Games Beaten In 2012!

[+thegoldenband]

69. Raid on Bungeling Bay (NES)

 

Technically this game doesn't have an ending, but since I beat one round each in Game A and Game B (which is the equivalent of starting in Round 3 of Game A), I'm calling this one done. The maps and stage layouts stay identical through every loop, and Game B throws the full arsenal at you; the only thing to look forward to would be an increase in missile damage from 40% to 50%.

 

For an early Famicom game, it's actually quite good, with responsive controls and interesting gameplay. But there are a few demoralizing cheap shots (cannons that respawn a split-second after you blow them up), and it's a pity that it abandons the structure of the C64 version (which does have an ending). C+.

[Impaler_26]

Deus Ex - Invisible War

 

Just beat it yesterday. I like the setting and the atmosphere of this game and the 4 different endigs are great. The game has a few minor flaws/rough edges but those didn't ruin the fun for me, i had a blast playing through the game. I haven't played the other 2 Deus Ex games yet so i'm looking forward to try them too.

[Christophero Sly]

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II (XBOX)

 

An outstanding dungeon crawl/hack-and-slash. What few flaws it has stem mostly from the conventions of its genre. B+

[Punisher5.0]

Metal Slug 2 (Neo Geo MVS)

[+thegoldenband]

70. Out of This World (3DO)

 

I figure the SNES version of this game will always be dearest to my heart, partly for the excellent soundtrack and partly because the slow frame rate somehow makes the game feel more stylized and mysterious. Or maybe it's nostalgia talking. Either way, though, I expected to be put off by the 3DO's updated textures and soundtrack.

 

But actually the textures are basically fine -- mostly inoffensive though sometimes off the mark, and occasionally an arguable improvement -- and the soundtrack is a non-issue. What's more jarring is that the 3DO version is very quick, almost arcade-like in places, which changes the feel of the game though oddly, the underwater section later in the game suffers from major slowdown. But it's not a problem, and you get used to it. The teaser for Heart of the Alien is a nice touch; too bad it didn't come out on the 3DO, and too bad it looks unlikely to be a worthy successor to Chahi's creative vision.

 

Anyway, none of this matters much because the underlying game is intact, and that will always be one of the all-time classics in my book. A.

[Christophero Sly]

Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War (XBOX)

 

A quality WWII FPS resides at the center of this game. Unfortunately, the beginning and ending chapters that bookend that core are quite weak. Frankly, they feel like they belong to a different game. It also must be said that the mechanism for switching weapons in this game is utterly senseless. Nevertheless, thanks to several instances of superb level design in its middle chapters this game earns a B+.

[doomwaves]

5) Front Mission Evolved - Xbox 360

 

Great game.. Apparently a grand departure from the other Front Mission games.. Lots of action, Mech third person shooter, third person shooter.. Good stuff..

 

Check out my opinions of the game in my review here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjxdaDsMn7o&list=UUioOIxssB5oz6HhTfMyu-_g&index=1&feature=plcp

Edited December 4, 2012 by doomwaves

[twoquickcapri]

13. Afterburner (FM Towns Marty)

 

This one was surprising easy too. Maybe Sega's ports to the Marty are easier than others.

 

14. New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)

 

Not the biggest Mario fan and only got the game because my girlfriend wanted it. The game was fun and it got me kicking my leg like I use to when I was kid playing Mario on the NES.

[Christophero Sly]

Mindjack (360)

 

Every facet of Mindjack's gameplay and design is flawed in some way, and it's signature mechanic (Mindjacking) has been done better in every game that has attempted something similar. The plot is garbage. The dialogue is inane, with the protagonist spouting out such laughably awful lines as, "Bottom line is, monorail equals freedom. Let's dance!" It's remarkable that a game can do so many things wrong and still be functional.

 

Mindjack is not some sort of diamond in the rough, but it's also not quite as bad as most critics and gamers have made it out to be. The best thing I can say about Mindjack is that in it's later levels the choreography of the firefights is good enough to produce, on occasion, a minute or two of a certain visceral intensity that is more or less satisfying. For better or worse, Mindjack is essentially a Gears of War clone (a game that I felt was also significantly flawed and that I didn't much care for), and I got about as much out of Mindjack as I did Gears. D+, maybe a C-

[+thegoldenband]

71. Star Wars: Rebel Assault (3DO)

 

Sat down today to play this through. Since I beat it on the Sega CD earlier this year, I just went straight to Hard, and after a few hours of gameplay (in separate sessions) I blew up the Death Star.

 

The 3DO version should be a slam-dunk over the Sega CD in every department, but actually there are a few faults. The most glaring problem is in the Storm Troopers level (or whatever the level where you're on foot is called), where the handy targeting reticule has been replaced with one of the worst aiming schemes I've ever seen. In addition, I found that the reticule movement in some of the space missions was slow and fairly granular (moving in little steps), which makes aiming more difficult; that wasn't the case in the Sega CD version IIRC.

 

Still, the graphics are a big (and functional) upgrade, and there are some significant improvements to the HUD, including a readout which tells you when you're locked onto a target and when to fire. So, now you can see what you're shooting at, and know when to shoot it. That makes the final Death Star trench run infinitely more playable than the Sega CD version, but the asteroid mission is still a memorization game.

 

Oh, and there's an extra level, which is OK. And if you're feeling generous, so is the game. C.

[Cybergoth]

Phew... that was one to bite through... I finally finished Final Fight 2 (Virtual Console) on extreme difficulty for the best ending. I think it possibly was the worst Capcom game I've completed in my chronological run so far. Even if one was actually worse, it most definitely didn't take that long...

 

For some statistics, I reinstalled the Nintendo Channel just to see my Virtual Console playing times (in hours:minutes).

Here you go:

 

Son Son: 25:02

Final Fight 2: 22:12

Ghosts 'n Goblins 11:35

1942: 7:56

Mega Man 5: 7:54

Exed Exes: 2:18

Black Tiger: 1:40

Commando: 0:52

 

Capcom games beaten in 2012: Bionic Commando, Legendary Wings, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Mega Man 2, Last Duel, Duck Tales, Strider, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Forgotten Worlds, Tiger Road, Black Tiger, Gargoyle's Quest, Chip 'n Dale - Rescue Rangers, Little Nemo - The Dream Master, Mega Man 3, Final Fight, Mercs, Mega Twins, Block Block, Three Wonders, The Little Mermaid, 1941: Counter Attack, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Talespin, Mega Man 4, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix, Magic Sword, Darkwing Duck, The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse, Mega Man 5, Mickey's Dangerous Chase, Quiz & Dragons, Varth, Eco Fighters, Aladdin, Breath of Fire & Final Fight 2.

[+thegoldenband]

72. Super Street Fighter II Turbo (3DO)

 

Played through this yesterday with E. Honda on 8-star difficulty. I'd beaten 1-4 stars last year, and decided to abandon my gradual ramping-up and just go for it. (Didn't get Akuma, of course -- I might go back and try to reach him at some point.)

 

The world isn't exactly in desperate need of SFII series reviews, but I will note a couple things: first, I think the voices in this port are sped up, and run 5-10% too fast. Not too terrible, but certainly noticeable.

 

Second, the AI is sometimes as dumb as a post! I was able to win many fights with simple Super Zutsuki (flying headbutt) patterns. For example, using just the Super Zutsuki, I was able to get a Perfect victory in the second round against M. Bison. I didn't by any means win every match (I think I lost around 12-13 of them), but I was able to beat most in two rounds.

 

Oddly enough, my main challenge didn't come from the big name-brand characters -- Ryu, Chun Li, M. Bison, all of whom I beat in one match -- but from Vega, Blanka, Dee Jay, and especially Cammy who seemed to fight much smarter than the other characters. Maybe a SSFII Turbo expert would be unsurprised by that (or would scoff at my failure), but it took me off-guard. A-.

[Segataritensoftii]

1. Kirby's Adventure (NES)

2. NiGHTS Into Dreams (PS2) Already beat this on the Saturn many, many times, but whatever.

3. Kirby Superstar (SNES)

4. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES)

5. Kirby Star Stacker (GB)

6. Kirby No Kirakira Kizzu (SNES)

 

[Christophero Sly]

Psychonauts (XBOX)

 

An outstanding game, overflowing with creativity, cleverness, and humor. The quality of the design and the level of polish are off the charts. The only negative I can identify is a punishing difficulty spike that occurs in one of the final segments of the game, but it's a trivial aggravation in the grand scheme of things. Psychonauts is a remarkable game; one of the best I've played. Easily gets an A.

Edited December 12, 2012 by Christophero Sly

[Austin]

39. Toki (NES) - I completed this the other night. Ended up finishing it on my first try without using any continues. It's a pretty fun game, and waaaay easier than the Genesis one.

 

40. Ninja Ryukenden III (Famicom) - Loaded this up on the PowerPak the other night just to see the differences from the US version (Ninja Gaiden III). Not only is there a password save feature (the biggest difference everyone is familiar with), but the amount of health knocked off of you is much less, and there are a lot less enemies in the earlier parts of the game. Also, you are given the fire shield/wheel powerup in *every* stage, which makes the hardest parts a cakewalk. Strangely enough, I prefer the brutal difficulty of the US version. I actually felt good managing to complete that one.

 

Asides from that, I have several others I need to add to this list that I haven't bothered to yet. Been sort of lazy with keeping this thread updated lately.

Edited December 13, 2012 by Austin

[+thegoldenband]

73. Battle Chess (3DO)

 

Beat this on the highest difficulty (9) with the black pieces. Thankfully it has a savegame function, since the CPU uses at least 20-25 minutes per move -- our 51-move game took over 20 hours of computer time -- and my tolerance for chess programs without a clock is approaching nil.

 

I'm indifferent to the battle scenes, the chess engine itself is mediocre -- NES Chessmaster is quite a bit stronger -- and there are appallingly few options. So there's really not much to recommend here unless you're determined to play chess on the 3DO. D.

[Austin]

Beat this on the highest difficulty (9) with the black pieces. Thankfully it has a savegame function, since the CPU uses at least 20-25 minutes per move -- our 51-move game took over 20 hours of computer time -- and my tolerance for chess programs without a clock is approaching nil

 

It's interesting you mention that. I never realized the CPU took so long to render moves, primarily because I never played it solo. I think the game is decent if you are solely playing against another human being, but asides from that it seems like it's not worth the time at all.

Edited December 15, 2012 by Austin

[+thegoldenband]

I could see it as being a decent option for two people to have some fun, yeah. But even in the early 1990s, there were much stronger and more efficient engines that could've played a better game, and allowed for some reasonable time management.

 

It's not as bad as the Atari and Intellivision carts in that department, which can take 10 hours for a move -- but then again it's not much stronger than them, either!

[Cybergoth]

I just played through Goof Troop which is surprisingly deep for one of Capcoms Disney games. In fact I'd say it's probably the best of them. I especially loved how they revisited the "Pirate Ship Higemaru" gameplay here. It's also a lot of fun in co-op

 

Capcom games beaten in 2012: Bionic Commando, Legendary Wings, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Mega Man 2, Last Duel, Duck Tales, Strider, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Forgotten Worlds, Tiger Road, Black Tiger, Gargoyle's Quest, Chip 'n Dale - Rescue Rangers, Little Nemo - The Dream Master, Mega Man 3, Final Fight, Mercs, Mega Twins, Block Block, Three Wonders, The Little Mermaid, 1941: Counter Attack, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Talespin, Mega Man 4, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix, Magic Sword, Darkwing Duck, The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse, Mega Man 5, Mickey's Dangerous Chase, Quiz & Dragons, Varth, Eco Fighters, Aladdin, Breath of Fire, Final Fight 2 & Goof Troop

[+thegoldenband]

74. Kung Fu Kid (SMS)

 

The high-jumping protagonist of this middling action game can often avoid conflict by simply encouraging three enemies to follow him: since the game can't summon a fourth, they just obligingly tag along until an obstacle or a boss is reached.

 

And the bosses seem like the best part of the game -- but because most bosses are motionless and vulnerable after getting hit, you only need finesse for the first attack; after that, brute force suffices, but without much satisfaction.

 

Music's OK, but the garishly colored art design makes Sunset Riders look like Johnny Cash. C-.

[doomwaves]

6) Splatterhouse - Xbox 360

 

Had a great time with this one.. Still am actually... The survival mode is pretty addicting for me..

 

Coolest feature, all 3 classic Splatterhouse games are unlockable.

 

Here is my review:

 

[+thegoldenband]

75. Cyborg Hunter (SMS)

 

Another day, another SMS game that can be beaten in one sitting. Actually, it took me two playthroughs, since the game pulls the "Oh, gee whiz, you made it to the final boss? Well, I guess now you can't continue anymore" gambit which is the coward's way of extending a game's length. But the second time it was easy enough.

 

There are a few nice touches in this vaguely Metroid-ish title, like the fact that some late opponents are actually more easily subdued with your punches than your gun. The radar works pretty well, too. But it's neither challenging nor deep, and the otherwise-solid controls suffer from the nutty decision to use Up to set bombs, which naturally leads to lots of wasted detonations when you're just trying to go through a door. C+.

 

BTW for a free laugh, check out this review. "ort of a mesh between Metroid and Metal Gear" -- yes, OK, but "like Metal Gear, there's no password or save system" -- say what?

[Cybergoth]

I just beat Cave Story on Wiiware. It's clearly one of the best games on the service, albeit with a Metascore of 89 significantly overrated - it's really good, but certainly not on par with Metroid Fusion, Super or Zero. Something around 80% would be a more appropriate score I think

[Cybergoth]

Today I completed the last bits of Mega Man Maverick Hunter X. I beat it with X and Vile, collecting everything incl. the Hadouken upgrade. Fabulous game! Forced to choose I'd say say it's even better than Powered Up on the PSP!

 

Capcom games beaten in 2012: Bionic Commando, Legendary Wings, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Mega Man 2, Last Duel, Duck Tales, Strider, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Forgotten Worlds, Tiger Road, Black Tiger, Gargoyle's Quest, Chip 'n Dale - Rescue Rangers, Little Nemo - The Dream Master, Mega Man 3, Final Fight, Mercs, Mega Twins, Block Block, Three Wonders, The Little Mermaid, 1941: Counter Attack, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Talespin, Mega Man 4, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix, Magic Sword, Darkwing Duck, The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse, Mega Man 5, Mickey's Dangerous Chase, Quiz & Dragons, Varth, Eco Fighters, Aladdin, Breath of Fire, Final Fight 2, Goof Troop & Mega Man Maverick Hunter X

[SSG]

ugh.... Long list but here are a few.

 

Call of duty Black ops 2, Call of duty 4, Battlefield 2 Modern Combat, Sonic 2, Pokemon Black 2 ...