drahkon Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: PS5 = 28 Games PS4 = 24 Games Switch = 15 Games GameCube = 2 Games DS = 1 Game Nice Here's my list for the first half of 2024: PS4 = 2 PS5 = 4 PSVita = 1 PC = 1 Steam Deck = 2 What a year this has been for me 8 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: Astral Chain Don't bother. It's crap. Edit: Ah shit, I opened a new page. Everyone: Go back and read H-o-T's post Edited July 1 by drahkon 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 1 hour ago, drahkon said: Here's my list for the first half of 2024: PS4 = 2 PS5 = 4 PSVita = 1 PC = 1 Steam Deck = 2 Vita means life. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drahkon Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 4 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: Vita means life. This is us, but with "Vita" instead of "Football": 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksnowman Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 Excluding demos and game trials, here's my half-time check-in before the end-of-year stats thread comes around. Ordering by last played, I'm guessing where December became January. Monster Hunter Rise (back on it to get the Sonic stuff) Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA (purchased and finished) RingFit Adventure Super Mario Maker 2 Animal Crossing / 3D World / Mario Odyssey / Mario Wonder (fired up to meet the prerequisite number of plays to unlock the NSO icons) Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island (GOTY!) Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince (started in December, finished this year) Fortnite Lego City Undercover Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Chico and the Magic Orchards DX Mario Kart 8 DX Tetris 99 F-Zero 99 TOEM: A Photo Adventure Various things on NSO (don't think you can order these by last played...?) Bit of a paltry list since I feel like I'm never off the Switch. Ongoing: Baten Kaitos Origins GOTY to beat: Shiren the Wanderer (it won't be beaten) 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen-i Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 5 hours ago, drahkon said: Don't bother. It's crap. Agreed. Glad I tried it on Dcubed's Switch before committing. Far too confusing to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 2 hours ago, Glen-i said: Agreed. Glad I tried it on Dcubed's Switch before committing. Far too confusing to play. I'll do what I do when playing all character action games, slam the difficulty on easy, hammer away at the buttons and hope for the best. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drahkon Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 2 hours ago, Glen-i said: Far too confusing to play. Eh, not really. It's just super generic and boring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcubed Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 3 hours ago, drahkon said: Eh, not really. It's just super generic and boring Astral Chain is many things, but generic ain’t one of them. There’s literally no other game quite like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 On 27/06/2024 at 11:24 PM, Glen-i said: Didn't realise you could get the Super Missiles early. Anyway, wasn't planning on playing it, but saying your post made me want to. I lurve some Zero Mission. Results not as good as yours, mind. You must have to know the map by heart to get 100% in under 2 hours. Had this sorta funny moment as well. 2 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnas Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 17 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said: I'm not sure if I'll actually get through them all though. I've tried multiple times to get through both Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Astral Chain but have always failed to get very far into them. Same goes for The Last Guardian. I understand wanting to beat games that eluded us over the years, but if any given game turns out to truly not be your cup of tea, I personally find it best to just drop it. That's how I've been facing my backlog as of late. Of course, that's just my view. We all have different goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 6 hours ago, Jonnas said: I understand wanting to beat games that eluded us over the years, but if any given game turns out to truly not be your cup of tea, I personally find it best to just drop it. That's how I've been facing my backlog as of late. Of course, that's just my view. We all have different goals. I always like to get through them, even if it takes multiple tries. For example, Yakuza 0 is a game that I bounced off a few times but I eventually went back, beat the game and now I think it's one of the greatest video game series ever created. On the flipside, I've hate played a fair few games in my time, with Ace Attorney Trilogy being my most recent. The way I see it, at least I can say I've played these games and can have a valid opinion on them. Nobody can say "Well, you didn't finish them so your opinion is invalid" or some nonsense like that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drahkon Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Just now, Hero-of-Time said: Nobody can say "Well, you didn't finish them so your opinion is invalid" or some nonsense like that. There's always the "Well, it's one of the highest rated games ever so your opinion is invalid" nonsense 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen-i Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 9 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said: Nobody can say "Well, you didn't finish them so your opinion is invalid" or some nonsense like that. Unless that game is Undertale, then we totally can! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted July 5 Share Posted July 5 Utter pants. Repetitive, drawn out and just really boring. Did not care for at all. I bought this as a bundle with the Great Ace Attorney and so I will have the joys of playing through that set of games at some point. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happenstance Posted July 5 Share Posted July 5 5 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: Utter pants. Repetitive, drawn out and just really boring. Did not care for at all. I bought this as a bundle with the Great Ace Attorney and so I will have the joys of playing through that set of games at some point. Ignore list here we come 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekunando Posted July 5 Share Posted July 5 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekunando Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 I feel bad for my negativity towards Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania in recent posts as I have had an absolute blast with the game over the weekend 😅 Yes, there are definitely control and camera issues but the more I managed to get used to things in comparison to the feel of the original GC titles, the more joy I have had! I still have plenty more to do in the game and there are certainly stages I am dreading having to revisit again but most of the levels from thr first Super Monkey Ball are still fantastic 😃 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnas Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Now bear with me for a second, not every update is going to have interesting games: A Jonnas NSO Update I noticed recently that my list of remaining "Unplayed" games on the NSO was 107. So close to one hundred! Wanting to clear a minor milestone that matters only to me, I decided to blaze through a bunch of games that I knew wouldn't take much of my time. Jonnas chooses a bunch of quick games So, Donkey Kong. The one from 1994 is a pretty good game, but the original is really only the first 4 levels. Worse, the NES version is just 3 levels. Over and over again. Did them quickly. Will admit, the game didn't feel as archaic as I expected. Then, Donkey Kong Jr. plays even better. It's also an easier, more pleasant game. It was probably meant to be accessible for younger children, and that may be exactly why it managed to age better than most games of its era. Did the levels, and can confirm that some of the physics and levels from DK '94 were taken directly from here. Thus, Donkey Kong 3 remains as the unloved child. Rather than a platforming, this one is a shmup, a bit like a more dynamic Space Invaders. Spray the bugs, spray DK's ass, manage both of those targets. Not a bad game, but quite finicky (those bugs move a lot!), and I didn't enjoy it that much. Did about 5 levels before dropping it. Also, Mario Bros. isn't just an annoying Smash stage, it's also a game. Plays surprisingly well, but it gets hard really quickly. I can imagine a kid or two spending hours stomping on.................KOOPAS on the Arcade. Personally, I found it got stressful way too fast. But it's pleasant, better than I thought. Then, Wrecking Crew (1984). Ever since I saw that Eggplant Man trophy in Melee, I wondered what was up with this game. It's... aggressively meh. Sure, I have to wreck it all, but the movement is so limited, and the enemies can corner me easily, and I think most levels can become unwinnable? Maybe I was missing something (never figured out how to interact with those barrels), but this was easily the most frustrating game of this batch, and I'm happy to drop it. It was at this point that Nintendo decided to suddenly add 7 more NES games to the service. Jonnas despairs upon his hubris ........ Donkey Kong Jr. Math is weird. Nice idea for a game, but what, is it only multiplayer? And why does it control worse than original DK Jr? There's also a mode where the computer just does math for you? Like, is the player just meant to guess? What a weird thing. Mappy-Land is a game that has some decent ideas, actually. You run around for collectibles, you can set traps for enemies, take advantage of the environment to kill a few... Respect, it feels like a more rigid, more strategic Flicky. Sadly, I didn't like how it controls, changing floors is very finicky. As far as games go about a small animal that endlessly struggles against the feline inevitability of fate, I prefer Flicky to Mappy. Dig Dug 2 is when Dig Dug too realises the futility of digging through an underground that forever regenerates, so he came to the surface. I had some fun with the concept of breaking the floor to slow down enemies, but as the levels got harder, the more noticeable it was that Dig Dug controls like he's drunk. I must've completed 15 levels before the frustration got to me. Nice idea, but the gameplay needed some more work. Golf (NES) and Baseball (GB) are sports I don't particularly like. Tried them briefly, and predictably, didn't care much for them. ...The list of unplayed NSO games is now 104. Yaaay...? 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcubed Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 (edited) 7 hours ago, Jonnas said: Also, Mario Bros. isn't just an annoying Smash stage, it's also a game. Plays surprisingly well, but it gets hard really quickly. I can imagine a kid or two spending hours stomping on.................KOOPAS on the Arcade. Personally, I found it got stressful way too fast. But it's pleasant, better than I thought. Sorry Jonnas, but you're no better than Chris Pratt... No, they're not the same thing! Edited July 9 by Dcubed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 16 hours ago, nekunando said: Well done! As much as I love Ring Fit Adventure, I don't think it was as good as Wii Fit as a fitness tool. Ring Fit Adventure gave me a better workout and it's certainly more of a game than Wii Fit, but it also lacks the tracking and sense of progression you get with Wii Fit. What exercises/games were you doing on Wii Fit/Wii Fit U? Before the pandemic I was super fit and went to the gym every other day. To protect family, I wasn't able to do that during the whole of the pandemic and now, due to my health and other reasons, I still can't go back and because of this my fitness level really went down hill. I used to fluctuate between 12st to 12.5st but now I bounce around the 13st to 13.5st area. I could do with getting back on the balance board or Ring Fit Adventure. The latter, I'm still on chapter 13 of 20 and should really push on and at least finish it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekunando Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 8 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said: Well done! As much as I love Ring Fit Adventure, I don't think it was as good as Wii Fit as a fitness tool. Ring Fit Adventure gave me a better workout and it's certainly more of a game than Wii Fit, but it also lacks the tracking and sense of progression you get with Wii Fit. What exercises/games were you doing on Wii Fit/Wii Fit U? Before the pandemic I was super fit and went to the gym every other day. To protect family, I wasn't able to do that during the whole of the pandemic and now, due to my health and other reasons, I still can't go back and because of this my fitness level really went down hill. I used to fluctuate between 12st to 12.5st but now I bounce around the 13st to 13.5st area. I could do with getting back on the balance board or Ring Fit Adventure. The latter, I'm still on chapter 13 of 20 and should really push on and at least finish it. I've only been using Wii Fit for my weekly weigh-in every Friday. I don't have a set of standard scales but I'm kinda appreciating that I'm not being tempted into stepping onto them every few hours and, of course, Wii Fit helps to keep track of your progress. I did play Ring Fit a few weeks ago for an evening (I'm probably only on Chapter 6 or 7, if even) and it's a great game but it never quite draws me in the same way Wii Fit would have done. The only other thing I've done with the balance board in recent weeks is played some Punch-Out on Wii with it 😃 Its not the easiest way to play it but what an amazing game 🔥 Most of the weight loss has come from discipline related to the amount of unnecessary junk I was constantly putting away every day and being able to get out to walk (and eventually jog) most days. I've had major problems with my Achilles for a couple of years now and was barely able to walk at times last year with it. I've slowly been able to strengthen that side of things with daily exercises and I've gradually been building things up to the point where I've been able to mix in some jogging to the walks. Not sure when, or if, I'll be able to play football again (which kills me) but the weight loss has definitely taken some of the pressure away from those tendons so hopefully things will keep improving 🙂 It is what it is 😅 I'm really in the mood to tackle the SMB1 Marathon tonight but then that locks me out of playing anything else until it's finished or I'd have to start from scratch again! Absolutely delighted that the game has won me over at last after all this time and it definitely increases my chances of picking up Banana Rumble in a future sale! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostmario Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 Completely forgot to post this one I completed Donkey Kong Land 2 a week or so ago. Took a bit longer than i expected as due to the good ish weather, I've been having my lunch break out in the work garden the last few weeks so I was only playing when the weather was crap. Anyways, enough about the random UK summer weather. This is definitely a step up on DKL1, graphically some small improvements. DKL1 seemed to be pushing the gameboy to it's limits so there wasn't much more they could get out of it. Level design is definitely grander in scope. Some really long levels here, challenging but also frustrating at times due to the limitations of the gameboy. I'll be swimming (urggh... I'll get back to that) and an enemy would just appear on top of me. The swimming levels, I hate them in every game. Too many here for me. Music is great for them though. Sound wise, usual catchy stuff, not really an improvement on DKL1 but not a downgrade either. Definitely takes a lot from DKC2 which isn't a bad thing at all but maybe too ambitious for the gameboy. Not a lot of save points here and for a game I'm trying to squeeze into my 45 minute lunch break, it wasn't ideal. Onto Donkey Kong Land 3 next to complete the gameboy trilogy. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen-i Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 On 7/8/2024 at 11:34 PM, Jonnas said: Also, Mario Bros. isn't just an annoying Smash stage, No, it's the best Smash stage! Sometimes you just need to break up a Smash session with a completely chaotic, shellcreeper throwing slugfest! I'm always cracking up laughing whenever that stage shows up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 Football Manager 2024 (PS5) It's been years since I played one of these games. I think the last time I did so was on the 360. I have fond memories of the franchise, back when it was called Championship Manager. As kids, My friend and I used to play it on his dad's work PC and then when the original Xbox was released, I was so happy to finally have a home console version of the game, thanks to that console having a hard drive. Good times. I figured what with the Euros going on, as well as this being part of PS+, I may as well give this version a whirl. It took a while to get used to the interface, which is always the case when a game is meant to be played with a mouse and then is ported over to a console. I have no idea how I done it but for the best part of a season I was having to use the left stick to navigate and then all of a sudden I had a mouse-like cursor on the screen which then made things infinitely easier to navigate. I played through a season with Liverpool, doing what I could to get a lot of the trophies mopped up. I had to do another season with Man City (booooo) in order to unlock some more. It was insane just how much easier it was to win when playing as those guys. Although I don't think a week went by where Kevin De Bruyne wasn't injured. I also had one game where Ederson was injured and for some reason I didn't have a back up keeper. I thought back to when Kyle Walker needed to step up... ...and that's exactly what he did for me. I slapped in him goal for the match, he didn't let a ball get past him and he got man of the match. One of the trophies is hilariously named. Love me some Kevin Keegan. I needed to do another playthrough of the game as there was a trophy for winning an international tournament. I should have used this as an opportunity to show Gareth how it is done and taken England to glory but instead I opted to manage Korea. What? Their tournament was easier and a lot sooner than the Euros. 😛 Monkey Barrels (Switch) This has been on my backlog for a while now. I'm a big fan of Good-Feel's output and so I had high hopes for this game. I wasn't disappointed. It's a really fun game. It's a twin stick shooter that has you playing as a monkey with guns. Using the sticks to aim, move and shoot, there are over 20 levels to get through. The game has a Splatoon vibe to it. Some of the music you hear in the game certainly wouldn't have been out of place in that series and the customization and weapons that you unlock and buy also remind me a little of Splatoon. Obviously it looks and plays nothing like that franchise but there is certainly something about this that makes me think of the squid kids. As you go through the stages there are weapon blueprints to collect and a baby monkey hiding away somewhere that needs to be rescued. These usually require the player to go off the main path and search the areas a bit more. A lot of the time these things are hidden in crates of surrounded by a large amount of enemies. It's worth searching for the blueprints at least as these will unlock more weapons, giving you more options on taking out the enemies. I like the fact that there are a lot of weapons to choose from, both primary and secondary. Everyone has a different play style to these types of games and giving the players to option to pick and choose loadouts from a variety of weapons certainly was a welcome addition. I settled on my weapons pretty early on, with only the secondary weapon changing later in the game when I unlocked turrets that could be placed on the ground. These came in pretty handy during the boss fights as I could place them and then concentrate on dodging/rolling from the enemy gun fire. The game keeps things fresh by introducing a few stages that have you take control of a tank and other stages that turn into side scrolling shooters where you a speeding along on a bike with guns attached. It's not as if the standard stages are boring but it does help to mix things up a bit. Once again, Good-Feel have not let me down and continue to be a favourite developer of mine. I only wish that the awesome looking Otogi Katsugeki Mameda no Bakeru: Oracle Saitarou no Sainan!! would make it over here. I'm still tempted to import it, especially as it never showed up during the latest Direct. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drahkon Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 13 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: It took a while to get used to the interface You didn't have any problems like what's explained here? I do and it sucks because I really want to play the game but simply can't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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