I always stay up-to-date on my game releases, but there are also a lot of games that I return to, over and over again. I have a fairly long (and growing) list of games that I replay at least once a year. These are games that continue to be meaningful to me, and I am constantly comparing them to the brand new games that I play each week. And for me, they still hold a great deal of value. Any title that I'm willing to continue to play to this day stands tall even amongst the best modern games.
So, the question is: is this a form of non-nostalgia? It's not nostalgia if I am, in fact, not simply remembering a game that I used to enjoy playing, but am actively doing so, frequently?
Duck Tales Remastered comes out tomorrow, and the reviews are quite divisive, to say the least. Almost all of the reviews make reference to nostalgia. And depending on the tone of the review, will state that one's nostalgia will be either rewarded or punished.
Nostalgia is about someone having a fond memory of an event and a longing to experience again. So, if one continues with an activity, on a regular basis, they cannot feel nostalgic towards it, right?
Duck Tales just happens to be one of the games that play through at least once a year, and having played it within the past couple of months, I can say that it remains one of my favorite games ever! Without any nostalgic feelings towards the game, I feel well-equipped to try the new Remastered version and will judge it on its own merits.
I'm really looking forward to it!
Speaking of games that I play every year, some people have asked me for a list. So here it is. These are the games that I try to play at least once a year (in no particular order):
1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (100% complete, ~3 hrs)
2. Super Mario World (*96)
3. Chrono Trigger (sometimes NG, sometimes NG+)
4. Final Fantasy III (VI)
5. Super Mario Bros 3 (No warp whistle playthrough)
6. Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers (~15 min)
7. Duck Tales (best ending playthrough)
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (SNES) (Hard Mode)
9. Super Metroid (Speed run; current best 0:54)
10. Mega Man 2
11. Mega Man 3
12. Mega Man 4
13. Mega Man 5
14. Mega Man 9
15. Mega Man X
16. Mega Man X2 (all Zero parts)
17. Super Mario RPG
18. Metroid Prime (100%)
19. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (100%)
20. Contra III: The Alien Wars
21. Super Castlevania IV
22. Donkey Kong Country 2 (102%, current best 2:55)
23. Donkey Kong Country 3 (103%, current best 4:02)
24. Startropics
25. Adventures of Lolo
26. Adventures of Lolo 2
27. Kirby Super Star (100%)
28. Final Fight 2 (Hard, true ending)
29. ActRaiser
30. Star Fox 64 (single run, usually middle route)
31. Super Mario 64 (120 Stars)
32. Super Mario Sunshine (Story completion)
33. Super Mario Galaxy (120 Stars)
34. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (242 Stars)
35. Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Campaign + Hard Campaign)
Showing posts with label Gaming Log. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gaming Log. Show all posts
Monday, August 12, 2013
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
My Gaming Log: July 2012
It's summer time! So, naturally that means plenty of gaming! Despite the amount of games I played in July, not that much time was spent playing (mostly short, less than 60 min play sessions).
At the end of last month's gaming log entry, I mentioned that I'd be playing some Dragon's Dogma in July. I did... but only for a couple of days. I just couldn't get into it. I really did not enjoy my time with Dragon's Dogma. I think I will revisit it and give it another chance, though.
On the handheld front, I was in a very Pokémon mood. After finishing Pokémon Conquest (the main campaign), I was in the mood for more. The additional stories and side-quests in Conquest are really tough, frustratingly tough as a matter of fact. So I had to turn to another game. So, I borrowed a copy of Pokémon HeartGold and dove right in. Long, involved games really make long train commutes that much more tolerable.
I finally decided to upgrade to the Ultimate version of Marvel vs Capcom 3 (EVO may or may not have had something to do with that decision). Speaking of EVO... the Grand Finals for UMvC3 were truly terrific! I watched the finals live, and it was such a great time!! UMvC3 is just such a joy to watch, it's so exciting.
On the new game front, I picked up Max Payne 3 and Mario Party 9. Max Payne 3 looks great and it plays really well, too. I'm finding it quite tough, so I'm working my way through it slowly. As for Mario Party 9... I love it. It's my favourite Mario Party to date. The minigames are fantastic and it is refreshingly different (not radically different, but it has some new concepts that shake up the gameplay).
So, what does August have in store? Well, I plan on doing some more writing around here, especially about music (something I've been known to do). Also, August is the 30th Anniversary of the Commodore 64! Since I got my start in gaming on a C64 (as well as an Atari 2600), I think I'll share some of my fondest Commodore 64 memories.
Click for details
At the end of last month's gaming log entry, I mentioned that I'd be playing some Dragon's Dogma in July. I did... but only for a couple of days. I just couldn't get into it. I really did not enjoy my time with Dragon's Dogma. I think I will revisit it and give it another chance, though.
On the handheld front, I was in a very Pokémon mood. After finishing Pokémon Conquest (the main campaign), I was in the mood for more. The additional stories and side-quests in Conquest are really tough, frustratingly tough as a matter of fact. So I had to turn to another game. So, I borrowed a copy of Pokémon HeartGold and dove right in. Long, involved games really make long train commutes that much more tolerable.
I finally decided to upgrade to the Ultimate version of Marvel vs Capcom 3 (EVO may or may not have had something to do with that decision). Speaking of EVO... the Grand Finals for UMvC3 were truly terrific! I watched the finals live, and it was such a great time!! UMvC3 is just such a joy to watch, it's so exciting.
On the new game front, I picked up Max Payne 3 and Mario Party 9. Max Payne 3 looks great and it plays really well, too. I'm finding it quite tough, so I'm working my way through it slowly. As for Mario Party 9... I love it. It's my favourite Mario Party to date. The minigames are fantastic and it is refreshingly different (not radically different, but it has some new concepts that shake up the gameplay).
So, what does August have in store? Well, I plan on doing some more writing around here, especially about music (something I've been known to do). Also, August is the 30th Anniversary of the Commodore 64! Since I got my start in gaming on a C64 (as well as an Atari 2600), I think I'll share some of my fondest Commodore 64 memories.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
My Gaming Log: June 2012
With June now over we're now into the second half of 2012! It's time to take a look back at the past month and see what I've been playing.
DS Strategy games were the order of the month in June. I played plenty of Advance Wars (Dual Strike and Days of Ruin). Having surpassed the 200 hour mark in play time in Advance Wars: Dual Strike made me realize that perhaps I needed a new strategy game to play on my commute. During the last week of the month I picked up Pokémon Conquest; a nifty little turn based strategy game that combines Pokémon with Nobunaga's Ambition.
On the console front, there was plenty of Mario games to be had in June. Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario RPG all got plenty of play time last month. Super Mario Sunshine is a completely underrated game in my opinion and it was a joy to play through it again.
The Wii's Virtual Console got a nice addition on the 15th: Mega Man X2. I picked that up without a moment's hesitation!! Releases like that remind me why I think that the Wii is my favourite console of this generation.
Finally, near the very end of the month, an 8-bit fan remake of Mega Man 7 was brought to my attention, so I just had to give it a try! It's a very excellent translation (from SNES to NES), and it's also much more challenging than the original 16-bit version!
What's in store for the second half of the year? For starters, I'll be playing Dragon's Dogma in July, and probably a whole lot more Pokémon Conquest.
See you next month!
Click for a larger view
DS Strategy games were the order of the month in June. I played plenty of Advance Wars (Dual Strike and Days of Ruin). Having surpassed the 200 hour mark in play time in Advance Wars: Dual Strike made me realize that perhaps I needed a new strategy game to play on my commute. During the last week of the month I picked up Pokémon Conquest; a nifty little turn based strategy game that combines Pokémon with Nobunaga's Ambition.
On the console front, there was plenty of Mario games to be had in June. Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario RPG all got plenty of play time last month. Super Mario Sunshine is a completely underrated game in my opinion and it was a joy to play through it again.
The Wii's Virtual Console got a nice addition on the 15th: Mega Man X2. I picked that up without a moment's hesitation!! Releases like that remind me why I think that the Wii is my favourite console of this generation.
Finally, near the very end of the month, an 8-bit fan remake of Mega Man 7 was brought to my attention, so I just had to give it a try! It's a very excellent translation (from SNES to NES), and it's also much more challenging than the original 16-bit version!
What's in store for the second half of the year? For starters, I'll be playing Dragon's Dogma in July, and probably a whole lot more Pokémon Conquest.
See you next month!
Friday, June 1, 2012
My Gaming Log: May 2012
May proved to be a very busy month, which left less than usual time for gaming. Still though, I was able to get some really good play time with some old faves.
I started off the month by continuing my Metroid series playthrough, I finished the completely sublime Metroid Prime and moved onto Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, an underrated GameCube classic.
I finally got around to buying Super Meat Boy on Xbox LIVE. I've always wanted the game, as I have a strong affection for platforming games. It was the truly excellent Indie Game: The Movie that thrust SMB back into my consciousness and reminded me that it is a must-play title.
After getting the great news that the Demon's Souls servers are staying online, I decided to dive head-first back into the world of Demon's Souls by creating a new character. I've Platinum'd the game once before, but getting back into it feels just as rewarding. The Souls games (Demon's Souls and its sequel, Dark Souls) are easily some of my all-time favorites!
Finally, the big event in May was TOJam, the Toronto Game Jam, on May 11th, 12th and 13th. TOJam was an excellent experience and you can read all about the ups, the downs, the successes and lessons learned.
Overall, May was a great month and I'm looking forward to June, especially because it is National Game Development Month!
Click for a more detailed view
I started off the month by continuing my Metroid series playthrough, I finished the completely sublime Metroid Prime and moved onto Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, an underrated GameCube classic.
I finally got around to buying Super Meat Boy on Xbox LIVE. I've always wanted the game, as I have a strong affection for platforming games. It was the truly excellent Indie Game: The Movie that thrust SMB back into my consciousness and reminded me that it is a must-play title.
After getting the great news that the Demon's Souls servers are staying online, I decided to dive head-first back into the world of Demon's Souls by creating a new character. I've Platinum'd the game once before, but getting back into it feels just as rewarding. The Souls games (Demon's Souls and its sequel, Dark Souls) are easily some of my all-time favorites!
Finally, the big event in May was TOJam, the Toronto Game Jam, on May 11th, 12th and 13th. TOJam was an excellent experience and you can read all about the ups, the downs, the successes and lessons learned.
Overall, May was a great month and I'm looking forward to June, especially because it is National Game Development Month!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
My Gaming Log: April 2012
With April officially over, it's now time for yet another installment of my 2012 gaming log. April started off fighting game-heavy and finished off with a whole lot of retro gaming.
Fighting games dominated much of my gaming time for the first week of April, with Soulcalibur V and Street Fight X Tekken being my most played games. I'm still enjoying SFxT quite a bit and am really getting into SCV. Skullgirls, released on the 10th, gave me my next fighting game fix. It's a pretty great game, even though it is quite out of my league.
The second half of the month was dominated by old games. I completed a playthrough of Super Mario Bros. with a friend, and we both spent an afternoon working through Donkey Kong Country.
I am currently in the middle of a Metroid series playthrough; I beat Metroid: Zero Mission (substituted in place of the NES original), Metroid II (in one single 2 1/2 hour session) and Super Metroid over a few brief sessions. I am now working my way through the Metroid Prime games and will move on to Metroid: Other M and will finish off with Metroid Fusion. I'll have to wait and see just how much of May these games take up.
I am aware that the order in which I am playing the Metroid games is not the correct chronological order, it's more of a order-of-release (with Zero Mission thrown into the start).
Finally, the highlight of the month: Fez. You can read all about my thoughts on Fez. I had been waiting for this game for years, and it has not let me down. I'm going to continue playing it (despite being sidetracked with a Metroid-marathon), but I am definitely going to take my time... Fez deserves to be treated like a fine meal, better savored than voraciously consumed.
Here's looking forward to May!
Click to see a full view of the April log
Fighting games dominated much of my gaming time for the first week of April, with Soulcalibur V and Street Fight X Tekken being my most played games. I'm still enjoying SFxT quite a bit and am really getting into SCV. Skullgirls, released on the 10th, gave me my next fighting game fix. It's a pretty great game, even though it is quite out of my league.
The second half of the month was dominated by old games. I completed a playthrough of Super Mario Bros. with a friend, and we both spent an afternoon working through Donkey Kong Country.
I am currently in the middle of a Metroid series playthrough; I beat Metroid: Zero Mission (substituted in place of the NES original), Metroid II (in one single 2 1/2 hour session) and Super Metroid over a few brief sessions. I am now working my way through the Metroid Prime games and will move on to Metroid: Other M and will finish off with Metroid Fusion. I'll have to wait and see just how much of May these games take up.
I am aware that the order in which I am playing the Metroid games is not the correct chronological order, it's more of a order-of-release (with Zero Mission thrown into the start).
Finally, the highlight of the month: Fez. You can read all about my thoughts on Fez. I had been waiting for this game for years, and it has not let me down. I'm going to continue playing it (despite being sidetracked with a Metroid-marathon), but I am definitely going to take my time... Fez deserves to be treated like a fine meal, better savored than voraciously consumed.
Here's looking forward to May!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
My Gaming Log: March 2012
With March over it's time again to take a look back at my gaming habits. There was a big New Release last month, that I decided to pass-over in feed my love of fighting games, and I got my self up to date on a big franchise.
I decided to pass on Mass Effect 3, arguably the most high-profile release in March, and picked up Street Fighter X Tekken (pronounced "Street Fighter Cross Tekken") instead. I waited a few months after the release of Mass Effect 2 to pick it up, and I'll likely do the same with ME3.
I finished off Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and went back and completed a playthrough of Assassin's Creed II. I've only just recently become a pretty hard-core fan of the Assassin's Creed series and am glad that I'm now comfortably caught up and ready for this Fall's AC3.
I gave my Xbox 360 a little love at the beginning of the month, and replayed both Bionic Commando (the 2009 reboot) and Bayonetta. I really like the 2009 Bionic Commando game, unapologetically so, and had a good time running (or rather, swinging) through it again.
I pick up a copy of Bulletstorm on clearance ($10) and had a nice time going through it. The game is a ton of fun. I'm not a huge fan of shooters, but the Skillshot system in Bulletstorm was just the kind of chaotic, frantic action that appeals to me.
I guess it was a "slower" month than both January and February, with less game titles crammed into the date boxes. I managed to stay focused on specific games longer and still had a fun month.
Remember the old saying: "April showers, mean staying inside and playing more videogames!"
Click to see the full month's log
I decided to pass on Mass Effect 3, arguably the most high-profile release in March, and picked up Street Fighter X Tekken (pronounced "Street Fighter Cross Tekken") instead. I waited a few months after the release of Mass Effect 2 to pick it up, and I'll likely do the same with ME3.
I finished off Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and went back and completed a playthrough of Assassin's Creed II. I've only just recently become a pretty hard-core fan of the Assassin's Creed series and am glad that I'm now comfortably caught up and ready for this Fall's AC3.
I gave my Xbox 360 a little love at the beginning of the month, and replayed both Bionic Commando (the 2009 reboot) and Bayonetta. I really like the 2009 Bionic Commando game, unapologetically so, and had a good time running (or rather, swinging) through it again.
I pick up a copy of Bulletstorm on clearance ($10) and had a nice time going through it. The game is a ton of fun. I'm not a huge fan of shooters, but the Skillshot system in Bulletstorm was just the kind of chaotic, frantic action that appeals to me.
I guess it was a "slower" month than both January and February, with less game titles crammed into the date boxes. I managed to stay focused on specific games longer and still had a fun month.
Remember the old saying: "April showers, mean staying inside and playing more videogames!"
Thursday, March 1, 2012
My Gaming Log: February 2012
The ol' gaming log is going strong and with February done, it's time to look back at the past month and see what I've been up to.
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February was a month of focused obsessions. The month started off with me finishing off Deus Ex: Human Revolution (including getting all endings - although only one was truly worth seeing). Then I was possessed by Batman, I completed just about everything in Arkham City (all Riddler Trophies, all upgrades, completed the more challenging NewGame+ mode) and then decided to play through Arkham Asylum in a single marathon sitting (on the 13th). Then, just for fun, I jumped back into Arkham City and started from scratch just for fun.
The week of the 19th was Donkey Kong Country week! I played through Donkey Kong Country, and completely finished DKC2 (102%) and DKC3 (103%) and continued with Donkey Kong Country Returns. I am currently working my way through the super-tough Mirror Mode (play levels from a reversed perspective with no Diddy Kong and you can't even take a single hit!), I'm currenty at 173% complete (200% being the maximum).
I ended the month finally getting into Red Dead Redemption. I know I'm way behind the times on this one, but back when the game first came out, I went through a defective PS3 copy AND a defective Xbox 360 copy, so I was somewhat soured on the experience.
The only new game I played from this month was Gotham City Imposters. It's a lot of fun (I enjoy the lighthearted take on competitive shooters) and I'll likely continue playing it the future (free DLC on the way!)
That's it for February, what have you been up to?
Happy March Gaming!
Click for a larger viewThe week of the 19th was Donkey Kong Country week! I played through Donkey Kong Country, and completely finished DKC2 (102%) and DKC3 (103%) and continued with Donkey Kong Country Returns. I am currently working my way through the super-tough Mirror Mode (play levels from a reversed perspective with no Diddy Kong and you can't even take a single hit!), I'm currenty at 173% complete (200% being the maximum).
I ended the month finally getting into Red Dead Redemption. I know I'm way behind the times on this one, but back when the game first came out, I went through a defective PS3 copy AND a defective Xbox 360 copy, so I was somewhat soured on the experience.
The only new game I played from this month was Gotham City Imposters. It's a lot of fun (I enjoy the lighthearted take on competitive shooters) and I'll likely continue playing it the future (free DLC on the way!)
That's it for February, what have you been up to?
Happy March Gaming!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
My Gaming Log: January 2012
One month in, I'm proud to announce that my New Year's resolution to log all of my gaming is my most successful New Year's resolution ever! Granted, it's a really easy one to stick to. But nevermind that.
With January done, I now have a complete record of everything I've played last month.
Click for a larger view
First thing you may notice is that I maintain a healthy diet of both new and retro games (a gamer cannot live on current-gen alone). The amount of Gameboy Advance games is a direct result of the Gameboy Micro I got as a Christmas gift (which was especially great because it completed my Gameboy collection). I have a pretty long daily commute (anywhere from 2-3 hours per day spent commuting on the train) and portable gaming really helps pass the time.
Some of the more notable accomplishments from this month:
Finally, on the 31st, I tried the long-awaited Twisted Metal demo.
All in all, a pretty good start to the year.
With January done, I now have a complete record of everything I've played last month.
Click for a larger viewFirst thing you may notice is that I maintain a healthy diet of both new and retro games (a gamer cannot live on current-gen alone). The amount of Gameboy Advance games is a direct result of the Gameboy Micro I got as a Christmas gift (which was especially great because it completed my Gameboy collection). I have a pretty long daily commute (anywhere from 2-3 hours per day spent commuting on the train) and portable gaming really helps pass the time.
Some of the more notable accomplishments from this month:
- Jan 3rd: Platinum Trophy: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Jan 14th: Played some Kinect games for the first time
- Jan 29th: Platinum Trophy: Dark Souls
Finally, on the 31st, I tried the long-awaited Twisted Metal demo.
All in all, a pretty good start to the year.
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