlit (PC)

Goofy platformer meant to emulate a GB game. It was worth the $1 I spent.
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Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (XB1)

100% completion in 5:56:06

I feel like this was a step down from the previous two games. I think the art style switch from a pixelated look to a hand-drawn one shows how plain the level design must be for the series. Without that charming pixel art, it has nothing to hide behind. I also don't feel like I accomplished much. At least the other games felt like an adventure of sorts. Here I just felt like I was just doing fetch quests until the game was effectively over.

There were several improvements to the gameplay though. I'm just glad that I ended up playing this through Game Pass instead of buying it. I've bought all the other Shantae games as well as several other WayForward games, so I don't feel bad.
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ABZU (XB1)

I definitely understand the comparisons to Journey, but I found this to be significantly superior since I love the ocean and everything. Any game that let's you hitch a ride on whales and manatees is aces in my book. The game kind of got dark there for a spell, but it was mostly beautiful and serene for the game's entirety.
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Brain Lord (SNES)
Kind of Ys with more puzzles and platforming. Alright for the time.
King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne (PC)
Those staircases are deathtraps! And there are a lot of ways to screw yourself later without knowing. About what you'd expect from an old adventure game.
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Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Switch)
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Yakuza 5 (PS3)
I got pretty mad trying to level up people and fighting Amon, but then I beat Amon without really leveling and today I beat the game. That is a damn nice final sequence. 3's was ruined by my disc being scratched, not to mention following directly after 2, and 4's is fine for its concept but it's just kind of a string of okay bosses.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (PC)
Beat OD before taking on the final boss, and finished the sidequests. I might still work on it but grinding stuff isn't that fun so maybe not.
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Not a Hero (PC)
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Medal of Honor (2010) (PC)

I know this was considered a disappointment and a big reason why only one more game was made before lying dormant (possibly permanently). As I came in with lower expectations, I came away impressed, though I didn't play online (I am both assuming there is online and that servers have been shut down). FPSs get a bad rap on the internet, especially on B8, but one of the things I really like about the genre is the use of scripted events to stretch the basic gameplay into something unexpected and spectacular. There were some really tense situations that got me fully invested as I had no idea what the outcome would be. The final fight in Belly of the Beast is a perfect example of this.
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LEGO Batman (PC)

The only LEGO video games that I have played are LEGO Island way back in the 90s and The LEGO Movie that came with my PS TV purchase. Batman is probably the worst of them, but that is simply because it started to overstay its welcome. I did enjoy it for the most part, but I was hoping it would be more open-ended and fluid than what it was. With all the forced costume changes and whatnot, momentum frequently slowed down. The vehicle sections were great though as they weren't susceptible to those issues.
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Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (PS4)

I love Igavania games. Somehow I can't really get tired of them. Not perfect by any means, a little buggy (although nothing major at 1.03 to be honest), I personally didn't love the looks of the bosses as much this time (might not be a popular opinion, I dunno) and some of the areas at the end were a little weaker imo. But those complaints are relative, I still loved the game, love this kind of progression, and loved the soundtrack. Other than that it's classic Igavania gameplay, barely different from his Castlevania games but it didn't need to be.
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Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle (Switch)

7 great beat em' ups in one package

Setting up Online play is pretty simple and it's great to play with friends with good connections.

One thing I dislike is I wish there was a way to switch off the ability to allow spectators. It gets a little annoying when a spectator comes in the room which puts the online game on hold for a little until they are able to spectate and even worse is when they don't stay too long and once they exit the room, the game is put on hold saying they left the room and you can resume playing again. This doesn't happen too often, though experiences may vary.

The control options are pretty good. You can even set up hot keys for the special/desperation moves and turbo if you want.
The Wallpaper settings on the sides of the screen are nice and you can turn them off, switch the filters and screen size.

You can also play the Japanese versions. You get to see Jessica in all her busty glory in the Final Fight Japanese Intro.

The Gallery section is also very nice. Some really cool artwork I have never seen before and even blueprints on when they developed the games stages and stuff. A lot of heart was put into this section.

Final Fight is a classic. Cody is my fave.

Captain Commando is solid. I like the man himself (Captain Commando) and Ginzu/Sho

The King of Dragons is cool. Different character classes and I like how you can push the magic orbs around and strike them to unleash a spell. Wizard is my favorite.

Knights of the Round is awesome. I like the Block Mechanic where if you are successful, you get brief invincibility frames that will allow you to counterattack. Feels good and rewarding. Riding horses is also pretty cool and trampling your enemies. Lancelot is my personal fave but lately I like Perceval more.

Warriors of Fate was new to me. It's based off of the Tenchi wo Karau manga. Game felt like an upgraded Knights of the Round and it had a slightly better Horse mechanic than Knights of the Round it seems. I used Subutai but I think the other characters are a lot more fun than him.

Armored Warriors was super cool. Apparently the mechs you pilot in this game were used in Cyberbots (I recognized BLODIA as one of the mechs you can use). You pilot mechs and the cool part is you can use the other parts lying around from the mechs you beat up to add them on your own mech, I used Justice (REPTOS).

Battle Circuit is the crown jewel of this collection. It was the last 2D beat em' up Capcom made in the Arcade. Cool part about this game is getting coins and using them to upgrade your character to get extra powers. I liked using Cyber Blue.
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Nurse Love Addiction (Vita)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/77879624
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Ratchet: Deadlocked (PS3)

I've never particular cared for the series. I love the weapons, but they have been muddled by poor platforming elements, dead-on-arrival humor, lackluster level design, and mediocre visual style. I got this game for $1 many years ago on a PSN flash sale, but never felt compelled to play it until recently. This actually is the second best in the series, and a legitimately good game.

While a lot of the humor is still lame, Daran Norris is gold and had a high success rate relative to his peers. The big thing though is the expanded use of arenas and everything else being bite-sized levels. This significantly mitigates the issues brought on by the series' platforming and level design. I wouldn't mind seeing a remake of this game.
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Monument Valley 2 (Android)

I have no idea why it took me almost a year to wrap this game up. I just had three levels left. It has been 4+ years since I played the original, so I have a hard time comparing the two. I think I might prefer the original. I know it had more content (DLC included that is), and I feel like it had a closer marriage between atmosphere and puzzles. This one felt a tad lighter on the puzzles, not necessarily in volume but in involvement. It still worked out wonderfully as it was a more kinetic experience. These are probably my favorite mobile games after the Go games using Eidos/IO properties.
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12. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
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Left 4 Dead 2 (PC)

Hardest difficulty all official campaigns.

Had to install smarter AI script. But yeah it counts.
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20XX (Switch)

Beat the game as Ace on Normal
Mega Man X Roguelike
It plays really well and it's fun to co-op with someone
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Pokemon Trading Card Game (3DS Virtual Console)

I think this may be the first time I ever beat the game officially. The first time I did a co-op playthrough with my brother who did like 90% of the work, and the second time I accidentally deleted my game at the very end.

I used a Blastoise-based deck until I had enough cards for a Haymaker strategy, at which point the rest of the game was a frigging breeze.

Great game, FANTASTIC music.
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Pokemon White (DS) (Technically not a replay)
Still good.
Nex Machina (PC)
Great! Okay so it was easy mode, but it does recommend it for your first run.
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
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Slayaway Camp (PS4)

I loved the theme and many of the mechanics, but they didn't do them great justice by making it all essentially what amounts to sliding block puzzles that often have limited or simply one solution.
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Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (GBA)

Went back to this and finished it properly. Best ending, all relics, all furniture. Still the worst of the original 7 2d Castlevanias. Easiest boss fights, forgettable music (the best track was the name entry!), and kind of so-so story. I'd play it over Circle of the Moon for that sweet dashing though. Too bad there wasn't really a boss that tested this reflex.
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Halo 3: ODST (XB1)

The first and only Halo game that I have never gone through the campaign co-op (twice in fact)
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A Rose in the Twilight (Vita)
The comparison is inevitable for me: All in all it's no Dokuro. Not bad, though.
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Aer: Memories of Old (PC)

Wonderful worldbuilding. Puzzles and mechanics were forgettable but that wasn't the point of this. I love how the flying mechanics exist to just give you that exhilarating feeling of flying like a bird. It may not have the same meat as Rime, but it has heart.
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One of my favorite games I played last year. I bought it two more times to support Forgotten Key.
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Cadence of Hyrule

really great crossover. my favorite part was the final dungeon before ganon, which seemed to take a lot of good elements from the original necrodancer.
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The Deadly Tower of Monsters for PS4

Excellent style, and I had a lot of fun jumping off of buildings and what not to find all the little secrets the game had to offer.
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Amid Evil (PC)

Got my eye on this game since the start of the year. I am not disappointed, however I would've liked something a little more difficult in terms of scaling. There are 7 episodes, but the game doesn't truly pick up until Episode 5 in terms of enemy variety and level design. You do have a Soul Mode which gives you a power boost but I often found myself saving those. It felt too easy when I used it and too hard when I didn't. Endgame levels were just basically exercises in BFG conservation. And Hard Mode itself is just making enemies hit harder so while it may have solved the episode 1 foibles, I felt that the solution was like a stopgap instead of having proper balance.

This game along with Dusk and Project Warlock would've rounded out my retro FPS collection for this year, but now I'm looking forward to Ion Maiden Fury coming soon.
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Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Switch)

Fun little game
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Magical Taruruuto-kun (Mega Drive)

Developed by Game Freak and based off the Anime/Manga.

I hated the auto scroller levels where you have to jump on clouds while avoiding monkeys tossing apples at you and giraffes that can extend their necks beyond the clouds and another auto scroller level where some maniac tries to gun you down in a chopper and you have to make this one gliding jump near the end to clear. Luckily that level has a 1 up you can grab every time in case you lose a life there.

You play as Taruruuto and can attack things with a short ranged rod which can also be used to grab objects and launch at enemies. You can also cast magic that gives you temporary invincibility and screen clearing crash moves. The temporary invincibility is worth doing the most. You also have a glide jump which can be used to cross bigger gaps and fit into narrow passages.

Graphics are bright and colorful.The game was mildy challenging. It was an ok game.
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13. Shakedown Hawaii (Switch)
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Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (PC)
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I'm getting behind. 8th month and 5 games beaten, but I want to get to 1 per month. At least I'll be beating something tomorrow.
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Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (PC)

Appreciate the throwback. Tightly designed and a bit on the easy side.
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A Short Hike (PC)

Adorable.
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Like I said, finished something today:

Sonic Adventure DX (Steam)

Short affair with it, it was good to actually play it, corniness and all.
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Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD (PS4) - Platinum'd

Finally got around to actually playing some games. I wanted to replay FFXV but I didn't really want to go through the entire game so I went and got the pocket edition, which is kinda weird cause it meant I was playing a PS4 port of a mobile port of a PS4 game. Anyways, it was actually pretty well done. It was a good summary of the story and the gameplay was better than I thought it would be.
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Metal Gear (NES)

I had an incentive to replay this one cause over at Retro Achievements they did a revision on the set and added more achievements to it.

Aside from that, I like going through this game now and then. Music too good.
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Photographs (Android)

You Must Build A Boat's foray into experimental narrative-driven gaming, is unfortunately fraught with annoying puzzles and a nonsensical overarching plot. I get that its a tragedy simulator, but it could've done without the puzzles. Like, the puzzles exist to lengthen and draw out said tragedy. Nice touch though to only be able to save one of the five in the end. An even nicer touch is that not all 5 have truly good endings. But having the player go through the WHOLE thing again just to unlock each ending? Rubbish. I think that part could've used more tweaking. I could've taken adding more difficult puzzles to repetition.
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Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox One)

Holds up incredibly well for a five year old game. France and Italy are stunning and very fun to explore (would have been cool if they added parts of Spain to the map). There's no way I'm completing all 168 championships but I finished both finales at least and discovered all the roads and bonus boards. Can't wait to try Forza Horizon 3 and 4.
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One of the best active series in gaming. I failed to drive on one road, including DLC, but I could never manage to find out which one.
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Prey (2017) (XB1)

19:30
7 humans rescued
0 humans killed

A disappointing but still sort of good game. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve (BioShock, System Shock, Deus Ex, Dishonored), but doesn't come close to incorporating the elements it borrows as well as those games did.
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Agent B0rk (PC)
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KCF0107 posted...

Prey (2017) (XB1)

19:30
7 humans rescued
0 humans killed

A disappointing but still sort of good game. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve (BioShock, System Shock, Deus Ex, Dishonored), but doesn't come close to incorporating the elements it borrows as well as those games did.

You should play Prey Moonshot which is a completely different experience. I've yet to beat it because it requires absolute planning and timing
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Nancy Drew 21: Warnings at Waverly Academy (PC)

Literally nothing could be worse than the last one. And this is a classic private school mystery so obviously it gets top marks. There was a snack making minigame but fortunately it wasn't as obnoxious as Icicle Creek. This one gets tops. I expected 80% of the game to be a treasure hunt, but its actually schoolgirl intrigue which though annoying is a nice change of pace.
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God of War II (PS3)
That held up pretty well. Generally a fair game, with improved combat from its predecessor, although there were cases of environments not always being good for picking out puzzle elements. When I said "I must be missing something" it was often a climbable surface or destructible rock that didn't quite look like it. I love that spear, though.
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