Your 2016 Gaming Diary

**Ike** · September 10, 2016

I picked up Mario & Sonic at the Rio Olympics (Wii U) on Friday. I was inspired to do so after watching the Nintendo Direct and seeing footage of Mario Sports Superstars.

Can't believe you didn't mention the music, I'd buy the game for the soundtrack alone.

Not from the same game, but this Super Mario Land Medley is amazing.

Jonnas · September 10, 2016

Little Big Adventure


	Audio

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...and in Adventure games, "they" are usually right

I started to play this shortly before E3, and finally completed it after some hiatus (blame Donkey Kong, Tetrobot and holidays). I played it with French audio and German text, a first for me.

(Some background, here: I never played this particular game when I was younger, I only played its sequel, LBA 2, so playing LBA 1 was a new experience, basically)

So yeah, some French developers in the early 1990s decided they wanted to make an immersive, open-ended, explorable game in 3D!! To this end, they made an isometric adventure game, where every roof could theoretically be reached, where every enemy could theoretically be avoided, where every level can be done in the order the player wants to.

Thus, the main character, Twinsen, lives in a bizarre world that's icy in the equator and sunny in its poles. 4 distinct races (slim humans with ponytails, anthropomorphic elephants, anthropomorphic rabbits, and balls with limbs) lived in harmony until evil mad scientist Dr. FunFrock (a fat human with ponytail) conquered the world using an army of robots, clone slaves and cyborgs, and maintained a fascist regime via a teleporting network. Twinsen is jailed for dissension, but a prophecy claims he is destined to liberate the world from FunFrock, and thus he must travel the world to do so.

(On a side-note, FunFrock is an ugly motherfucker. His gigantic head with googly eyes is unsettling to look at)

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Funky-Town. Or "Fanky Tone" in French.

For 1994, they did pretty well, even if the world is made up of separate islands, far from an open world. Twinsen has 4 moods that allow him to move and interact through the world in different ways ("Normal" for generic actions, "Sporty" for running and jumping, "Aggressive" for close combat and "Discreet" for avoiding enemies), NPCs felt like they had a lot of charm and personality, and players feel like they have a lot of freedom (even when they haven't). This is thanks to so many little touches throughout the game that make it come to life.

Sadly, LBA hasn't aged that well. The movement feels clunky in today's age, the save system is a tad bizarre, the difficulty is unforgiving (partly thanks to a difficult-to-aim projectile), and the camera is needlessly unhelpful. And also, running into walls hurts you if you're Sporty, come on, the heck?! :shakehead

The thing is, I can overlook all of that, but I can't ignore is the game's flawed pacing and structure. You spend the first few hours in the game escaping the fascist regime, running away from powerful soldiers and guards, and avoiding most places you come across. It's bloody difficult, and pretty counter-intuitive for a game that wants you to explore the world. I can see what they were going for (making you feel more powerful and free as the game progresses), but they really didn't execute it well.

All things considered, it's still an enjoyable and charming game, but one that really tests your patience and skill as a gamer. Thankfully, LBA 2 is a much better game on all fronts. I might replay that one next.

Played/Beat/Completed:

-Freedom Planet (2014) Beaten (Last played: 15th March)

-Rayman Forever (1995) Completed (3rd May)

-Deponia: The Complete Journey (2012-2013) Completed (14th May)

-Blocks that Matter (2011) Completed (25th May)

-Sonic Spinball (1993) Beaten (19th June)

-Card City Nights (2014) Completed (1st July)

-Tetrobot & Co. (2013) Completed (1st August)

-Mark of the Ninja DLC (2012) Completed (21st August)

-Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010) Beaten (3rd September)

-Little Big Adventure (1994) Completed (9th September)

Currently Playing:

-Another Metroid 2 Remake

-Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Edited September 10, 2016 by Jonnas

drahkon · September 11, 2016

Finished Ratchet & Clank (PS4) just now.

Without a doubt the best 3D platformer I've played since Super Mario Galaxy. It was a blast playing through the game Started Challenge Mode to get the remaining trophies.

After that I will either play Tearaway Unfolded or Dragon Quest Heroes. The former will most likely arrive earlier (probably tomorrow) so the dicision is already made :laughing:

Currently Playing

____________________________________

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) long-term playthrough

Overwatch (PS4) long-term playthrough

Minecraft (PSVita) long-term playthrough

No Man's Sky (PS4) long-term playthrough

Ratchet & Clank (PS4)

Completed

____________________________________

January

________________________________________________

Bastion (PS4/PSVita)

Tearaway (PSVita)

Transistor (PS4)

Life is Strange (PS4)

Ether One (PS4)

Tales from the Borderlands (PS4)

Defense Grid 2 (PS4)

Grimd Fandango Remastered (PS4)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (PS4)

Rogue Legacy (PSVita) "last-trophy-run"

Dust: An Elysian Tale (PS4)

February

________________________________________________

The Wolf Among Us (PS4)

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) reached Prestige 2

Super Mario 3D World (WiiU)

Peggle 2 (PS4)

Crypt of the Necrodancer (PS4/PSVita) Cadence+Melody Zones 1-4; Cadence All-Zones-Mode

March

________________________________________________

Crypt of the Necrodancer (PS4/PSVita) Melody+Bard All-Zones-Mode

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) reached Prestige 4 and 5

The Unfinished Swan (PS4)

Limbo (PS4)

Assault Android Cactus (PS4)

Salt and Sanctuary (PS4)

April

________________________________________________

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) reached Master Prestige

May

________________________________________________

Alienation (PS4)

Nioh - Alpha Demo (PS4)

Dark Souls III (PS4)

Hitman GO (PSVita)

Severed (PSVita)

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) acquired the Dark Matter Camouflage

Table Top Racing: World Tour (PS4)

The Walking Dead - Season 1 (PS4)

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)

June

________________________________________________

The Talos Principle (PS4) main game

Plague Inc. Evolved (PS4)

July

________________________________________________

Plague Inc. Evolved most of the diseases completed on Mega Brutal Difficutly (PS4)

Dangerous Golf (PS4)

Furi (PS4)

Enter the Gungeon (PS4)

August

________________________________________________

Plague Inc. Evolved (PS4)

Arcade Game Series: Pac-Man (PS4)

Super Exploding Zoo (PS4/PSVita)

The Talos Principle (PS4)

Nioh - Beta Demo (PS4)

Downwell (PS4/PSVita)

September

________________________________________________

Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (PS4)

Ratchet & Clank (PS4)

Put on hold

____________________________________

GTA: Vice City (PS4)

This War of Mine: The Little Ones (PS4)

Flame Over (PSVita) long-term playthrough

Dark Cloud (PS4)

Stories: The Path of Destinies (PS4)

Persona 4 Golden (PSVita)

Crypt of the Necrodancer (PS4/PSVita) long-term playthrough

Enter the Gungeon (PS4) long-term playthrough

Rogue Galaxy (PS4)

Alienation (PS4) long-term playthrough

Invisible, Inc. (PS4)

Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (PS4)

Tricky Towers (PS4)

Hero-of-Time · September 12, 2016

I got a good bit of gaming done over the weekend.

I finished and platinumed Oceanhorn (PS4). I remember NintendoLife writing about this game when it popped up on iOS. It's a Zelda/Wind Waker ripoff and I thought it looked pretty neat. I was caught by surprise when I seen @Tales playing it on my friends list, so I decided to snap it up straight away.

The game is blatantly a Zelda clone but I still found it very enjoyable. It was pretty easy ( not that the Zelda games are hard) but fun game to play. @drahkon I think you'll enjoy it once you get around to buying it.

After watching the DKC analysis last week I decided to go through the series again.

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I won't bother going on about how great these games are. I've done it countless times before in my many years on these boards.

I was going to go straight on to DKCR on the 3DS. I've never played that version before, so I ordered it off Amazon. It arrived yesterday and I gave it a quick go last night. I don't think that play through is gonna work out due to the controls. I hate using analogue sticks for 2D platformers and even though you can switch it to the d-pad, the d-pad on the 3DS is very small and awkward to use, especially when coming straight off using the Wii U gamepad. :hmm:

Can't believe you didn't mention the music, I'd buy the game for the soundtrack alone.

These tracks are very few and far between. I've put a fair few hours into the game and only heard them a handful of times.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Hero-of-Time
Automerged Doublepost

nekunando · September 12, 2016

It's always great to see some Donkey Kong Country love :love:

As for Returns, I also found the 3DS version to be awkward to play but for different reasons to yourself, @Hero\-of\-Time. I feel like the analogue stick actually works great for this game, especially on Wii, but I became so accustomed to using the Wii Remote & Nunchuk to play that I just couldn't feel comfortable with the more traditional controls. It wouldn't be a problem at all if the controls were the same as the original trilogy but having rolls and grabbing on different buttons is somehow too confusing after decades of using Y to do both.. and run :heh:

Ganepark32 · September 12, 2016

Like you @Hero\-of\-Time, I've been playing through Oceanhorn on the PS4 and finished it last night, though not quite to Platinum level yet and not sure if I'll go back to mop up the last trophies to do so.

It was an enjoyable game that apes the Zelda template and more or less copies the usual first half of those games, grabbing 3 emblems/tokens/whatever, but doesn't prolong the experience through dragging out a second half repeat of that. On that basis, I'm happy that they went for something that is short and sweet as sometimes the Zelda games become a bit long in the teeth when they throw that mid game change of objective before you can truly confront the evil in the game. But at the same time, I was left wanting a bit more, something of substance from it. It's very much left me with a feeling of cognitive dissonance on that front, though it's perhaps something the announced sequel (which is only coming to PC and consoles) may fix.

It's by no means the worst of the Zelda-style games I've played over the years, and would probably come somewhere in the middle of the pack which isn't too bad for something which was an iPad title to begin with, but the game's lack of charm and anything distinctly original to call its own did make it feel a bit flat at times. You can see and hear the ties to older games throughout, and not just Zelda. The title track reeks of Chrono Trigger/Secret of Mana and having Nobuo Uematsu and Kenjo Ito on board bringing that to the game feels like a bit of a let down. It just would've been nice for it to have made a stamp with something, whether it was gameplay wise or soundtrack wise, which could make it stand out a bit from the mid-ground.

Still, not half a bad game and with the sequel coming to PC and consoles with no iPad/iOS/Android involvement, it will be interesting to see how they expand with that and if they can freshening out the game with some new ideas and some unique aspects to call its own. Definitely worth a punt if you're in the mood for something Zelda-esque at the moment though.

Completed

January

Axiom Verge (Started Dec. 2015)

Three Fourths Home: Extended Edition

Resogun* (Rookie complete, 3 difficulty settings to go)

Super Exploding Zoo

Among The Sleep

Amplitude

Just Cause 3 (Started Dec. 2015)

Fallout 4 (Started Nov. 2015)

Flower

February

The Witness (Platinum get)

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

Submerged

Rainbow Six Siege (Situations Completed)

Firewatch

Unravel

March

Hotline Miami

SOMA

The Fall

Murdered: Soul Suspect (Platinumed)

Uncharted 2 Remastered

April

Uncharted 3 Remastered

Republique (PS4)

Shutshimi

Teslagrad

Volume (Platinumed)

Mirror's Edge (PS3)

Blues and Bullets - Episode 1 & 2 (of 5)

Octodad: Dadliest Catch

May

Shadow Complex Remastered

Koi (PS4)

The Park (PS4)

Table Top Racing: World Tour

Uncharted 4

June

Ratchet and Clank (2016)

Invisible Inc. (Beginner difficulty)

Child of Eden (PS3)

Oxenfree

VEV: Viva Ex Vivo

Gone Home (PS4)

Mirror's Edge Catalyst

July

Far Cry Primal

Infamous First Light

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell

Type:Rider (PS4)

Adr1ft

Shadow of the Beast (PS4; Normal Difficulty)

Trials of the Blood Dragon

Song of the Deep

Unmechanical Extended

August

Hyper Light Drifter

The Walking Dead Season 1

Abzu

This War of Mine: The Little Ones - 2nd Run: Day 28 (Long term)

No Man's Sky (Platinum)

Bound

September

Oceanhorn

It's been a bit of a "start loads of things, and not really complete things" start to September for me gamewise. That said, I've been enjoying a decent breadth of games on my PS4. Still plugging away at Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and enjoying it (although it is feeling a little clunky, think the silky smooth play of the likes of Overwatch this year has made some of these more slower paced first person games feel clunky by comparison), started up the first episode of Telltale's Batman and enjoying what I've played so far, playing a bit of Mass Effect on the PS3 and The Tomorrow Children as well and been enjoying the simple but unique puzzles of Four Sided Fantasy, even if the checkpoint system in that game is ridiculous (and the recent patch has meant if you pause the game and try to resume, you end up back at the main menu ::shrug: ). So plenty to keep me going through this month.

Glen-i · September 12, 2016

Ok yeah, @Dcubed already talked about it, but I wanna turn!

AM2R (Stands for Another Metroid 2 Remake, which implies there are a lot of Metroid 2 remakes out there already, which I was not aware of) is a fan game, yes a fan game, developed by some bloke called Milton Guasti. It was released on August 6 this year... but unfortunately, and rather predictably, was issued with a DMCA takedown request on September 2.

I am not going to go into whether this was justified or not, because I do not want to start this conversation here. I'm focusing on the game itself.

This game is an enhanced remake of the Game Boy game "Metroid II: Return of Samus" much like how Metroid Zero Mission was an enhanced remake of Metroid. It features redone graphics, music, new areas and minibosses along with controls much like Zero Mission, which in my books, is a massive plus.

Anyway, time for story, which means I get to write up another totally accurate and informative Metroid plot synopsis. Stop groaning and shut up!

The game follows Samus, just after totally ruining the Space Pirates' plans in the Metroid Prime games. And quite frankly, she's had enough of Metroids. They just cause far too much trouble, so naturally, the best thing to do is go to their home planet, SR388, and explode all of them. Also the Galactic Federation is there as well, and need rescuing no doubt.

So Samus has to kill every Metroid. Definitely not bring any back with her, maybe help the Federation if it happens to be on the way and possibly just for the hell of it, make SR388 go boom, because sometimes you just have to make sure!

Like I said before, the game aims to do what Zero Mission did with Metroid 1, and it succeeds in that regard. Samus feels absolutely tight to control and overall, very satisfying. If you played Zero Mission, it won't take long to feel right at home here. It's quite linear compare to other Metroid games though, what with you making your way deeper as you kill more and more of the Metroid-y blighters. Nothing wrong with that, as there's still plenty of exploring to be done if you want those oh so precious Energy Tanks and Missile Expansions.

I also mentioned that this game adds some new minibosses and they're definitely the highlight of the show. They're very well designed and I had a ton of fun fighting them. Milton is to be commended here, because there are some very unique twists that will no doubt surprise Metroid diehards.

The music is great, a few very subtle remixes complement some original tunes, making a very pleasing soundtrack. It all just feels very polished.

Although that said, there is one flaw that hampered the experience a bit that I can't ignore...

OH DAMNIT! Not again!

The Metroid fights themselves are just not fun. They're very finicky with incredibly harsh hitboxes and tend to take place in areas that are hard to traverse. After a certain point, I started dreading them. Not because they were scary, but they were annoying. And considering the amount of times you fight them, that's not a good thing.

Special shout-out goes to the Omega Metroids, which seems to be put there just to ruin the game.

Hope you like getting stunlocked to death!

For some bizarre reason, touching these things locks you into an one-and-a-half second animation where Samus gets knocked on to the floor, during which time, you can still get hit. So it's very likely you get trapped next to a wall and constantly flung on to the floor and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. Which is less than fun.

Despite that though, it's a very good game. Certainly up there with other 2D Metroids and I'd play this over the Game Boy original in the future, so it's done it's job and it's done it well.

In fact, you could say... Mission accomplished!

Ok, I'll shut up now...

And with that...

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - SNES

Shovel Knight - 3DS (Custom Knight amiibo playthrough)

Game & Watch Gallery 2 - GB

Radiohammer - 3DS

Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor's Path - DS

Shovel Knight - WiiU (Co-op run with Dcubed)

Puzzle and Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition - 3DS (Crazy Diamond Wall 2nd Playthrough Difficulty)

Metroid Prime - Wii

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - Wii

Game & Watch Gallery Advance - GBA

Zelda - Game & Watch

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Wii

Metroid Fusion - GBA

Super Mario World - SNES

Star Fox Zero - WiiU

Bravely Second: End Layer - 3DS

Hyrule Warriors Legends - 3DS

Super Metroid - SNES

Freedom Planet - WiiU

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. - 3DS

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - 3DS

Paper Mario - N64

Zero Time Dilemma - 3DS

My Nintendo Picross - 3DS

Pocket Card Jockey - 3DS

Monster Hunter Generations - 3DS

WarioWare Touched - DS

Donkey Kong Country 2 - SNES

Kirby: Planet Robobot - 3DS

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE - WiiU

Osu! Tatake! Ouendan! - DS

Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatake! Ouendan! - DS

Elite Beat Agents - DS

AM2R - PC

RedShell · September 12, 2016

So I picked up a game called Ninja Battle Heroes from the 3DS eShop a while back (was on sale for just over a quid :hehe: ) as the trailer gave me Mystical Ninja/Goemon vibes.

Warning! Loud vid is loud:

Turns out it wasn't all that, but for the price I can't complain. There's actually some pretty nice gameplay mechanics to it, but the level design goes completely out of the window after the first few stages, where they literally bombard each stage with millions of respawning enemies, and you end up just running through them to reach the end.

Next up is a biggie, The Tomorrow Children! :bouncy:

Those that visit the other consoles section will probably know that I was looking forward to this just a little bit. :heh:

Yeah, I've been dying for this game to come out, especially after playing through two beta tests.

The finished product (though now featuring microtransactions and soon to be F2P) didn't disappoint.

It is without doubt the weirdest, most striking and unique video game I've ever played! I wouldn't know where to begin trying to adequately describe it, but it really doesn't make a difference anyway as I believe it's something that simply has to be experienced in order to be "understood".

The range of emotions this game can generate is phenomenal though. Over the past few days I've had the most amazing experiences, and it's provided numerous moments of joy, laughter, sadness, guilt, fear, tranquility, inspiration... the world of TTC and the other players which inhabit it can definitely take you by surprise. :love:

We all know gaming as a truly great form of escapism, but really getting into TTC has been like a goddamn out-of-body experience!

Impossible for me to write about the game and not touch upon the presentation, its visuals are on another level compared to anything else out there. Obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, but this for me is the best looking video game in existence at this moment in time.

Those that are into the technical side of game graphics should check this out:

The Technology Of The Tomorrow Children

But yeah, the lighting systems that Q-Games developed for TTC are insane. :awesome:

Have to also mention the music, such a perfect fit for the vibe of the game and incredibly well composed/performed:

And finally, major respect going out to Dylan Cuthbert and his team at Q-Games. :bowdown:

Mentioned this in the other thread, but it's so great how involved Dylan is with the fanbase on social media.

I cannot wait to see how TTC continues to grow in the future, and very much look forward to whatever they have in the pipeline in terms of new projects.

Beat:

in January:____________

Yakuza 5 (PS3) started in 2015

Little Battlers eXperience (3DS) started in 2015

Hardware: Rivals (PS4+)

in February:____________

Dragon Quest Heroes (PS4)

Rocket League (PS4+) beat in 2015

Radio Hammer (3DS)

Horizon Chase (iOS)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (PS3+)

in March:____________

Transformers: Devastation (PS4)

Super Stardust HD (PS3+)

Binary Domain (PS3)

Super Mario Maker (Wii U) replay

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Remastered (PS4) replay

Miitomo (iOS)

in April:____________

Shutshimi: Seriously Swole (PS4+)

Broforce (PS4+)

Grow Home (PS4+) 100%

Bloodborne (PS4)

PKTBALL (iOS)

in May:____________

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge (3DS/Wii U)

Trackmania Turbo (PS4)

Pocket Card Jockey (3DS)

Uncharted: Fortune Hunter (iOS)

Uncharted 4 (PS4)

in June:____________

Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)

in July:____________

Street Fighter V (PS4)

Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (PS4+)

Monster Hunter Generations (3DS)

Metroid Prime Blast Ball (3DS)

in August:____________

ABZÛ (PS4)

Gravity Rush Remastered (PS4)

Ninja Battle Heroes (3DS)

in September:____________

The Tomorrow Children (PS4)

Total: 33

Yet to start or unfinished:

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD (Wii U) replay

OlliOlli (3DS/Wii U)

Ultratron (PS4+)

Dropped or on hold:

Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U) started in 2015

Affordable Space Adventures (Wii U)

Zombi (PS4+) replay

Table Top Racing: World Tour (PS4+)

Tricky Towers (PS4+)

drahkon · September 12, 2016

The game is blatantly a Zelda clone but I still found it very enjoyable. It was pretty easy ( not that the Zelda games are hard) but fun game to play. @drahkon I think you'll enjoy it once you get around to buying it.

Great to hear I think I'll wait for a sale, though. I've recently ordered Tearaway Unfolded and Dragon Quest Heroes.

In other news:

Platinum for Ratchet & Clank (PS4) get!

Currently Playing

____________________________________

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) long-term playthrough

Overwatch (PS4) long-term playthrough

Minecraft (PSVita) long-term playthrough

No Man's Sky (PS4) long-term playthrough

Completed

____________________________________

January

________________________________________________

Bastion (PS4/PSVita)

Tearaway (PSVita)

Transistor (PS4)

Life is Strange (PS4)

Ether One (PS4)

Tales from the Borderlands (PS4)

Defense Grid 2 (PS4)

Grimd Fandango Remastered (PS4)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (PS4)

Rogue Legacy (PSVita) "last-trophy-run"

Dust: An Elysian Tale (PS4)

February

________________________________________________

The Wolf Among Us (PS4)

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) reached Prestige 2

Super Mario 3D World (WiiU)

Peggle 2 (PS4)

Crypt of the Necrodancer (PS4/PSVita) Cadence+Melody Zones 1-4; Cadence All-Zones-Mode

March

________________________________________________

Crypt of the Necrodancer (PS4/PSVita) Melody+Bard All-Zones-Mode

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) reached Prestige 4 and 5

The Unfinished Swan (PS4)

Limbo (PS4)

Assault Android Cactus (PS4)

Salt and Sanctuary (PS4)

April

________________________________________________

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) reached Master Prestige

May

________________________________________________

Alienation (PS4)

Nioh - Alpha Demo (PS4)

Dark Souls III (PS4)

Hitman GO (PSVita)

Severed (PSVita)

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) acquired the Dark Matter Camouflage

Table Top Racing: World Tour (PS4)

The Walking Dead - Season 1 (PS4)

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)

June

________________________________________________

The Talos Principle (PS4) main game

Plague Inc. Evolved (PS4)

July

________________________________________________

Plague Inc. Evolved most of the diseases completed on Mega Brutal Difficutly (PS4)

Dangerous Golf (PS4)

Furi (PS4)

Enter the Gungeon (PS4)

August

________________________________________________

Plague Inc. Evolved (PS4)

Arcade Game Series: Pac-Man (PS4)

Super Exploding Zoo (PS4/PSVita)

The Talos Principle (PS4)

Nioh - Beta Demo (PS4)

Downwell (PS4/PSVita)

September

________________________________________________

Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (PS4)

Ratchet & Clank (PS4)

Put on hold

____________________________________

GTA: Vice City (PS4)

This War of Mine: The Little Ones (PS4)

Flame Over (PSVita) long-term playthrough

Dark Cloud (PS4)

Stories: The Path of Destinies (PS4)

Persona 4 Golden (PSVita)

Crypt of the Necrodancer (PS4/PSVita) long-term playthrough

Enter the Gungeon (PS4) long-term playthrough

Rogue Galaxy (PS4)

Alienation (PS4) long-term playthrough

Invisible, Inc. (PS4)

Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (PS4)

Tricky Towers (PS4)

nekunando · September 13, 2016

I've been feeling pretty under the weather for the last couple of days so have spent a considerable amount of time tucked up in bed with my New 3DS

I've been chipping away at the challenges in Mario Golf: World Tour (There's so much content in this game, especially after purchasing the DLC :eek: ) and I think I've collected 103 Star Coins so far. My Activity Log says I've been playing the game for over 27 hours since I got it and there's still so much to do :grin:

I also decided to take advantage of the 3D Sega titles on sale in the eShop by adding Outrun, Super Hang On, Space Harrier, Gunstar Heroes and Streets of Rage 2 to the two I already own (Streets of Rage and Shinobi III). I didn't feel like I needed to buy them as I own several of them in some form but it's nice to have these portable version in 3D :cool:

I beat Outrun 3D this morning :hehe: While it was fun and I appreciate the options available in this version, I've never been the biggest fan of Outrun, despite having a good time with the 2006 version on PS2, Coast 2 Coast.

Additionally, I also cleared the second world in Soul Bubbles after picking it up recently following the DS vs 3DS thread :heh: It's still relatively early on in the game but I'll be interested to see how they manage to mix up the formula throughout the remainder of the game as it has already become repetitive and, dare I say it, a little dull..

Soul Bubbles definitely has a little bit of a Lost Winds vibe but is so far missing a lot of the charm that made that game so engrossing. I still hope that it will win me over in the end, though

Hero-of-Time · September 14, 2016

Additionally, I also cleared the second world in Soul Bubbles after picking it up recently following the DS vs 3DS thread It's still relatively early on in the game but I'll be interested to see how they manage to mix up the formula throughout the remainder of the game as it has already become repetitive and, dare I say it, a little dull..

**lostmario** · September 14, 2016

Finished Journey other day.

Not knowing anything at all about the game before I played it, it wasn't what I was expecting at all.

A very relaxing, graphically stunning game but thats really it.

Started Metro Last Light, I enjoyed Metro 2033 so I'm looking forward to playing through it.

Blade · September 14, 2016

I'm playing through Link Between Worlds at the minute. I've done the Thief's hideout, Desert Palace and Swamp Palace. Is it me or are the dungeons really short?

I am really enjoying the game albeit its dead easy. I was a fan of the rental system but it just allows you to go nearly anywhere on the map. I can just go to the next dungeon one after the other.

I love the moving across walls gaming mechanic and how the dungeons in general. They are fun to go through. The music is amazing in this game.

Hero-of-Time · September 14, 2016

Finished Journey other day.

Not knowing anything at all about the game before I played it, it wasn't what I was expecting at all.

A very relaxing, graphically stunning game but thats really it.

Did you play it online and meet up with some random people?

Is it me or are the dungeons really short?

I am really enjoying the game albeit its dead easy.

Yeah, they are.

The game is very fun but lacks any real challenge.

Ganepark32 · September 14, 2016

Finished up the first episode of Batman: A Telltale Series last night and despite some initial hesitation over playing it (that being the main reason I waited till now to buy it and give it a go), I came away having enjoyed it a lot and now look forward to what the remaining episodes bring to the table.

While it doesn't focus on an origin story for Batman, Telltale have focused their narrative on Bruce Wayne's past with the first episode having a heavy focus on the loss of his parents and who or what they were to the city of Gotham, all the while a mayoral election is on going with you being the main backer of Harvey Dent. So, from the off several pieces are clearly in place for things to come and throughout the 2 hour or so episode, you'll encounter a few other big named characters who'll no doubt be playing a larger part in the over arching narrative to come as you look to uncover what's going on.

I'm trying to be deliberately vague about the story because, even though it's only the first episode it's still something some might want to experience for themselves. What I will say is that it does feel like it hasn't quite nailed which era of Batman it wants to be or attempt to be its own. There's some definite 90's movie Batman here, a dash of the Nolan movies, some of the cartoon series and what looks to be a pinch of the TV show Gotham all at play here, with some of the dialogue exchange between Bruce and Alfred almost being verbatim from the Nolan movies.

Perhaps it's something which, over the next couple of episodes, it'll move away from and it'll establish a stronger identity on that front. I'm hoping so anyway as having the ability to either strong arm and be a bit more ruthless with people or go for a more law abiding approach should allow that identity to appear.

It did feel a bit more like an interactive movie at times, perhaps more so than The Walking Dead games were (I've only played the first season of that from Telltales so that's my main comparison) with a bit more QTE thrown in but the heightened action sequences that make most of those up and some light detective work (we're not talking the Arkham game's level of detective work here, more look at the clues/points of interest and link two of them together, rather simple) definitely make it stand out and it felt good to play and have a bit more impact on things in that round about way that QTE give you in this style of game.

But yeah, I enjoyed the first episode quite a lot and I'm already eager to pick up the second one when it drops next week on the 20th to see where they start to take things.

Completed

January

Axiom Verge (Started Dec. 2015)

Three Fourths Home: Extended Edition

Resogun* (Rookie complete, 3 difficulty settings to go)

Super Exploding Zoo

Among The Sleep

Amplitude

Just Cause 3 (Started Dec. 2015)

Fallout 4 (Started Nov. 2015)

Flower

February

The Witness (Platinum get)

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

Submerged

Rainbow Six Siege (Situations Completed)

Firewatch

Unravel

March

Hotline Miami

SOMA

The Fall

Murdered: Soul Suspect (Platinumed)

Uncharted 2 Remastered

April

Uncharted 3 Remastered

Republique (PS4)

Shutshimi

Teslagrad

Volume (Platinumed)

Mirror's Edge (PS3)

Blues and Bullets - Episode 1 & 2 (of 5)

Octodad: Dadliest Catch

May

Shadow Complex Remastered

Koi (PS4)

The Park (PS4)

Table Top Racing: World Tour

Uncharted 4

June

Ratchet and Clank (2016)

Invisible Inc. (Beginner difficulty)

Child of Eden (PS3)

Oxenfree

VEV: Viva Ex Vivo

Gone Home (PS4)

Mirror's Edge Catalyst

July

Far Cry Primal

Infamous First Light

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell

Type:Rider (PS4)

Adr1ft

Shadow of the Beast (PS4; Normal Difficulty)

Trials of the Blood Dragon

Song of the Deep

Unmechanical Extended

August

Hyper Light Drifter

The Walking Dead Season 1

Abzu

This War of Mine: The Little Ones - 2nd Run: Day 28 (Long term)

No Man's Sky (Platinum)

Bound

September

Oceanhorn

Batman: A Telltale Series - Episode 1

Playing that has made me want to start up Tales of the Borderlands as I have got the first episode sitting there ready to play. From what I've seen, elements of Batman clearly started life in that game, with regards to the more action oriented QTE, so maybe I'll give that a go later today/tomorrow and see how I get on. Currently downloading Datura on PS3 as well as it was a PS+ game this month so interested to see what that's about.

Hero-of-Time · September 14, 2016

@Ganepark32 you NEED to play Tales From the Borderlands. I've played a few of the Telltale games now and it's easily the best one of the lot.

I'm looking forward to trying the Batman Telltale game. I'll be waiting until they've all been released, though. I don't like having to wait for the next episode and would rather blitz them all in a couple of sittings.

nekunando · September 14, 2016

I knew you wouldn't be impressed.. but neither am I

I cleared Super Hang On 3D this morning on 3DS

The 48 stage 'World Mode' would probably feel pretty intense if I hadn't created restore points every so often

**lostmario** · September 14, 2016

Did you play it online and meet up with some random people?

I did, 10 of them. Only at the end did I realise the other player was an actual player and not AI.

I thought it automatically appeared after a certain time. You know me, I like to explore and take in the views.

Hero-of-Time · September 15, 2016

I finished season 1 of The Walking Dead (PS4) last night. I bought this so I could finally get around to playing season 2, which was on PS+ a while back. I didn't want to play the second season without playing the first. I played it before but it was a few years back on the 360 and i'm happy I did replay it because there was a lot that I had forgotten.

I remembered bits and pieces from the game. Stuff like the events at the farm and holding at the motel area I remembered quite well but the later stuff, like who was on the walkie talkie and Crawford I had completely forgotten!

I also forgot just how much of a douchebag Kenny could be at times. There were times where I would see his point but other times I wanted to punch his face in.

I love the conversation that occurs when Lee and the guy on the walkie talkie meet. Just sitting in the chairs facing each other has a great sension of tension and creepiness.

Even though I knew the ending, it still doesn't make it any easier to watch. Seeing Lee the way he was and watch Clem break down is heartbreaking.

With me buying the disc version of the game I got the side story ( 400 Days ) with it. I'll be tackling that before finally being able to play the second season.

Next up, I decided to play through Super Princess Peach (DS), thanks to the DS vs 3DS thread.

It's been a long time since I played this game. There's always a worry about returning to a game years later and finding that it wasn't as good as you remember. Thankfully this wasn't one of those times and I enjoyed playing through the game again after all these years.

The game is stupidly easy but it's still fun to play. The game blantantly tells you how to beat bosses and uncover various secrets using Peach's various abilities.

A nice little thing I like is that when you enter a screen that has a collectable or a hidden Toad the game gives off a little jingle and Peach will show an exclamination mark above her head on the bottom screen. Searching for something is more fun if you know that you are in the right area and aren't wasting time in a place that has nothing.

It's a shame the game never got a sequel. It certainly had some interesting ideas, was a lot of fun and had the added bonus of being a 2D Mario universe platformer without having to use Mario.

Dcubed · September 15, 2016

Could you imagine Super Princess Peach being released now? Imagine how much Nintendo would get obliterated for releasing something so blatantly sexist these days :laughing:

Jonnas · September 15, 2016

Another Metroid 2 Remake

@Glen\-i mentioned in his review.

A greater source of difficulty is in the collectables. The obstacle courses laid out to get some of them require a very good understanding of the Shinespark technique, which isn't mentioned in-game. This, coupled with a few design hiccups (who the fuck thought it would be a good idea to make a long dead-end corridor in underwater physics? This is where you put a barrier at the beginning of the corridor, not at the end!) are the only things reminding us that Nintendo didn't make this.

I'd also like to mentioned a peeve of mine, regarding one of the new areas:

The original Metroid II makes you feel like you're in a wild, feral, abandoned planet. And when I say "abandoned", I mean ruins, not this "fully-functioning hi-tech tower" crap. That area clashes with the rest of the game so hard.

But these are ultimately minor nitpicks. It's still a 5-star game.


	Audio

On to endings:

1st%20ending_zpstb8q4wze.png

"That genocide mission is done, and you won't believe the cool shit I found"

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, I do archaeology on the side. Don't worry, I don't charge extra."

I did worse than DCubed my first time around. I then went around collecting the rest of the items, and got 93% at best (I checked a guide to eventually find the rest). I probably could've gotten higher, but I missed some blatant openings on my map. We really should be capable of putting more than one marker at a time.

I then found out endings were based on time, just like the original... and they have the original's time limit, too! That limit is difficult, but I did it just barely:

2nd%20ending_zpseylqt1eh.png

"That genocide mission is done."

"...It's been two hours since we last spoke."

"I don't get paid by the hour, you know."

Fun fact, the Ice Beam isn't nearly as useful if you skip the Plasma Beam. Those spores that the Queen sends are nigh-unbreakable without it.

Since I wanted to check out the middle ending (2-4 hours), I went to get it (and a couple other items) and, surprisingly, only took 7 minutes.

3rd%20ending_zpslgl3uchv.png

"That genocide mission is done."

"...It's been three hours since we last spoke."

"Well excuuuuse me, princess pedantic!"

The only thing I haven't done was the Hard Mode. Maybe some other time, when I feel like revisiting this.

Played/Beat/Completed:

-Freedom Planet (2014) Beaten (Last played: 15th March)

-Rayman Forever (1995) Completed (3rd May)

-Deponia: The Complete Journey (2012-2013) Completed (14th May)

-Blocks that Matter (2011) Completed (25th May)

-Sonic Spinball (1993) Beaten (19th June)

-Card City Nights (2014) Completed (1st July)

-Tetrobot & Co. (2013) Completed (1st August)

-Mark of the Ninja DLC (2012) Completed (21st August)

-Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010) Beaten (3rd September)

-Little Big Adventure (1994) Completed (9th September)

-Another Metroid 2 Remake (2016) Beaten (14th September)

Currently Playing:

-Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Ganepark32 · September 15, 2016

@Ganepark32 you NEED to play Tales From the Borderlands. I've played a few of the Telltale games now and it's easily the best one of the lot.

I'm looking forward to trying the Batman Telltale game. I'll be waiting until they've all been released, though. I don't like having to wait for the next episode and would rather blitz them all in a couple of sittings.

...So yesterday I started up and finished the first episode of Tales from the Borderlands :heh: And I have to say it was brilliant, loved every second of it. Having played the Batman episode before this, I can now say for definite that this is the template they've gone with gameplay wise with Batman.

The whole thing was just really great from start to finish. Felt as though the episode itself could have been it's own compartmentalised narrative but glad that there's more to come. There was so much happening at times and the way that they managed to get it to all coalesce as a cohesive and well structured episode is testament to the work Telltale have put in to bring the Borderlands universe to life.

Having played the main line games, it wasn't a universe that I had a particular fondness for and it was only in the second game, where the writing and characters were much more fleshed out, that things got engaging beyond the gameplay. But with this style of game, I really think the themes and style of Borderlands really comes through extremely well and, as I say, the episode was brilliant. Very funny at times and definitely carried that over the top humour that made up the Borderlands games.

Hankering to play more so I'm going out later today to pick up the physical release of this (as it's the cheapest I can find going for the PS4 at the moment) so that I can get my next fix. Really cannot wait to play more, definitely looking to be one to remember and to live up to all the hype I've read.

Also started and finished up Datura on PS3 yesterday as well. It's one of this month's PS+ titles for that platform and while I knew nothing of it, I thought I'd give it a go as I'm a little under the weather at the moment so something short to keep my attention was what I was looking for. Turns out the game is by Plastic, the team behind the recently released Bound which I'd played a couple of weeks ago so I girded myself for what was ahead.

Not really sure where I stand on this one though, it's left me feeling somewhat the same as their most recent title, though Bound probably stands up a bit better in that there's at least a minimalist attempt at giving some reasoning and narrative to the proceedings. This, on the other hand, seems like you're simply wandering through a wooded area, encountering these scenarios that play out with no dialogue or explanation. There's a case to be made for less is more but this game isn't part of that. Some explanation as to what was happening and why would have helped give the game more of an impact. Was I dying and this was a weird amalgamation of episodes in my life drawn together or was I dead, I don't know. In the end, it's left very little impact on me.

The gameplay didn't do much for the game either. Tank controls for moving around a 3D environment in first person, nicely done :rolleyes: There's some slight movement of your viewpoint with the right stick but only if you're standing still. As you meander through the forest, you'll touch a couple of birch trees to help you get a sense of the area and complete your map of it, you'll solve some very basic puzzles and interactions with things, most of which is undertaken by using motion control. In some cases, it works fine but others (such as a driving section where I spent the whole time grinding along the barriers of a highway) it doesn't work. It's just a couple of repetitive motions which don't give the interactivity they were hoping for going off of the game's description.

All in all, it was a bit of a lacklustre experience and if it hadn't been a PS+ title, I wouldn't have bothered. Though short, I still felt short changed with the experience due to no explanation of what's happening and some poor gameplay choices. Though they've progressed with the recently released Bound, Plastic still need to work on how they convey a narrative and how they bring together gameplay ideas to integrate them better into the themes of the game.

Completed

January

Axiom Verge (Started Dec. 2015)

Three Fourths Home: Extended Edition

Resogun* (Rookie complete, 3 difficulty settings to go)

Super Exploding Zoo

Among The Sleep

Amplitude

Just Cause 3 (Started Dec. 2015)

Fallout 4 (Started Nov. 2015)

Flower

February

The Witness (Platinum get)

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

Submerged

Rainbow Six Siege (Situations Completed)

Firewatch

Unravel

March

Hotline Miami

SOMA

The Fall

Murdered: Soul Suspect (Platinumed)

Uncharted 2 Remastered

April

Uncharted 3 Remastered

Republique (PS4)

Shutshimi

Teslagrad

Volume (Platinumed)

Mirror's Edge (PS3)

Blues and Bullets - Episode 1 & 2 (of 5)

Octodad: Dadliest Catch

May

Shadow Complex Remastered

Koi (PS4)

The Park (PS4)

Table Top Racing: World Tour

Uncharted 4

June

Ratchet and Clank (2016)

Invisible Inc. (Beginner difficulty)

Child of Eden (PS3)

Oxenfree

VEV: Viva Ex Vivo

Gone Home (PS4)

Mirror's Edge Catalyst

July

Far Cry Primal

Infamous First Light

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell

Type:Rider (PS4)

Adr1ft

Shadow of the Beast (PS4; Normal Difficulty)

Trials of the Blood Dragon

Song of the Deep

Unmechanical Extended

August

Hyper Light Drifter

The Walking Dead Season 1

Abzu

This War of Mine: The Little Ones - 2nd Run: Day 28 (Long term)

No Man's Sky (Platinum)

Bound

September

Oceanhorn

Batman: A Telltale Series - Episode 1

Tales from the Borderlands - Episode 1 of 5

Datura (PS3)

So yes, my afternoon will be spent playing more of Tales from the Borderlands and going through and "cleaning the fridge" so to speak on my PS4 and making some space on my harddrive (still rocking the 500GB harddrive, really do need to upgrade that) to try out some other games I've sitting around and that I'll also be picking up (such as Battlefield 4 purely because of the free DLC at the moment).

drahkon · September 15, 2016

Started playing Tearaway Unfolded (PS4) yesterday. It's just as charming as the Vita version Love it.

And Dragon Quest Heroes (PS4) was in the mailbox today. Gonna give it a go now. : peace:

Currently Playing

____________________________________

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) long-term playthrough

Overwatch (PS4) long-term playthrough

Minecraft (PSVita) long-term playthrough

No Man's Sky (PS4) long-term playthrough

Tearaway Unfolded (PS4)

Dragon Quest Heroes (PS4)

Completed

____________________________________

January

________________________________________________

Bastion (PS4/PSVita)

Tearaway (PSVita)

Transistor (PS4)

Life is Strange (PS4)

Ether One (PS4)

Tales from the Borderlands (PS4)

Defense Grid 2 (PS4)

Grimd Fandango Remastered (PS4)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (PS4)

Rogue Legacy (PSVita) "last-trophy-run"

Dust: An Elysian Tale (PS4)

February

________________________________________________

The Wolf Among Us (PS4)

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) reached Prestige 2

Super Mario 3D World (WiiU)

Peggle 2 (PS4)

Crypt of the Necrodancer (PS4/PSVita) Cadence+Melody Zones 1-4; Cadence All-Zones-Mode

March

________________________________________________

Crypt of the Necrodancer (PS4/PSVita) Melody+Bard All-Zones-Mode

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) reached Prestige 4 and 5

The Unfinished Swan (PS4)

Limbo (PS4)

Assault Android Cactus (PS4)

Salt and Sanctuary (PS4)

April

________________________________________________

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) reached Master Prestige

May

________________________________________________

Alienation (PS4)

Nioh - Alpha Demo (PS4)

Dark Souls III (PS4)

Hitman GO (PSVita)

Severed (PSVita)

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Multiplayer (PS4) acquired the Dark Matter Camouflage

Table Top Racing: World Tour (PS4)

The Walking Dead - Season 1 (PS4)

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)

June

________________________________________________

The Talos Principle (PS4) main game

Plague Inc. Evolved (PS4)

July

________________________________________________

Plague Inc. Evolved most of the diseases completed on Mega Brutal Difficutly (PS4)

Dangerous Golf (PS4)

Furi (PS4)

Enter the Gungeon (PS4)

August

________________________________________________

Plague Inc. Evolved (PS4)

Arcade Game Series: Pac-Man (PS4)

Super Exploding Zoo (PS4/PSVita)

The Talos Principle (PS4)

Nioh - Beta Demo (PS4)

Downwell (PS4/PSVita)

September

________________________________________________

Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (PS4)

Ratchet & Clank (PS4)

Put on hold

____________________________________

GTA: Vice City (PS4)

This War of Mine: The Little Ones (PS4)

Flame Over (PSVita) long-term playthrough

Dark Cloud (PS4)

Stories: The Path of Destinies (PS4)

Persona 4 Golden (PSVita)

Crypt of the Necrodancer (PS4/PSVita) long-term playthrough

Enter the Gungeon (PS4) long-term playthrough

Rogue Galaxy (PS4)

Alienation (PS4) long-term playthrough

Invisible, Inc. (PS4)

Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (PS4)

Tricky Towers (PS4)

Edited September 15, 2016 by drahkon

Hero-of-Time · September 15, 2016

...So yesterday I started up and finished the first episode of Tales from the Borderlands And I have to say it was brilliant, loved every second of it.

Good to hear this. Trust me when I say that the best is yet to come. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it when you complete the game.

Glen-i · September 15, 2016

Could you imagine Super Princess Peach being released now? Imagine how much Nintendo would get obliterated for releasing something so blatantly sexist these days

Honestly, I'm still amazed that game got released in the first place.

Still, if you ever need Women's rights pedaled back a few years, Peach is your girl!

"That genocide mission is done."

"...It's been three hours since we last spoke."

"Well excuuuuse me, princess pedantic!"

Have you been spying on my Monster Hunter Sessions?

@RedShell, you're not trying to get me usurped, are you?

I'm onto you!

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