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Post by moran on Feb 10, 2019 7:50:15 GMT -5
Mega Man X 2 - SNES - Replay ~5 hours
7/10
Good game, I like that the difficulty was bumped up for this one and the addition of the X-Hunters. But it just isn’t as fun or as memorable as X. And I forgot that the X-Hunters disappear after a while and I missed out on saving Zero. So 99% completion.
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Post by dsparil on Feb 10, 2019 8:31:50 GMT -5
Access Denied (Switch, First Time)
In concept, I found this appealing. It's a simple collection of 36 occasionally multi-part mechanical puzzles. There's a few reasonable puzzles, but most are way too easy and there's too few for how simple most are. Maybe if it were a $1 it wouldn't be too bad, but $5 is way too much.
I finished in around 1.5h.
Rating: 5 (7 if it were cheaper)
Edit: Forgot to include that there are touch controls but they're awful. This type of "scenario" is tailor made for them and would have actually added to the experience. This might seem like it's a mobile port, but it was originally a PC title making the console rounds this year.
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Post by toei on Feb 11, 2019 11:03:07 GMT -5
Claiming Atomic Runner (Genesis) I was waiting until I could beat it with the default amount of lives and continues before I claimed it. I came close after just a few days practice, but then I started getting worse for various reasons and I got sick of redoing the early levels. Finally did it today. Wasn't even a good run, it seemed - made it to the final level with just 2 lives, I think, which shouldn't have been enough, but somehow I only died once throughout the level, and beat the final boss in a single try. Hell yeah. This is a really good game, btw.
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Post by Digitalnametag on Feb 11, 2019 14:16:15 GMT -5
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (PS4) FTP 70 hours
Yah for finally getting a PlayStation release! I can see why people mark this as the best Tales of game. Yuri is immediately likable as a protagonist and the battle system while still classic Tales has enough different about it to make it interesting. Weapon crafting for skills is fun and battles are still fast paced. Also the OP 'Ring A Bell' is now one of my favorite openings of all time.
Some of the other characters a kinda forgettable however, and if you hate miss-able content you best play with a guide. Vesperia is old school like that. Dungeons are kind of lame too. This localization also has some issue with the voices. The new content isn't always mixed right and Yuri's original voice actor has been replaced in the new lines. Which sound awkward spliced in between the old stuff. I know Bamco had a tough choice here but they probably should've had the new VA redo all of Yuri's lines. Atlus did this with Persona 4. Yeah some people would have been pissed but at least the quality would have been consistent.
I love me some Tales. Despite the VA annoyances I really enjoyed the game. I still mark Xillia and Symphonia as my favorite Tales games but Vesperia is a happy third. That just leaves Abyss as the last of the localized games I haven't beaten. The longest one.
Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight (PS4) FTP 9 hours
Yup this should have been one game with P5D. Also should have included the DLC on disk for the special edition. And while the remix of 'Memories of You' is excellent I still would have liked the original to be in the game. It's my favorite Persona 3 song! The full version of the 4+5's ending themes are in the other Dancing games! Gah. Still enjoyed the game. Atlus slaps Persona on something and I will buy it. Now where is my Persona 3 remake using this graphics engine!
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Post by zerker on Feb 11, 2019 16:26:53 GMT -5
I finished another game. This time, it's Bomb Chicken (Switch, First Time). I... don't think I liked it all that much. It had some interesting puzzles, but other puzzles/challenges were more frustrating instead. Plus the game decides to use a lives system... kinda. If you run out of lives in a stage, you need to start it over, but any collected items or keys/unlocked doors remain in the same state. So you generally just need to walk back to where you were, re-doing the bare minimum of the obstacles in that route. Honestly, the game would have been better to just let you keep trying a room until you get it, but that would make the collectibles even more pointless, I suppose. Right now, they are used to earn more lives, up to a probable max of 9.
6/10; Switch says "3 hours or more".
PS: Moonlighter has time stats now: "15 hours or more".
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Post by Null0x00 on Feb 12, 2019 5:50:33 GMT -5
Cleared the story of Need for Speed Payback for Windows in 17 hours. First playthrough. Scientifically accurate game ranking: 7/10. Surprising good for a game from EA.
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Post by dsparil on Feb 12, 2019 10:02:39 GMT -5
Castlevania: The Adventure (GameBoy, First Time)
Some people like this, every kusoge has its fans, but I'm not among them. I'm not sure if I'd definitively say this is the worst GB game I've ever played, but I'm hard pressed to think of one now. The absolute number one problem is the stiff and slightly buggy controls. You don't always attack when you press the button or jump forward when you should. There's also way too much pixel perfect platforming for a game with controls this bad. I think a lot of the problems can be chalked up to a lack of familiarity with the hardware since the sequel is less of a disaster. The sole saving grace is that you have unlimited continues.
Rating: 2
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Post by Snake on Feb 12, 2019 19:24:36 GMT -5
Policenauts, Playstation 1 (1st time, about 11 hours, 30 minutes)
Even though it's mostly visual novel, and less of an actual game, I found it to be quite engaging and entertaining. I love the sense of tension and mystery that it manages to create. The actual gameplay part are mostly gun shooting scenes, and a few mini-game puzzles. There is a particular mini-game that really stalled me for a while, before you transition from Disc 1 to Disc 2. There are a lot of Hideo Kojima hallmarks that carry on from Snatcher and Policenauts, that end up culminating into the Metal Gear Solid series. Specifically, how logistical and detail-oriented the space and environment becomes. Which also means drawn-out monologues over things like medication, genes, technology, etc. There's a shelf full of CD's, where the jewel case designs are very much in line with what you would get if you bought a CD album in Japan. Your character, Jonathan Ingram, is capable of even more perversion than Solid Snake. There are a lot of choice moments that just would not fly in today's gaming climate. I would say you are able to fondle the breasts of at least half of the female characters that show up. If Solid Snake in Metal Gear 2 was based on Mel Gibson, Jonathan in Policenauts is also feels based on Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon. Complete with an older, more experienced, buddy cop from LA, close to retirement, with a son and a mature, attractive daughter, a la Danny Glover's Lt. Murtaugh. Throw in a little bit of Die Hard, Beverly Hills Cop, along with Japanese conglomerate culture, and anime mecha. I also like how the tone of what you were investigating ends up being a darker reality than you imagine.
Subjective Score: 8. The last battle is a bit anti-climactic, and left me a bit wanting from a pretty significant antagonist. A lot of the fun is in being immersed in the reality, and watching the plot unfold. The only thing that bothered me was how you could just wander aimlessly, if you fail to click on the right spot, which you would need to trigger the next event. Not much in replay value, but I'm quite happy with the overall experience. I would say it's worth playing at least once. I've read that the Saturn version allows for play with a light gun, which I think would be a lot more satisfying that pushing the directional-pad around to aim.
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Post by dsparil on Feb 15, 2019 8:44:46 GMT -5
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (GameBoy, First Time)
Such an improved sequel! There are actually sub weapons even though they're limited to the axe and holy water, but they sure do help. The platforming and levels in general are much fairer and lack the absolute precision needed in the first game. There's some fun new additions like the direction changing ropes you occasionally have to traverse. A nice little touch is being able to select from 4 levels at the start before moving onto the 2 levels (plus final boss level) in Dracula's castle. This makes the original seem like an unfinished beta that was accidentally released.
Rating: 8
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Post by toei on Feb 15, 2019 9:58:00 GMT -5
Claiming Insector X (Genesis). Wrote a short review there.
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Post by Snake on Feb 15, 2019 14:11:52 GMT -5
Megaman 6, Mega Man Legacy Collection, PS4 (replay, approx. 1 hour 30 minutes)
One of the easier Mega Man games. I didn't need any E-cans until the 3-part Wily final battle; and by then, I had collected 9 E-cans. Like Mega Man 5, I've only played this a handful of times, and it's rather forgettable. There isn't any one single music track that grabs me. Most of the Mr. X and Wily Stage bosses can effectively taken out with the Rush adaptor power-ups. Probably what I did like most about the game was the concept of combining with Rush for the jet pack and power punch. And after going through the trouble of gathering all the BEAT letters, I didn't even bother to use it. Totally forgot about it, didn't need it. Graphically, it is one of the more impressive and colorful NES games out there.
Score: 6.5
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Post by lurker on Feb 15, 2019 14:20:29 GMT -5
Megaman 6, Mega Man Legacy Collection, PS4 (replay, approx. 1 hour 30 minutes)
One of the easier Mega Man games. I didn't need any E-cans until the 3-part Wily final battle; and by then, I had collected 9 E-cans. Like Mega Man 5, I've only played this a handful of times, and it's rather forgettable. There isn't any one single music track that grabs me. Most of the Mr. X and Wily Stage bosses can effectively taken out with the Rush adaptor power-ups. Probably what I did like most about the game was the concept of combining with Rush for the jet pack and power punch. And after going through the trouble of gathering all the BEAT letters, I didn't even bother to use it. Totally forgot about it, didn't need it. Graphically, it is one of the more impressive and colorful NES games out there. Score: 6.5 I like the Robot Masters in that one.
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Post by Woody Alien on Feb 15, 2019 14:34:26 GMT -5
2064: Read Only Memories (PC Windows/Steam, first time), around 12 hours, need to check.
An interesting cyberpunk-style Western visual novel inspired by 90s Japanese games and with the obligatory nods to Snatcher, Blade Runner, Isaac Asimov and all that jazz. Great music, good style, some nice lines and humour, not every character is fleshed out in the same way but maybe I have to complete some alternate paths. I have finished the normal ending and have now to finish the additional chapter set at Christmas. The complaints that some people had at the time for the inclusion of LGBT themes were pretty exaggerated, they are there, but just tangentially related to the main story and surely they aren't so forced, it IS San Francisco after all. My only complaint is that I thought it had more branches and interactivity, but it's a good game.
Let's add another one then:
Strange Telephone (PC Windows/Steam, first time), 2 hours.
The porting of a 2017 Japanese phone game clearly inspired by Yume Nikki, with pixelated graphics. I had it in the Steam wishlist for a long time, but when I finally bought it and played it I was quite underwhelmed and disappointed. The title telephone is the gimmick where composing 6-digit numbers grants you access to randomly generated areas, but they're quite small and based around a dozen or so environments so it becomes repetitive fast. You have to find objects and combine or use them, graphic adventure style, to find new areas and unlock the 10 or so possible endings. I unlocked just a few of them and called it quits because I was bored and annoyed: the puzzles make no sense and the hints aren't helpful at all. So you'll just start trying everything on everything just to see what happens, but this is not good game design at all. I get that the dev wanted to keep Yume Nikki's surreal and dreamy atmosphere, but here the exploration is limited at best and everything else is nonsensical and frustrating.
At least I didn't buy it full price.
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Post by Snake on Feb 15, 2019 14:41:06 GMT -5
I like the Robot Masters in that one. True, I do like the designs for Centaur Man, Knight Man, Yamato Man, and Tomahawk Man. I guess even Blizzard Man is pretty unique for an ice-based robot master.
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Post by dsparil on Feb 17, 2019 13:52:32 GMT -5
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch, First Time)
Completely fabulous! The combat is great and fast paced with a nice variety of enemies. The story is well developed and there's a reasonable amount of character development. The new translation is great too and doesn't have any of the awkwardness that seems to have been in the original. There's no money since the whole idea is that everyone is a castaway, but I also didn't find myself grinding for materials at all.
I did find it interesting that there are technically multiple endings, but it's very easy to get the best one. You have a reputation score and need to have it over 200 to get the best ending. Doing all the side quests and finding all the castaways easily puts you over this number. You'd basically have to try to get any of the other ones.
My only real issue is that visual quality in portable mode is a little iffy. It uses a variable resolution, but it has a tendency to pop into lower quality for split seconds randomly. It isn't super noticeable during gameplay, but it's very obvious during cutscenes. XC2 managed much better results with better quality visuals although that did have the advantage of being custom made to the hardware.
That aside, Ys VIII is one of the best action RPGs I've ever played. There are a few content additions that would have been nice—night missions are underused—but what you get is excellent.
I finished in 39:56:58.
Rating: 10 (9 if played portable)
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