What have you ACTUALLY played tracker - Modern Edition (2023)

[carlsson]

17 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

Duolingo - 

You didn't post a number with this one. I can use my default 5 min or omit it entirely unless you get the time to update it.

[+jgkspsx]

33 minutes ago, carlsson said:

You didn't post a number with this one. I can use my default 5 min or omit it entirely unless you get the time to update it.

Ack! 102 minutes.

 

Also, for either this week or next: I am so unaccustomed to recording PC time that I missed two.

 

PC

Avery Cardoza’s Slam Tilt Pinball - 35 minutes

 

 

Ottifanten Ostfriesen Pinball - 45 minutes

 

https://m.youtube.com/live/xIpSAKyqI9o?feature=share

[carlsson]

Week 02

 

Top games

 

1. Wolfenstein 2 (PS4) - 2190 min.
2. Vampire Survivors (iOS) - 1072 min. (#8)
3. Tales of the Abyss (3DS) - 991 min. (#1)
4. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Xbox One) - 490 min.
5. Rebel Galaxy (PC) - 308 min.
6. Simpsons, The: Hit & Run (Gamecube) - 295 min.
7. Pikmin Bloom (iOS) - 208 min. (#6)
8. Life is Strange (2015) (Xbox One) - 180 min.
9. Pinball Arcade, The (PS4) - 135 min.
10. NEW LOVEPLUS+ (3DS) - 133 min. (#10)

 

Top systems

 

1. PS4 - 2325 min. (#3)
2. iOS - 1382 min. (#5)
3. 3DS - 1137 min. (#1)
4. Xbox One - 733 min.
5. Gamecube - 462 min.
6. PC - 457 min. (#8)
7. Sunplus SPG - 157 min.
8. Wii U - 103 min.
9. PS5 - 60 min. (#2)
10. Switch - 55 min. (#4)

 

Total 7017 minutes and 40 different games (of which 28 new) on 15 different systems, with 7 participants.

 

With new participants come new games, as Parker77 brings Wolfenstein 2 straight into first place. Vampire Survivors and Tales of the Abyss battle for the title most played handheld game. Two new formats this week, in form of Sunplus SPG and New 3DS.

 

Since I'm not very good on modern games, and in particular handheld ones, I just happen to observe that we now have four DS related systems: 3DS, DS, DSi and New 3DS. Whether either of those would be useful to combine, I'm not sure, but good to know that you may list exact system separately (at least for the time being).

[+jgkspsx]

37 minutes ago, carlsson said:

I just happen to observe that we now have four DS related systems: 3DS, DS, DSi and New 3DS.

DS and 3DS are generationally different - 3DS is as powerful as the Wii.

 

DSi and New 3DS are spinoff systems with modest performance enhancements and features. I don’t feel strongly about keeping them separate but equally their games (mostly) can’t be played on their parent systems.

 

The DSi library is quite large but can be played on 3DS (though not original DS, mostly). Many many good and important exclusives in their number as well.
 

The New 3DS is a much more significant upgrade from the 3DS than the DSi was from the DS, but the library is tiny, with the list of 50 exclusives from five years ago scarcely growing since: 

And most New 3DS games are shovelware or worse that will likely never be recorded. There are some high profile games like Xenoblade Chronicles and some really good indie titles, though.

[+wongojack]

Can original DS games be played on all of these systems?

[Steven Pendleton]

2 minutes ago, wongojack said:

Can original DS games be played on all of these systems?

Not all. Some games require the GBA cartridge slot, which was removed on the DSi and 3DS.

[+jgkspsx]

For instance, Slide Adventure Mag Kid. Not many, though.

[+wongojack]

That was a very precise answer @Steven Pendleton - thank you.  So, is it safe to say that DS games that only require the DS cart slot (no GBA) will work on the 3ds and New 3ds?  If so, I did not know this.  I totally skipped the 3ds, but knowing it is compatible with all the DS games I have makes me want one a slight bit more.

 

What I'd really like is a way to play DS games on my TV somehow.  It felt like the Wii U was headed that way, but alas, we never got there.

 

[Steven Pendleton]

4 minutes ago, wongojack said:

That was a very precise answer @Steven Pendleton - thank you.  So, is it safe to say that DS games that only require the DS cart slot (no GBA) will work on the 3ds and New 3ds?  If so, I did not know this.  I totally skipped the 3ds, but knowing it is compatible with all the DS games I have makes me want one a slight bit more.

 

What I'd really like is a way to play DS games on my TV somehow.  It felt like the Wii U was headed that way, but alas, we never got there.

 

If you don't need the GBA cart slot you're good. If you do, you're screwed. That said, I find that DS games look like complete shit on 3DS compared to playing them on an actual DS, and the 3DS also has awful battery life in comparison, so it's actually going to be a downgrade instead of an upgrade like it should be. It's extremely disappointing. There are a few DS games on the Wii U, but it's very limited.

[+jgkspsx]

You can start DS games in pixel perfect mode on the 3DS, but then you end up playing on a small portion of the screen.

[Steven Pendleton]

Somehow the Xbox 360 is here.

 

3DS

Tales of the Abyss - 872

 

Xbox 360
DoDonPachi Saidaioujou - 421

 

PS4
Battle Garegga Rev.2016 - 21
Same! Same! Same! - 34
Same! Same! Same! (2P ver) - 43
Sennou Game Teki-Paki - 22

[+jgkspsx]

Not much for me this week.

 

Apple iOS:

Duolingo - 84 minutes

Pikmin Bloom - 353 minutes

A Community Day kicked off a Lunar New Year celebration and got me another badge.

 

Super Impulse Tiny Arcade:

Burgertime - 10 minutes

Frogger - 5 minutes

Space Invaders: Tabletop Edition - 10 minutes

Now with a (digital) color overlay! Unfortunately the UFOs are broken now in a way that I don’t think they were in the original stand up version. They always fly left to right and they keep coming even when there are fewer than five invaders.

 

VT03:

Star - 20 minutes

A bit too slow and easy but kind of fun.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

What are we going to play this year Brain? The same thing we play every year, Pinky...

 

Nintendo Switch

Alien: Isolation - 200 minutes

Ōkami HD - 55 minutes 

 

[Hwlngmad]

Here is what I did last week:

 

Android

1) Retro Bowl - 180 minutes

[+wongojack]

PC 

Breakout Recharged 40 

Pong Quest 550 

 

XOne 

Life is Strange 703

 

I wasn't really that happy with Life is Strange when I started it, but it got better as I went along.  On the other hand Pong Quest just kind of sucks.  I'd recommend playing it as a demo and then stopping.  The idea is fun, but it doesn't change much.  I still have a dungeon or two left before I deliver a final verdict on that one.

 

[carlsson]

Week 03

 

Top games

 

1. Tales of the Abyss (3DS) - 872 min. (#3)
2. Life is Strange (2015) (Xbox One) - 703 min. (#8)
3. Pong Quest (PC) - 550 min.
4. DoDonPachi Saidaioujou (Xbox 360) - 421 min.
5. Pikmin Bloom (iOS) - 353 min. (#7)
6. Alien: Isolation (Switch) - 200 min.
7. Retro Bowl (Android) - 180 min.
8. Duolingo (iOS) - 84 min.
9. Okami HD (Switch) - 55 min.
10. Same! Same! Same! (2 player version) (PS4) - 43 min.

 

Top systems

 

1. 3DS - 872 min. (#3)
2. Xbox One - 703 min. (#4)
3. PC - 590 min. (#6)
4. iOS - 437 min. (#2)
5. Xbox 360 - 421 min.
6. Switch - 255 min. (#10)
7. Android - 180 min.
8. PS4 - 120 min. (#1)
9. Super Impulse Tiny/Micro Arcade - 25 min.
10. VR Technologies VT03 Famiclone - 20 min.

 

Total 3623 minutes and 18 different games (of which 2 new) on 10 different systems, with 5 participants.

 

As the influx from last week has subsided, Tales of the Abyss is back at #1 again, nearly three hours ahead of Life is Strange. The systems list is partly reshuffled from last week, with PS4 and iOS down while 3DS and Xbox One up into the top two.

 

Speaking of Tales of the Abyss (3DS), it also enters the 50 hour club with a total of 3195 minutes played.

[Parker77]

Xbox 1:

Bloodstained RotN - another 840 to completion

 

 

[Steven Pendleton]

Games. Honestly, there are 9 other games I played but I am way too lazy to check times, so I won't, at least not now.

 

3DS
Tales of the Abyss - 423

 

Xbox 360
DoDonPachi Saidaioujou - 361

 

PC
DoDonPachi Resurrection - 32
Mushihimesama - 7
Valkyria Chronicles 4 - 565

Should this be counted specifically as Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition since that's what it is? The original version is gone and unobtainable, although I don't know why you wouldn't want to not have all of the DLC for free.

Edited January 29 by Steven Pendleton

[Wayler]

Woke up early on a sunday just for this, good times again. 

 

GAMECUBE

Simpsons, The: Hit & Run - 78 min

[+wongojack]

PC 

Annalynn 23 

Black Jewel 11 

Catacombs of the Undercity 205 

Pong Quest 48 

Tiltagon 9 

Train Bandit 9 

Zero Reflex 19 

 

XOne 

Floppy Knights 60

 

I wrapped up Pong Quest early in the week and posted about it and Life is Strange here:  https://forums.atariage.com/topic/346329-modern-games-beaten-in-2023/?do=findComment&comment=5195259. Short version: Pong Quest 2/5; Life is Strange 3/5.  Honestly, I could be convinced to give Pong Quest a 1.  It was more of a demo idea taken too far than an actual game IMO.

 

Meanwhile Catacombs of the Undercity is a storybook adventure.  It plays like reading a choose your own adventure book where you do dice rolls to decide the outcomes of events.  It is fun for a bit, and my wife and I like to play these occasionally (this is the 3rd one we've played) where I read them out loud while she's doing something else.  It's kind of a fun thing to do together, but they really boil down to getting dice rolls, so even in my most patient and "follow the rules" mood, I eventually want to just retry a fight or a roll to see a better outcome.  Good for what it is, and we did finish the story this weekend.   I give it a 3/5

 

[Hwlngmad]

Times from this past week are:

 

Android

1) Retro Bowl - 90 minutes

2) Vampire Survivors - 140 minutes

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Another week of my all time favorite game Alien: Isolation, AKA "Hide and seek with consequences" 

 

I beat the game on nightmare difficulty on Wednesday but had so much fun with it that I didn't want the game to be over, so I just started a new game on hard difficulty on Friday so I could enjoy playing through it again with more resources and weaponry this time around

 

 

Nintendo Switch

Alien: Isolation - 1,740 minutes 

Edited January 30 by Skippy B. Coyote

[+jgkspsx]

I played very little on the modern side this week.

 

Apple iOS:

Duolingo - 47 minutes

Pikmin Bloom - 399 minutes
 

Virtual Technologies VT0x:

Magic Pond - 10 minutes

 

 

You might say, hey, that’s the same game as Antiquarium from a recent week. It is. But it also isn’t. Have another look at Antiquarium:

 

Polk - 20 minutes 

You wouldn’t expect it, but this is a port of the Intellivision Pinball game. Except they redid the graphics and broke the physics comprehensively.

 

Rabbit Village - 10 minutes

 

A rather fun and original spinoff of Pooyan. I will revisit this one for sure.

 

???? - 20 minutes

 

I don’t remember what this is called, but it looks impressive and plays exceedingly boring. Will update later and post below.

[carlsson]

48 minutes ago, jgkspsx said:

I don’t remember what this is called

I believe it might be this one:

 

255. CLOSE QUARTERS

An incredibly hard first-person shooter. Most games you don’t die in the first five seconds of play. This has a weird 3D background and planes and bullets that fly at you and you need to hit them via a hard-to-see targeting box. This is a Nice Code game also released as Space Battle, Aimless, Airial Hero, and Pearl Harbor.

 

Edit: Based on the color scheme, it definitely should be Aimless, though I don't know how much each variation differs.

https://talking-time.net/index.php?threads/what-the-heck-is-on-this-10-retro-game-handheld-let’s-find-out.1067/page-18

Edited January 30 by carlsson

[+jgkspsx]

1 hour ago, carlsson said:

255. CLOSE QUARTERS

This is a Nice Code game also released as Space Battle, Aimless, Airial Hero, and Pearl Harbor.

Wow, amazing detective work! It is absolutely aimless! I mean Aimless. I mean…

 

I don’t know about the other versions, but this one is painfully easy. The author’s struggles may be due to a misunderstanding. In most games of this viewpoint, enemy shots hitting anywhere on the screen hurt you and you have to shoot their shots with a targeting reticle. In this game, the only way to be hurt is if your targeting reticle gets hit by enemy fire. After I realized that I only got hurt when I got too bored to keep looking at the screen.

 

EDIT: ah, I see the author said Aimless was easier. I had ambitions to do just such an overview as they were doing once I play more of the games.