GameTZ

1-Jan-24 1:30am
#1

SupremeSarna


Here's the spreadsheet for '24

Link to 2023's Thread for reference

LEADERBOARDS

Total Games Beaten: 218 Top Users 1. SupremeSarna (28) 2. DemonAlcohol, legendrko25 (22) 3. Slickriven, TalonJedi87 (18) 4. Renaissance2K (15) 5. Bleed_DukeBlue, ErickRPG, incubus421, PizzaTheHutt (14) ---------------------------------------------- Total Systems Covered: 85/334 (25.45%) Top Users 1. SupremeSarna (13) 2. ErickRPG, Renaissance2K (10) 3. Slickriven (9) 4. Bleed_DukeBlue (7) 5. incubus421 (6) ---------------------------------------------- Total Badges Earned: 23 Top Users 1. SupremeSarna (5) 2. legendrko25, Slickriven (4) 3. Bleed_DukeBlue, Renaissance2K (3) 4. Scott (2) 5. incubus421, PizzaTheHutt (1) ----------------------------------------------

Best1989 - - - - - - - Assassin's Creed Origins, The Outer Worlds, Strider - - - - Unique Systems Covered: 1/12 Total Games Beaten: 3

Bleed_DukeBlue image image image - - - - Centipede - - - - - - - Adam's Venture: Origins, Skylanders: SuperChargers, Skylanders: SuperChargers DLC, FoxyLand, FoxyLand 2 - Assassin's Creed: Mirage, RoboCop: Rogue City, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Ziggurat 2 - 2 - Resident Evil: Village image - Mystical Mixing - - - - - - image - image - Young Souls - Bust-a-Move Unique Systems Covered: 7/24 Total Games Beaten: 14

BloodPuppetX - Mighty Goose, Dredge, VirtuaVerse, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Persona 5 Tactica, Sonic Superstars, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Mr. Gimmick!, Another Code: Recollection - - - - - - - *evercade* - image - Unique Systems Covered: 1/10 Total Games Beaten: 9

BucketofJustice - - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, Progear, Tekken 8 *xsx* - Unique Systems Covered: 1/3 Total Games Beaten: 3

DemonAlcohol - - - - Assassin's Creed Valhalla DLC, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Aperture Desk Job, Alan Wake Remastered, Alan Wake Remastered DLC, Alan Wake's American Nightmare, Control, Control DLC, Alan Wake 2, Not for Broadcast, Ravenous Devils, Thronefall, Yakuza 0, Kingdom Rush, Yakuza Kiwami, Not for Broadcast DLC, Donut County, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Last Epoch, Trover Saves the Universe, Marvel's Midnight Suns DLC, Yakuza 3 - Unique Systems Covered: 1/5 Total Games Beaten: 22

ErickRPG - Bad News Baseball - Mario Party 2 - - Pikmin 4, Trials of Mana - Super Dodgeball Advance - - - Dynamite Cop - - - - Mortal Kombat XL, Shadow of the Colossus - DiRT 5 - - Hyperdimension Neptunia ReBirth 2, Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed - - Twisted! - King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella, King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! Unique Systems Covered: 10/18 Total Games Beaten: 14

Finn - - New Tales of Borderlands - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Unique Systems Covered: 2/4 Total Games Beaten: 2

Frank - - - - - - - - - Portal, Mario vs. Donkey Kong - - - - - - - - - - - Hoa - - - - - - - - - - - - Final Fantasy VII () Unique Systems Covered: 3/32 Total Games Beaten: 4

Gypsy - - - Operation Winback - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Octopath Traveler II - - *xb* - - Lost Odyssey - - - Unique Systems Covered: 3/25 Total Games Beaten: 3

incubus421 image image image - Mega Man 2, Mega Man 3, Mega Man 4, Mega Man 5, Mega Man 6 - Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - Octopath Traveler - - - - Dishonored 2 - Silent Hill: The Short Message, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH - Close to the Sun, Roller Coaster Tycoon - Braveland Wizard image - Unique Systems Covered: 6/11 Total Games Beaten: 14

Johnny - - - Hogwarts Legacy - image - - Unique Systems Covered: 1/6 Total Games Beaten: 1

legendrko25 image image image image - - Mario Kart Wii - - - LEGO Batman: The Videogame, Fallout 3, Fallout 3 DLC, Gin Rummy, Crazy Taxi, Viva Piñata: Party Animals, Assassin's Creed Rogue, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero - PAC-MAN, Dig Dug, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Jetpac (image), Lunar Jetman (image), Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, PAC-MANIA, PAC-LAND, Monopoly Plus, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, Bluey: the Videogame, Golf With Your Friends, Dead Island 2 Unique Systems Covered: 3/6 Total Games Beaten: 22

PizzaTheHutt image - - Songs For A Hero - Definitive Edition, Max: The Curse Of Brotherhood, Shakedown: Hawaii, Nirvana Pilot Yume - LEGO 2K Drive, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - Star Wars: Squadrons, Farpoint 2 - The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Ven VR Adventure, Travel The Words, Pixel Ripped 1995, Resident Evil 4 - Unique Systems Covered: 4/6 Total Games Beaten: 14

image Razeak - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Aliens: Colonial Marines - Unraveled Two - Aliens: Dark Descent image - - Unique Systems Covered: 3/31 Total Games Beaten: 3

Renaissance2K image image - - - Shaq Fu - - Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut - - - Mario vs. Donkey Kong - Shaq Fu, Donkey Kong - - Mario vs. Donkey Kong - - - Shaq Fu - - - - Shaq Fu - - Tekken 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Shaq Fu - Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, Tekken 7, Tekken 8, Quake, Quake II - - - Unique Systems Covered: 10/37 Total Games Beaten: 15

sailorneorune - - - - - - - Silent Hope, Splatoon 3 DLC - - - - - - - - - - - *evercade* - Unique Systems Covered: 1/19 Total Games Beaten: 2

Scott image image - Super Mario Bros. - - - - - - Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Slay the Spire - - - - - - - - - - - Unique Systems Covered: 2/19 Total Games Beaten: 3

image Slickriven image image image image - - - - - - - Zen: Intergalactic Ninja - Mario vs. Donkey Kong - Shaq Fu - - - - - - - - - Asura's Wrath DLC - Return to Grace - The Last Case of Benedict Fox, Solar Ash, Lies of P - - Yono and the Celestial Elephants, Horizon Chase Turbo DLC, Quake 2, A Little to the Left - Ittle Dew, Binaries, Valdis Story: Abyssal City, Astalon: Tears of the Earth, Sheepy: A Short Adventure - image - image - Inertial Drift Twilight Rivals Edition Unique Systems Covered: 9/26 Total Games Beaten: 18

SupremeSarna image image image image image - Warbirds - Super Mario Bros. - Shaq Fu - - Wario World, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat - - Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Shantae (), Mega Man 8 (), Fire Emblem Engage, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Pikmin 3 DLC, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (), Splatoon 3 DLC, Donkey Kong Country () - Zelda II: The Adventure of Link () - - Kirby's Block Ball (), Donkey Kong Land (), Donkey Kong Land 2 (), Kirby's Dream Land (), Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong () - - Gunman Clive 2, Spotto! (), 6×1≠UNLIMITED? - - - - Mega Man X8 - - - SoulCalibur II () - - Grimace's Birthday () image - Scribblenauts Remix, Scribblenauts Remix DLC Unique Systems Covered: 13/23 Total Games Beaten: 28

TalonJedi87 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Manhattan Project (), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of The Foot Clan (), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Radical Rescue (), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (arcade), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (arcade), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (), Shantae and the Seven Sirens, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Super Mario Bros. (), Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (), Super Mario Bros. 2 () - - - Dead Island 2, Horizon Forbidden West, Hogwarts Legacy, Assassin’s Creed Mirage - - Unique Systems Covered: 2/6 Total Games Beaten: 18

Yoshi - - - Kyuukyoku Tiger, Blaster Master () - - - - Alien Crush - - Sniper Elite 4 & DLC, Double Dragon Advance (), Terminator: Resistance - Annihilation Line *evercade* - - Unique Systems Covered: 2/11 Total Games Beaten: 6

"RULES"

1. Respect each other and the gamekeeper(s) - this activity is a gift to the community, and jerks kill the fun. 2. Beat games. Proof is NOT required via an image, but lying is lame and you won't win anything for beating the most games. 3. It doesn't matter when you started the game - as long as you finish it this year, it counts. However, you cannot load up a finished save file and refight the final boss to get a clear. 4. DLC campaigns can count as a single clear for their respective game, so beating The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Champion's Ballad counts as two clears: BOTW and BOTW DLC. Any further DLC completed for that game will be lumped into the first campaign. 5. If you are interested in badges, when you beat a game for one, include something like 'Counts towards badge X' OR 'Earns me badge X, first game was Y.' One particular badge requires proof to obtain, however. 6. All participating past gamekeepers are thanked with a medal: image

ICONS & BADGES

Key - 50% of systems covered, - 100% of systems covered, - 0 games beaten, - 5 games beaten, - 10 games beaten (additional gold stars for 20, 30, 40, 60, etc), - 50 games beaten, - 100 games beaten, - 150 games beaten, - 200 games beaten, - top user in systems completed, - top user in games beaten, - badge leader Badges, note 2 games required for each 2nd Amendment: Beat 2 FPS or 3rd Person (ex: DOOM). All Aces: Beat 2 virtual card games (ex: Hearthstone) - win at least two matches in both. Bear & Bird: Beat 2 3D platformers and/or collect-a-thons (ex: Banjo-Kazooie). BFFL: Beat 2 primarily cooperative games with another person (ex: It Takes Two) - online or couch. Alternatively, you can beat two single-player games in a group setting, where all involved people are participating (ex: racing to beat a platformer or challenging each other's arcade high scores). Bo Knows: Beat 2 sports games (ex: Madden 08) - complete a single season. Brain Teaser: Beat 2 puzzle games (ex: Tetris). Chance Time!: Beat 2 party games or virtual board games (ex: Mario Party) - short games (under an hour) must be beaten twice while long games (an hour or longer) can be beaten once. Cross the Streams: Beat 2 cross-over games (ex: Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games). The 2+ franchises meeting MUST be the game's theme, not just a small cameo by one in another's universe. Days Gone By: Beat 2 games that require 50+ hours to finish (ex: The Elder Scrolls), any genre. Requires in-game timer for proof. Delisted: Beat two games that can no longer be officially purchased first- or second-hand (ex: Pushmo). Destroy the Core: Beat 2 SHMUPs or on-rails shooters (ex: Gradius). Facelift: Beat a game as well as its remake, remaster, or demake - remake must have substantial differences. Gamer's Day: Beat the exact same game five times in one year. Girl Power: Beat 2 games with female leads, or are targeted towards a feminine audience (ex: Kirby?). Grown-Ass Man: Beat 2 challenging games (ex: Castlevania). Guybrush Threepwood: Beat 2 games from the point-&-click, text adventure, or walking simulator genres (ex: King's Quest). Hackin' and Slashin': Beat 2 3D hack-and-slash or musou titles (ex: Ninja Gaiden). Heavy Machine Gun: Beat 2 run 'n' gun games (ex: Mega Man). Hop 'n' Bop: Beat 2 platforming games (ex: Super Mario Bros.). Hyrulian Hero: Beat 2 action/adventure titles (ex: The Legend of Zelda). Level Up!: Beat 2 JRPGs (ex: Final Fantasy). Localize Mother 3: Beat 2 Japanese games that haven't been officially localized outside of Japan, or took at least a full year to be localized outside of Japan (ex: Mother 3, Final Fantasy V). Makin' Money with Minigames!: Beat 2 games that are entirely made of minigames (ex: WarioWare Inc.). Mass Destruction: Beat 2 games centered on destruction (ex: Rampage). Metroidvania: Beat 2 open-ended 2D platformers that focus on backtracking (ex: Metroid). Moustache-Twirlin': Beat 2 games starring a villain or morally-dubious character Now You're Playing with Plastic: Beat 2 games using non-standard controllers (light gun, musical instrument, steering wheel, dance pad, etc.) Pile Drivin': Beat 2 belt-scrolling brawler/beat 'em ups (ex: Final Fight). Quarter Muncher: Beat 2 games from the classic arcade, pinball, or breakout genres (ex: PAC-MAN). Quest for Peace: Beat 2 predominately superhero focused titles (ex: Batman: Arkham City). Raccoon City: Beat 2 survival horror games (ex: Resident Evil). Race Drivin': Beat 2 racing games (ex: Mario Kart 64). Rhythmic: Beat 2 rhythm games (ex: PaRappa the Rapper). Street Fightin': Beat 2 1-on-1 fighters (ex: Street Fighter 2) - beat standard arcade mode with 2+ characters OR beat 10+ match story mode. The Best Offense: Beat 2 strategy titles, tactical RPGs, or RTS (ex: Fire Emblem Awakening). Vault Boy: Beat 2 open world and/or Western RPGs (ex: Fallout). You're Winner: Beat 2 games with <55 review OR user score on Metacritic (ex: Sonic '06), or justify how poor your game was. image 2nd Amendment image All Aces image Bear & Bird image BFFL image Bo Knows image Brain Teaser image Chance Time! image Cross the Streams image Days Gone By image Delisted image Destroy the Core image Facelift image Gamer's Day image Girl Power image Grown-Ass Man image Guybrush Threepwood image Hackin' and Slashin' image Heavy Machine Gun image Hop 'n' Bop image Hyrulian Hero image Level Up! image Localize Mother 3 image Makin' Money with Minigames! image Mass Destruction image Metroidvania image Moustache-Twirlin' image Now You're Playing with Plastic image Pile Drivin' image Quarter Muncher image Quest for Peace image Raccoon City image Race Drivin' image Rhythmic image Street Fightin' image The Best Offense image Vault Boy image You're Winner

17-Feb-24 1:09am
#241

SupremeSarna


incubus421 wrote:
SupremeSarna wrote:> incubus421 wrote: |>> 2/15 |>> #5) Donkey Kong Country 2 Diddy's Kong Quest |>> |>> By the time I "beat" the game I was about 9 Coins short of unlocking the last> bonus |>> level, and had collected all of the DK coins. I remember finding some of these> to |>> be a whole lot harder as a kid! So I finished every level with all secrets and> DK |>> coins, and got the special ending in around 6 hours. |>> |>> Oh, also, I think every song in this game is an absolute banger. A top tier retro |>> soundtrack for sure. |>> |>> [imgt w=2048 h=1536]https://i.imgur.com/...[/imgt]> > Which stages gave you the toughest time? There are no wrong answers here, aside from> some early stages. Haunted Hall and the Squawks portion of Animal Antics.
Animal Antics is a doozy, alright. I always struggled on Windy Well, Toxic Tower, and Klobber Karnage. Zingers can be a real nuisance, especially when you have to line up a jump or barrel shot just right.

17-Feb-24 1:26am
#242

SupremeSarna


I beat Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (originally GB). I had a car trip to distract myself from, and this is great game to pass time with. I wonder what order I HAVEN'T play the worlds in?

17-Feb-24 6:45pm
#243

DemonAlcohol


My #14 is Kingdom Rush.

https://photos.app.g...

Fun tower defense from mobile, but plays well for PC. Easily recommended to anyone interested in tower defense games. 8/10

18-Feb-24 12:46am
#244

SupremeSarna


OP updated! How have I not earned a badge yet?

18-Feb-24 1:01am
#245

Slickriven


SupremeSarna wrote:
OP updated! How have I not earned a badge yet?
Thanks man, I've got 8 unique systems though, not 7.

18-Feb-24 2:37am
#246

SupremeSarna


Slickriven wrote:
SupremeSarna wrote:> OP updated! How have I not earned a badge yet? Thanks man, I've got 8 unique systems though, not 7.
Got it done.

18-Feb-24 2:34pm
#247

incubus421


SupremeSarna wrote:
incubus421 wrote:> SupremeSarna wrote: |>> incubus421 wrote:> |>> 2/15> |>> #5) Donkey Kong Country 2 Diddy's Kong Quest > |>> > |>> By the time I "beat" the game I was about 9 Coins short of unlocking the last |>> bonus> |>> level, and had collected all of the DK coins. I remember finding some of these |>> to> |>> be a whole lot harder as a kid! So I finished every level with all secrets and |>> DK> |>> coins, and got the special ending in around 6 hours.> |>> > |>> Oh, also, I think every song in this game is an absolute banger. A top tier> retro> |>> soundtrack for sure.> |>> > |>> [imgt w=2048 h=1536]https://i.imgur.com/...[/imgt] |>> |>> Which stages gave you the toughest time? There are no wrong answers here, aside> from |>> some early stages.> > Haunted Hall and the Squawks portion of Animal Antics. Animal Antics is a doozy, alright. I always struggled on Windy Well, Toxic Tower, and Klobber Karnage. Zingers can be a real nuisance, especially when you have to line up a jump or barrel shot just right.
I always remembered Toxic Tower being rage inducing in my youth. I was dreading my return there. Surprisingly, I jumped right through it and even remembered where the secrets were....repetition as they say.


#6 on 2/18
Silent Hill The Short Message

Nothing special here. A little scary/anxiety inducing before you know what to expect. After the first half hour or so, those feelings quickly fade. I found the last 20 minutes or so to be frustrating and it really took away from the unsettling/scary setting. A P.T. game this is not. Two and a half hours to clear this.
image

18-Feb-24 6:10pm
#248

Frank


Just rolled credits on Final Fantasy VII. (looks like you need to add PSX onto my list)

I can't say I liked how frequent the random encounters were, but overall I really really liked the story!

I'm not the biggest RPG guy, but I'm happy with the long hours spent finally beating a FF game.

19-Feb-24 7:34pm
#249

legendrko25


I beat Gin Rummy on the xbox 360 (beating this and yugioh master duel gets me the all aces badge)

19-Feb-24 8:45pm
#250

PizzaTheHutt


Game #10 of 2024

Aliens: Fireteam Elite on
This will go towards BFFL badge since I beat it in co-op with a friend online.

19-Feb-24 9:23pm
#251

incubus421


#7 on 2/19
Mega Man 2

Favorite boss, Quick Man because using his weakness on him is fun
Favorite music, Wily's Castle stage 1 & 2
Biggest annoyance, Quick Man's stage - Falling through multiple screens while laser's shoot from right-to-left and left-to-right. They're one shot kills, and your falling off a ledge timing needs to be quick and impeccable.
image

#8 on 2/19
Mega Man 3

Favorite boss, Shadow Man because he's a cool ass ninja. Pretty difficult fight without his weakness that absolutely rocks him
Favorite music, Shadow Man's stage
Biggest annoyance, Magnet Man's stage - jumping on timed blocks that disappear/reappear.
image


Looks like I'm now eligible for two badges
Heavy Machine Gun: Beat 2 run 'n' gun games (ex: Mega Man).
1 - Mega Man 2
2 - Mega Man 3

Hop 'n' Bop: Beat 2 platforming games (ex: Super Mario Bros.).
1 - Donkey Kong Country
2 - Donkey Kong Country 2 Diddy's Kong Quest

20-Feb-24 9:10am
#252

Scott


I need to beat some Mega Man games one of these days...

20-Feb-24 11:59am
#253

legendrko25


I beat my high score on Crazy Taxi on the xbox360

20-Feb-24 7:58pm
#254

PizzaTheHutt


Game #11 of 2024

Nirvana Pilot Yume on

21-Feb-24 1:10am
#255

SupremeSarna


GBASP down! I beat Kirby's Block Ball (originally GB).
[imgt w=1536 h=2048]https://pbs.twimg.co...[/imgt]
It's been a few years since I played this. I like it overall, but it's certainly a weak Kirby spin-off. Reaching the final boss requires you to clear a border line on every stage, but most of them are reliant on you getting major bonuses under a time limit. The physics are also stiff, so hitting a tiny block in the corner of the screen can take minutes if Kirby wasn't already lined up to hit it. Not the worst game in the series, but a far cry from his previous Game Boy spin-off masterpiece: Kirby's Pinball Land.

21-Feb-24 12:49pm
#256

incubus421


#9 on 2/20
Mega Man 4

Favorite boss - undecided, probably a toss up between Pharaoh Man and Skull Man. Both are cool characters and each can be beaten without their weakness in a fair yet challenging way.
Favorite Music - Dive Man's stage, with runner up being Pharaoh Man's stage
Biggest annoyance - Holy crap Ring Man's stage is long and grueling with moving/disappearing platforms, lots of falling, tough mini-boss enemies (purple hippo on tall platform, red eyes surrounded by shielding green rings), and Ring Man himself is arguably the toughest boss. Also, the final Wily boss in the dark is terrible! Just shoot aimlessly and hope to hit him...until you look up his weakness.

image


#10 on 2/21
Roller Coaster Tycoon

Beat all original scenarios in around 65 hours. There are just too many scenarios for it's own good and not enough varied of an experience between scenarios. You can unlock most rides by about the 6th or 7th scenario. After that each scenario plays about the same as the last. They try to present different challenges throughout, but if you just delete what is present in each map, you can basically start everything from scratch each time. The second to last level was probably the most difficult because the scenario does not allow you to remove trees or edit the elevation and the map is littered with trees.

image

For anyone interested in some of my theme park work:

Pacific Pyramids - an open and very level map. Initially built a coaster that runs in between two pyramids and then built out from there. I don't like to leave any empty space between rides. grey/white/orange/yellow theme.
image

Thunder Rock - the final scenario of the game. It became a little difficult to find room for rides towards the end. I used the underground area to it's fullest. Hard to see, but there is a log flume, two coasters, and a water slide under there. No theme, lots of building
image

Trinity Islands - Probably my favorite scenario to build upon. The park is narrow as can be seen from the underwater fence lining. Just about every single square on the grid was used to build this park. Overlapping rides, not too crowded, themed in green/white/black. Probably the peak of enjoying my RTC experience. Sadly this is scenario 7 of 21...
image

21-Feb-24 4:05pm
#257

legendrko25


I beat Mario Kart Wii on the wii

21-Feb-24 8:27pm
#258

TalonJedi87


#14

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

It was quite refreshing to play a recently released Assassin’s Creed title that wasn’t overwhelming in scope as the past several games in the series has been. The map is much smaller. The story is concise and focused. The combat is crisp and precise. The tactical stealth is in super abundance. I enjoyed my 15 hours with this entry and would happily return a second time around if it wasn’t for the performance issues I experienced throughout. The game suffers from a lot of screen tearing from what I noticed in crowded areas where it gives the GPU a workout. The framerate stutters as well during heavy trafficking areas. And the graphics are just not that well polished. I get it though. It’s a smaller game on presumably a tighter budget so it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles as a larger scale game. What it lacks in performance and graphical fidelity it sure as heck makes up for in gameplay though. The tools you get within your arsenal to carry out your stealthy like objectives are simple, yet effective and range from noisemakers to blow darts to the game breaking daggers. Yes daggers have an upgrade that allows you not only to recollect your dagger and essentially never run out of ammo but also allows you to completely dissolve your enemy it lands on by means of a corrosive like acidic application. Quite gnarly yet quite game breaking as once I unlocked those upgrades it was all I was using until the end of the game but man was it useful! You can also upgrade your attire and weapons too by finding upgrade materials and upgrade diagrams by completing missions. And lastly the story is quite interesting and even has a twist ending I didn’t really see coming. Overall it’s a return to form for the AC franchise and I only hope it can keep up the momentum of having that familiar yet fresh reinvigorating spirit with future installments.

21-Feb-24 9:04pm
#259

Renaissance2K


In anticipation of the remaster that just dropped over the long weekend, Frank's Game of the Month was Mario vs. Donkey Kong. I got a head start on the festivities by picking up the Game Boy Advance original and working my way through the campaign mode.

Number: 11
Full Title: Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Platform Played: Game Boy Advance
Collection: N/A
Native Platform: Game Boy Advance
Original Platforms: Game Boy Advance

I started the Mario vs. Donkey Kong franchise right in the middle, picking up Minis March Again at the launch of DSiWare and playing through it - twice! I never touched the original, despite the number of times Nintendo offered it up to loyalists. I liked the Game Boy reimagining of Donkey Kong that inspired this game and was happy to see it'd gotten a new coat of paint and a lot of expanded content.

While the game got off to a breezy start, the game's difficulty quickly spiked, and Mario's quirky acrobatics started to become more frustrating than charming. Mario vs. Donkey Kong presents an alternative to the hop-and-bop parkour that made up Mario's moveset from New Super Mario Bros. onward, and while I'm impressed they could fit such a huge repetoire into just two buttons, the number of backflips I've done suggest it could have been less overloaded. Aside from a few really nightmarish puzzles, the game still managed to be a fun "snack" of sorts, even though it's not as memorable as some of Mario's other portable titles.

Number: 12
Full Title: Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Platform Played: Switch
Collection: N/A
Native Platform: Switch
Original Platforms: Game Boy Advance
Badges: Facelift (1/2)

While I love experiencing the same game on multiple platforms, there aren't too many occasions where I immediately followed up a playthrough of a game with its remaster, especially so soon after the latter's release. Figuring "Why not?" I picked up the Switch remaster of Mario vs. Donkey Kong shortly before it dropped. The game adds two new worlds - each with a new mechanic to master - and brings all the graphics and level designs up to speed with the rest of the Switch library.

I couldn't put it down. The updated graphics adding a whole lot of clarity to the original's fuzzy pre-rendered sprites. The new levels and mechanics weren't particularly memorable, but they fit in perfectly with the rest of the game's original content. Most of the annoyances with Mario's moves were taken care of, and I didn't have nearly as many unfortunate accidents caused by poor timing or bad button presses. Purists may still prefer the original game and its difficulty, but I gobbled up the remaster, finishing it in less than four days.

While we're talking about Games of the Month, let's pivot back to the Retro Talkshop Thread for the other Game of the Month we picked.

Number: 13
Full Title: Quake
Platform Played: PC
Collection: N/A
Native Platform: PC
Original Platforms: PC
Badges: 2nd Amendment (1/2)

My family bought their first "real" computer - a Gateway 2000 desktop with a Pentium Pro 200 inside - right at the peak of Quake's influence on PC gaming. After putting the machine through its paces with a few PlayStation ports and classic DOS games, Quake was the first game that really blew me out of my socks. The dark atmosphere, fully 3D environment, and blazing fast gameplay were completely unlike the other shooters I'd seen up to that point, which seemed almost cartoony by comparison. I played through the Quake shareware countless times - trying out different graphics settings, console configurations, Redbook Audio soundtracks - but never actually played through the game until many years later where I used it (and its two official expansions) to break an 18-month-long gaming fast.

After loading Quake onto my retro PC, I'm surprised at how much I remember from that first episode: the six secrets in the first level, the low gravity secret level Ziggurat Vertigo, the giant lightning-shooting Shamblers that always seem to appear as an ambush, and the mad dash around Cthlon's lair once you realize all your weapons are ineffective. The remaining four episodes don't give the same nostalgic rush, especially as the difficulty spikes, but I still hugely appreciate Quake's aesthetic and its simple, fast-paced, explosive gameplay. It'll be worth checking out the recent remaster at some point, especially its new episodes.

- Quake, Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, Tekken 7, Tekken 8
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- Shaq Fu
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- Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
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- Mario vs. Donkey Kong
- Shaq Fu
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong
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- Tekken 5
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- Shaq Fu
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- Shaq Fu
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image -
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Misc - Shaq Fu (Amiga)

2nd Amendment - Quake
Bear & Bird - Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
Facelift - Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Street Fightin' - Shaq Fu, Tekken 7, Tekken 8
You're Winner - Shaq Fu

Unique Systems Covered: 9/38
Total Games Beaten: 13

With Quake in the record books, I started Quake II this afternoon, wondering if I'll be able to finish it before Final Fantasy VII Rebirth releases next week. On the portable front, after having so much fun with the Mario vs. Donkey Kong remaster, I decided it was worth picking up the Game Boy port of Donkey Kong that I started so many years ago.

22-Feb-24 7:17pm
#260

DemonAlcohol


My #15 is Yakuza Kiwami

https://photos.app.g...

Nice story, same button mashing gameplay. It's so easy to lose track of time doing side quests in this game. I think I did 40 of them. Mostly entertaining as well. Glad to play through this series. 8/10

22-Feb-24 11:49pm
#261

SupremeSarna


@Renaissance2K You earned Facelift by playing both versions of MvDK.