Forty-something geek on the south coast of England. Think I'm sort of smart, but I might just be fooling myself. Player of games, reader, feminist, humanist.
One of two podcast hosts called Chris Smith at maximumpowerup.com
Couple of bits of progress on the year, another round of Vampire Survivors DLC completed – potentially just in time for another update due soon.
Games completed this month
Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania – Xbox Series X
Think I’ve finished with this again for now, 100% of the unlocks done. There are a few more hidden characters I can unlock but I’ll probably revisit those when the next patch drops. I’ve heard we’re due another huge free update, so I’ll wait and see.
Monster Train – PC GamePass
Bit of a surprise to me as I was looking for something to dip into that would run nicely on my laptop. Enter Monster Train, a recent ‘roguelite’ addition to GamePass which I’d best describe as HearthStone meets Slay the Spire. I managed to clear a run on my first go, which was possibly more luck that judgement. As usual with these rogues I’m counting that as a completion, but will continue to play until I either hit another completion milestone, or get bored. Whichever comes first.
Games played during March
Returnal – PS5
Made some nice progress with this, and enjoyed a few co-op sessions with a friend. He’s left me a bit behind though and I’ve kind of fallen off. It was easy to get back into last time I stopped playing though so will hopefully come back to it.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 – PS5
When I heard the remake of 3 + 4 was coming day one to GamePass, I got a bit excited and went back to my copy of 1 + 2. As much as I love these games, I really suck at the 2 minute runs that the early games are built around. Hopefully I’ll get further with 3 + 4, otherwise I’ll keep waiting for the remake of Project 8…
House of the Dead 4 & Darkside Chronicles – PS3
I’ve been finding the Sinden lightgun config a bit frustrating, and as they were only temporarily in the lounge anyway, I thought I’d revisit them when I had a more permanent home. In the meantime I decided to set the PS3 back up in their place for some light gun gaming via the move controllers. Had a fun afternoon playing some House of the Dead, and doing the first couple of levels of Darkside Chronicles. Jury is still a bit out on whether or not I actually like these Resident Evil games, or if I just like that they’re not the traditional survival horror games that I know I don’t enjoy.
What’s been on the arcade?
As per the PS3 games above, I’ve put the Sinden guns and lounge pc away pending a future house move and at some point building a new arcade cab for them. In the meantime I’ve been back on the cabinet and playing a bit of Strider as the new Ten Pence Arcade game, and dipping into some random games on the cabinet that I’d forgotten about.
Games retired in March
Balatro – Xbox Series X
I recorded it on HLTB as completed in Feb, just to acknowledge that I did clear a run, but I’m done with it now. The heavy reliance on luck feels appropriate for the poker theme, but takes away from my enjoyment of the game.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Nothing completely new on the completed front, but I did see out the Platinum trophy I hinted at last month and brought a game out of retirement.
Games completed this month
Miles Morales: Spider-Man – PS5
After I finished playing the Spider-Man remaster, I went on to play one of the other games further down this list. Unfortunately for that game it wasn’t what I was in the mood for at all, and I came back to Spidey. I’ve now fully completed this one as well, and picked up the Platinum Trophy. I’m not that big on chasing trophies, and this one only brings my total platinums to 12. It is somewhat pleasing that the Spider-Man trilogy now represents 25% of my current total.
Games played during February
Returnal – PS5
I only retired this in January thinking I’d had enough, but a desire to at least try the co-op mode pulled me back in. Didn’t get a lot of time with it in February, but the gameplay has clicked again so I think I’ll stick with it a bit longer if I can start making some progress. You might say I returnaled to it. But don’t, don’t say that.
Balatro – Xbox Series X
This seemed to be all anyone was talking about for a while last year as the new breakthrough addictive indie game. It largely passed me by as the theme and what I’d heard of it didn’t sound like my kind of thing. It dropped on GamePass this month though so I thought I’d give it a go. I’ve played a fair bit, it certainly has a “one more round” hook and some very satisfying gameplay. However, now I’ve cleared a run I’m not sure how much I’ll stick with it. It definitely feels like I should be playing it on a handheld device rather than my lounge TV.
Marvel Rivals – PS5
In feeling the urge for some multiplayer gaming with a couple of friends and in missing Spider-Man since wrapping up Miles Morales, we decided to give this a go. We had a fun evening playing online against bots, I can see why it’s doing so well. I discovered I really liked playing as Adam Warlock, but I’ll be surprised if we play regularly. I expect I’ll keep it installed to see what characters get added before deciding to go back to it.
What’s been on the arcade?
The cabinet itself still hasn’t had a lot of gameplay this month, my retro tinkering has been more with the Sinden lightguns and in setting up the software on the gaming PC I moved into the lounge. I think the longer term aim is for that PC to be built into a future arcade cabinet along with the guns. That’s probably a year or more away though so for now I’ve just been playing around with it.
Games retired in February
The Ascent – PC / SteamDeck
As much as I was enjoying my time with this, it wasn’t properly hooking me in. My friend who was much more engaged with it seemed to have all manner of bugs and problems with his playthrough though and that pretty much put me off. I’d already had a few hard crashes myself and couldn’t be bothered to see more.
The Sinking City – Xbox Series X
The game I tried to play after Miles Morales. I enjoyed myself for a couple of hours, I love the theme and setting. I just couldn’t see me continuing with the pace of the game when all I actually wanted to do was play more Spider-Man. Maybe it’ll also get brought out of retirement at some point.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
The year is off to a pretty strong start with multiple game completions including two from the 2025 list to play. Can’t imagine I’ll maintain this momentum.
Games completed this month
Miles Morales: Spider-Man – PS5
I almost didn’t include this, but now I have it might end up counting as three completions. I have now finished all the story and districts, so my game save thinks I’ve 100% completed it. There are still things to do for the platinum however, so it may show up again if I do that.
Spider-Man Remastered – PS5
Once I hit 100% on Miles, I got stuck into this. As I originally played Spider-Man on the PS4, I hadn’t spent any real time with the remaster since picking it up. I got as far as importing my old game save and looking at how pretty it was. Turns out aside from finishing the main story, I had done very little side content. I got properly stuck in and managed to get the platinum trophy too.
Spider-Man The City Never Sleeps – PS5
Another bonus of the remaster above, it includes the full DLC content that I didn’t have on PS4. This was a fun story diversion so I completed it too while I was at it.
One from the 2025 list, and a really solid expansion for the main game. Had a lot of fun with the new content, this expansion added a lot more than the previous one.
Dredge & The Pale Reach – Xbox Series X
Playing The Iron Rig had me finally mopping up all the side content and catching all the fish from the previous content. Have now 100% completed all three releases. Ready for a new game please.
The Darkness II – Xbox Series X (Xbox 360)
The other one I’ve ticked off this year’s “to-play” list, I finally finished this. A pretty short game, it is good fun to play but the sequel isn’t as good as the first and I think it suffers some from the change of art style to cel-shaded. Fun, but I think if it had been much more than 6 hours long I’d have given up again.
Games played during January
Sea of Survivors – SteamDeck
As an Early Access game, this has had some more content added since I last played it. I’ll probably keep dipping in and out at least until it gets a full release.
The Ascent – PC / SteamDeck
A game I purchased this month (for less than £1), but in line with my resolution for the year, it was so I could immediately play it. My friend has been raving about it for a while so I was keen to give it a proper go too. I was also convinced I’d tried it when it was on GamePass but now I’ve been playing I suspect I never got further than installing it. I’m enjoying The Ascent, but it’s very buggy and has hard crashed my PC a few times. It seems a bit more stable on the SteamDeck but doesn’t run as well. I suspect this will stop me from getting to the end, but I’m enjoying it for now.
Games retired in January
Returnal – PS5
As much as I love this, I haven’t played since I got into Spider-Man 2, which feels like too long to carry on. I might go back to it at some point, I expect it’ll feel like starting over when I do – for now it’s back on the shelf.
Full Throttle Remastered – Xbox Series X
I was playing this as my game to tick over the ‘daily achievement’ xbox reward that pays for my GamePass Ultimate subscription. They’ve changed how the system works now though, and unlike other games I’ve played for this, I wasn’t enjoying Full Throttle enough to keep it going. It’s certainly no Day of the Tentacle.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Usual annual post. What did I play last year, what do I think I’ll play this year. What might I play if it comes out. Also the annual attempt to manifest a Hollowknight: Silksong release.
This year we’re going to try a novel new goal, of only buying games we’re ready to play. That Silksong release looks pretty likely compared to me pulling this off. Wish me luck.
Top 5 played in 2024
1. Spider-Man 2 – PlayStation 5
This might be the best game I’ve played in years, but it’s definitely the best one I played last year. I did play both the first Spider-Man on PS4 and Spider-Man: Miles Morales on my PS5 previously, but on both of those I just completed the main story and skipped most of the side content. With Spider-Man 2 I got completely hooked until I’d done everything for the Platinum trophy. Led me to go back to Miles and finally play the PS5 remaster of the original. I expect to be updating the blog with a couple more platinums for those two this year.
It’s due out on PC this year too, the PS5 version is here – Spider-Man 2*.
2. Alan Wake II – PlayStation 5
Well when I finished this I couldn’t imagine something else taking the top spot. Alan Wake II entirely deserved all the positive press it received. The first DLC is really good too, but the second one lost me a bit. I’m excited to see what comes next from Remedy, well after their upcoming multiplayer game anyway.
3. Dredge (and A Pale Reach DLC) – Xbox Series X
Very much ticking most of my boxes, with Lovecraftian horror, fishing minigames and a lighthouse. Dredge manages to balance a ‘chill’ relaxing game, with a creeping unease and moments of dread. I love this game and hope we see more of it. I’ve already picked up the next expansion to play in 2025 when I’m done with various Spider-Man games.
4. Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story – PC
Applying the polish and format of the Atari 50 Anniversary Collection, to the history and back catalogue of Jeff Minter, my favourite game developer. Like the Atari collection, this was a great videogame documentary to play through, and now a library of some of my favourite games easy to play on my SteamDeck. Superb. The new collection is Tetris, which is potentially excellent, except the finest Tetris games are excluded due to licensing. Maybe I’ll wait for a sale.
5. God of War: Ragnarok
As one of the highest rated PlayStation exclusives, I expected this to be higher. I really enjoyed myself with Ragnarok, but it didn’t really stay with me after completion. Almost forgot I played it this year. It is certainly an excellent game, and deserves a place in the top 5, but just hasn’t had the impact of the above titles.
Also mention:
Inscryption – Xbox Series X
A real surprise hit this one, and probably would have broke the top 5 if I’d enjoyed the endgame roguelike mode that unlocked after finishing the story. It didn’t really land for me though, so the game hasn’t quite made it.
Just the stats ma’am
10 games for 2025
Usual vague attempt to line up games to play this year. I managed to play and finish 4 titles from this list last year, which all made it onto my Top 5 above. I also played but ultimately abandoned Axiom Verge 2 and Sea of Stars. I did think I might go back to Axiom Verge but I’m not convinced, the moment has probably passed. I’ve scrapped the others to start fresh this year. Well slightly fresh, decided to put the remaster of the original StarCraft on my list instead of rolling over Legacy of the Void again. Mix things up a bit.
Also I’ve given up putting Silksong on here, maybe that’ll make it finally appear. I will be playing that whenever it arrives anyway.
1. StarCraft: Remastered – PC
Here we go, a change of tactic for getting to some RTS gaming this year, and should run nicely on my new laptop. Haven’t decided yet if I’m going to play it with the cartoon reskin or not. We’ll see.
2. Dredge: The Iron Rig – Xbox Series X
First of two DLC packs on this list, I’m very much looking forward to getting back to Dredge and catching some more monstrosities.
3. Lamplight City – Nintendo Switch
Added this partly because I’ve definitely been neglecting the Switch as late and I want to make some time for it. Must be able to get through one or two more games on it before the next Switch console comes out.
4. The Sinking City – Xbox Series X
Heard mixed things about this game, but ultimately curiosity won out and I picked it up last year. Now I actually have to play it.
5. Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn – PS5
The other expansion I want to play in 2025. Partly because I wanted to make sure I get to a JRPG again, but also because I loved the main game. Only reason it’s taking me so long to get to is because I traded the original game back in when I finished it, so I need to buy it again as well as the expansion. Holding out for a bargain on that count.
More co-operative gameplay for us, I’ve had this one ready to go for a while but we were playing the Dark Pictures games first. The third one of those was a bit of a disappointment after we really enjoyed the first two though so we abandoned it. Now we decided to play this before we get to the fourth one, spoiler for next game below…
8. Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me – PS5
The conclusion of the Dark Pictures Anthology titles, hoping it’s better than the third game.
9. The Darkness II – Xbox 360
One firmly from the backlog, that I also keep forgetting about. Popping it on here to try to remind myself to give it a proper shot on the Xbox Series X.
10. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Xbox Series X
Finally something I know very little about aside from a very interesting looking trailer. It’s due out this year and hopefully I’ll get to playing it. It’s due to launch on GamePass so no excuse really.
*these are affiliate links, I’ll get a small commission if you buy something.
Closing out the year with two more games completed, and surprising me as much as anyone, a Platinum trophy on the PlayStation 5.
Games completed this month
Spider-Man 2 – PS5
Well, this took over my life until I finished it, and then went on to do all the extra stuff for the platinum trophy. I think this is my favourite of the 3 Spider-Man games, but it has also inspired me to go back to the other two.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered – Xbox Series X
Enjoyed this for Xbox rewards achievement farming, helping me tick those along. Don’t think I would have had the patience to sit and play it properly though.
Games played during December
Colin McRae 2.0 – SteamDeck (PS1)
I did play a bit more of this, but didn’t make it out of Australia and I’m probably done with it. Haven’t definitely given up yet, but we’ll see if I load it up again over the next few weeks or not.
Snowball! – SteamDeck
This is an enjoyable tiny pinball game that I bought ages ago, though for some reason didn’t get it to run properly on my computer. Given the festive season, I gave it a go on the SteamDeck and it worked perfectly. There isn’t a lot of content, but it’s good fun and worth the few pence it costs.
Spider-Man Remastered – PS5
After finishing Spider-Man 2 I loaded this up next. When I bought the remastered edition all I really did was import my save from the PS4 game and then turned it off. Turns out I didn’t do very much of the side content once I cleared the main story. So far so me to be fair. Seems like a good plan to play it now, and enjoy the fancy upgraded graphics and performance of the PS5 version. But first…
Miles Morales: Spider-Man – PS5
Next I loaded this to have a look at how much side content there was to play. Then remembered that the whole game is covered in snow and set at Christmas, so thoughts of playing the first game are on hold while I play this.
Full Throttle Remastered – Xbox Series X
With the completion of Day of the Tentacle, I needed a new achievement farming game. Seemed like a sensible next step to stick with this genre and another from Double Fine. Never played this one first time round either.
Games purchased this month
Dredge: The Iron Rig – Xbox Series X
This latest DLC for Dredge popped up in a sale so had to grab it. Not sure when I’ll get to play it yet but it’s such a great game I’m sure I will.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
I didn’t finish any games in November, I thought we were doing surprisingly well this year. Depending how December goes though, we might get a couple more in before the end of the year.
Games played during November
Axiom Verge 2 – PS5
I did get back to this for a bit, but then got distracted by something else. Hopefully not the end for Axiom Verge 2 because it’s definitely good. Just might be a bit before I get to it again.
Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania DLC – Xbox Series X
I have played a lot of this, but still around 30 unlocks to go. Having a great time and will definitely stick with it.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered – Xbox Series X
My current GamePass daily rewards game. Still going.
Gears 5 – Xbox Series X
Went back to this in co-op, but mixed up which Gears game I was playing with which friend. Had an entertaining moment of resuming in the middle of Act 3 with someone who had clearly never played the Gears 5 campaign at all before.
Colin McRae 2.0 – SteamDeck (PS1)
Following my move to BlueSky and discovering a lot of friends I used to talk to on the platform previously known as Twitter, I got into a bit of chat with a mate about how we’d never really played this game properly. So now we are. It’s very nice to play on the SteamDeck, and I’ve been really enjoying it. Not sure if I’ll manage to finish the world rally though, I’m struggling in Australia.
What’s been on the arcade?
Just Ten Pence Arcade to thank for the games I’ve been on again, more Demon Front and the new choice, Spelunker. Not sure this ones for me to be honest.
Games purchased this month
Spider-Man 2 – PS5
Finally got round to grabbing this, picked up a physical copy from CeX with a bunch of store credit I’ve had for a while. Only played the first hour but this is what’s derailed Axiom Verge 2 again.
UFO 50 – PC
Had my eye on this when it came out, but missed the initial discount. It was in the Steam Sale though so I’ve got it now. Yet to load it up, but I’ve installed it on the deck where it seems like a perfect fit.
Games retired during November
Alan Wake 2: The Lake House – PS5
I played a bit more of this but still wasn’t really enjoying it. Then my friend whose game library I share bought herself a PS5 Pro and now owns two consoles, so we had to stop sharing, and it was her copy of Alan Wake 2 I played. Definitely don’t care enough about this DLC to buy the whole thing myself.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
A few completions again this month, including one that wasn’t at all on my radar but got its hooks in me when it arrived on GamePass. Also just realised I’m not about much this week, so if I didn’t get this out today it’ll be heading into the middle of the month before I publish.
Games completed this month
Cocoon – Xbox Series X
Yes after completion my sentiments remain the same, it was good, and some of the puzzling was really fun. However, it doesn’t come close to Limbo or Inside for me.
Vampire Survivors – Xbox Series X
You know the drill, a big content patch arrives with loads of new unlocks – including achievements for playing through the main Adventures. I complete them all, and count it as completing the game again. Excellent.
Inscryption – Xbox Series X
This was the surprise drop on GamePass that I got into. Wasn’t planning on playing Inscryption, but when I saw it pop up in the newly added list I remembered hearing about it on the DLC podcast and they had been very positive. Thought it was worth a look. Proceeded to do not much else until I rolled credits. Great fun as a roguelite deck-building game, with some very cool meta things going on too. Creepy and well worth playing.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – Xbox Series X
I did try this a while back when it was free on PS+ for the PlayStation 3. Didn’t really grab me then, but I thought I’d give it another shot as my next daily achievement gameplay for the Xbox Rewards. I did get to the end, but definitely don’t hold it in as high regard as others seem to.
Games played during October
Axiom Verge 2 – PS5
Well, I just about started this, and then the game below appeared and I immediately dropped it for that. Hoping to come back to it though, I liked the hour I played.
Alan Wake 2: The Lake House – PS5
Alan Lake. Well as above, new Alan Wake DLC appeared so I dropped Axiom Verge and then started this instead. However, once the Vampire Survivors DLC turned up in the purchases below, I realised I’ll probably not play much of anything else till that’s done. This DLC seems good but hasn’t got it’s hooks in as quickly as the last one did. Feels a bit like Control so far, I need to push on I think.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered – Xbox Series X
Next up for the daily achievement hunt on Xbox, this classic point and click. I never properly played it first time round so should be fun. It does do the cool “switch between old and new graphics with one button” thing which is always satisfying.
What’s been on the arcade?
Another month not playing a great deal on the arcade cab, but I have spent a little time with the latest Ten Pence Arcade game, Demon Front.
Games purchased this month
PRIM – PC
Well I didn’t really purchase it as the publisher sent me a steam key. Looks interesting though so hopefully be one I get round to playing and talking about.
Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania DLC – Xbox Series X
The most obvious DLC, but also what I would have considered the least likely when the game first came out. Vampire Survivors used a whole bunch of Castlevania assets to create the original game, but now we’ve come full circle with the biggest DLC pack yet, adding mountains of licenced Castlevania content. I’ve had a very quick go, but it only came out on Halloween so I’m yet to get properly stuck in.
Games retired during October
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – Xbox Series X
Well I gave it a good crack, but I did not enjoy the weird skirmishes and they put me right off. Found I didn’t feel like loading the game back up after they appeared. A shame because I loved the first game, and was enjoying this up to that point.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Only the one completion this month, but it’s been a busy one for everything else. I managed to get away to various locations along the coast for three separate breaks. Well two breaks and a mini-triathlon anyway.
Games completed this month
Botany Manor – Xbox Series X
This month’s game played to complete Xbox Reward quests. I quite like having something chilled to progress a bit at a time, and this was very mellow. Not particularly challenging but a few interesting puzzles along the way and these plants lived a lot longer than any I’ve attempted to keep alive in the real world.
Games played during September
Returnal – PS5
Dabbled a bit more with this but haven’t made any real progress. Got a bit distracted playing shmups and now I fancy a change of pace for a bit.
Caladrius Blaze – PS4/5
Played while revisiting some of my old shmups, creepy artwork aside (that you can thankfully disable), this is a pretty entertaining time. Gradually chipping away at completions with the different characters though I’m unlikely to be getting any single credit completions any time soon.
Castlevania Advance Collection – Nintendo Switch
With the recent release of the Castlevania Domunius collection, which collates the previously Nintendo Switch exclusive Castlevania games, I managed to stop myself from buying it immediately by going back and playing this one. I made a start on Castlevania Aria of Sorrow which I should really try and finish before I get the new collection.
Cocoon – Xbox Series X
After finishing Botany Manor, this was the next GamePass game up for daily progress. I’m enjoying it, but not as much as their previous games, Limbo and Inside.
Assault Android Cactus – Xbox Series X
More shmup good times, this time one I originally played on Steam. I picked up the Xbox version some time ago and in my head I was sure I’d finished it. Discovered recently that I was barely half way though, so have been dropping back in.
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – Xbox Series X
Which brings us to the change of pace. It’s been a while since I played an RPG, and I really enjoyed the first game so I figured I’d check out the sequel while it’s on GamePass. Enjoying it so far, but I’ve only just got to the Strategy elements so we’ll see how well I stick with it now.
What’s been on the arcade?
I have mostly just played a bit of Yie Ar Kung Fu. The cab hasn’t been on a great deal, mostly because I’ve been away so much.
Games purchased this month
Laptop (not really a game, but still)
In the ongoing saga of me trying to establish a system to use my Sinden light guns that could perhaps be built into my next arcade cabinet, I figured out it would be cheaper to use my existing gaming PC to power this, and just replace it with a cheap system that I could use as a desktop PC for the bits of browsing and any creativity etc. I might do. I was originally looking at mini pcs, but realised a laptop hooked up to the docking station I use with my work laptop would give me much more flexibility. After a bit of research I found a good deal on a Lenovo IdeaPad, it’s a 16″ Laptop with AMD Ryzen 5 cpu, RTX 3050 gpu and, 512 GB ssd. It’s just enough of a gaming machine if I do want to play some strategy games at my desk, but now my main PC is in the lounge thinking it’s a console. At some point I need to start configuring it for the guns.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Played quite a bit this month, as well as falling down a rabbit hole of older games too. I had a couple of weeks to myself before starting a new job in the middle of August so there was plenty of time for games. I also realised I could backdate my account on How long to beat? with records of games I played prior to creating it, using my Xbox achievements and PlayStation trophies. It now has a fairly accurate picture of everything I finished since 2007. Probably not the most productive use of an afternoon, but I do enjoy me some stats.
Games completed this month
Open Roads – Xbox Series X
This was next Xbox title up to tick along the achievements for the Xbox rewards. A fun little story, I love GamePass for stuff like this that I probably wouldn’t have bought otherwise.
Dredge: The Pale Reach – Xbox Series X
This DLC had a nice sale so I picked it up and played through the story. I do still want to go back and mop up side quests etc. I think they’ve sneaked out some more DLC as well though.
SEGA Fighting Games – Xbox 360 / Series X
Apologies for lifting someone’s video thumbnail for this image, but it very nicely covered the three games I played. In my visit to my Xbox back catalogue, I realised I’d bought all these games, and barely played any of them. I put that to rights, hooked up the fight stick and spent a couple of hours playing all three of Virtua Fighter 2, Sonic the Fighters and Fighting Vipers, and getting all the achievements on each. Sonic is a bit of a novelty but the other two hold up really well.
NeoGeo Battle Coliseum – Xbox 360 / Series X
Didn’t even remember buying this, but while I was playing the fighting games I clocked this too. Didn’t go after all the achievements though, they were a bit more involved and also included some online stuff.
Who Shot Johnny Rock? – Arcade / Pi4
As planned last month, I set up my spare Raspberry Pi4 with the “Barebones” Batocera image for my Sinden lightguns. It was all as straightforward as I’d hoped, and I was soon playing even more games on my modern tv. I used to love Who Shot Johnny Rock? on the CDi, but even better I now have the HD version of the arcade game. Highly entertaining to play through, Mad Dog McCree next then!
Games played during August
Returnal – PS5
Last month’s pick up, I’ve made a bit of a start with this. Really love how it feels to play, and it looks incredible. Very difficult though with the roguelike elements so we’ll see how much progress I actually make with it. I’ve managed to defeat one boss and get to the second so far.
Tatsunoko vs Capcom Ultimate All-Stars – Wii / SteamDeck
Dabbling with emulation on my SteamDeck, I can now play this Nintendo Wii exclusive without having to set up the Wii itself. It’s a really fun versus fighter, even if I don’t really know the Tatsunoko characters very well. I’d love to see more of these things or just a new Marvel or SNK vs Capcom would be nice. Also playing on the Deck meant I could play it with a proper fight stick, as I discovered the one I bought for the Switch works perfectly on there. I even printed new art for it and got my Cricut machine to cut it out for me.
It seems to be getting harder to get hold of, but this is the stick I have*. It doesn’t really say much about connecting to anything other than a Switch, but it just showed up on my SteamDeck as a bluetooth controller and worked perfectly.
Tekken 7 – Xbox Series X
This month we apparently played fighting games. I dabbled a bit with the single player content in Tekken 7, it’s good fun but a bit late to be getting into it really. I’ll probably pick up 8 but may wait for a decent discount or some kind of bundle with DLC characters.
Raiden V – Xbox Series X
While the stick was hooked up it seemed like a good idea to play a shmup too. I know Raiden V isn’t very well regarded but I enjoy it for what it is.
Forza Motorsport – Xbox Series X
I also gave this another try. I played through a couple more of the cups, racing remains great fun but the career mode is so dull. I’ll probably drop back into it on occasion, thanks to my new purchase below I’ve got the space to keep it installed anyway.
CYGNI – PC
I heard good things about this prior to release, and it was free on the Epic Game Store at launch so I was looking forward to getting stuck in. Sadly I really didn’t enjoy it. I was expecting something a bit more traditionally arcade, but it’s something else. The controls are a bit erratic and the systems seem designed around you being expected to crash so there are loads of shields. That’s not really my bag. A pity.
Geometry Wars 3 – Vita & PS4/5
Fortunately, conversations with a friend involved us digging out our PlayStation Vita systems and tinkering with those. I spent 20 minutes faffing through the things I had installed on there, then 2 hours playing Geometry Wars 3. Annoyingly the leaderboards and trophies are separate on the PS4/5 version, and I wanted to play on the big screen so I moved over to that one. I did complete the campaign mode a while back but there are achievements and high scores to chase so I’ve been doing a bit of that.
What’s been on the arcade?
Thanks again to the purchase below, I freed up the external SSD drive I was using for backwards compatible games on my Xbox Series X. I swapped this with the slower drive in my arcade. The startup time and loading on the bigger games is much improved. Some individual games may need tweaks to their controls but I pretty much have it all configured how I want it. There are now video clips for all games on there which makes for a nice random attract mode when it is idling. I’ve also set up a few systems I didn’t have access to before.
It’s taken me far too long to properly get into RetroAchievements, but now I have, they’re set up on my arcade machine, my SteamDeck emulators and my lightgun build. Nice to have even more stats and goals to chase when playing classic games. This is my profile for it, I should add it to the gaming page on here too.
For the first time in ages, I also got back to the Ten Pence Arcade monthly game, they are playing Yie Ar Kung Fu, which was my favourite game on the Commodore 16 when I was about 5 years old.
Games purchased this month
2TB Storage Expansion for Xbox
Not a game as such, but I finally upgraded the storage for my Series X. This is mostly inspired by me changing internet provider. My download speed is dramatically slower than it was, so I wanted to go back to having everything I might want to play installed, so I don’t have a day to wait when I decide to play something new.
These* seem to have had a bit of a price drop recently, still pricey though.
Games retired in August
World of Warcraft – PC
Well I did it, about two weeks before the two months of game time expired, I got bored of WoW again. Very much enjoyed myself while I was playing it though. At least not wanting to carry on playing has saved me from buying another expansion and renewing the subscription.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Completions continue, I spend more time playing around with the SteamDeck and most importantly the arcade machine gets a boost.
Games completed this month
McPixel 3 – Xbox Series X
As speculated last month, I did go on to 100% this so as per the rules I entirely made up myself, that counts as another completion.
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story – SteamDeck
Even better than the Atari 50 pack from last month, I really enjoyed this journey. Plenty of stuff I didn’t know in the documentary content and now a great compilation of Llamasoft classics to continue playing on my SteamDeck.
As Dusk Falls – Xbox Series X
Played the entirety of this through with two friends in local co-op over a weekend. Very much enjoyed the experience of a shared “choose your own adventure”. I’d quite like to see more of this style of storytelling.
Games played during July
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight- PC
I’ve continued to play WoW this month, and spent a bit more time with the actual Dragonflight content. I’ve really enjoyed it, but where I was thinking about grabbing the new expansion when it launches towards the end of August, I think I’m starting to drift away again. The bundle I picked up in June was great value for me, but don’t think I’ll be renewing the subscription when my 60 days is up. Maybe when there is a promo on the next expansion…
A Way Out – Xbox Series S
After finishing It Takes Two last week, my girlfriend and I were after something similar. What better than the developers previous title, A Way Out. It’s a shorter game and a bit more of a ‘mature’ theme, I’m enjoying playing it again.
Streets of Rage 4 – Xbox Series X
Had a couple of friends over at mine, so naturally we reached for a brawler. We played turtles last time and felt like a return to Streets of Rage. Quite looking forward to “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind” now.
Sea of Survivors – SteamDeck
I got a new SteamDeck TV dock*, and coupled with some convienient bluetooth controllers (namely my Switch Arcade Stick and the otherwise redundant Google Stadia pad) it is now working great for pc games on my sofa. I immediately got addicted to this, another excellent Vampire Survivors clone, with a pirate theme.
*I went for this JSAUX dock as it was half the price of the official one from Valve and seems well regarded online.
What’s been on the arcade?
“Big” news on the arcade front, as I finally put the Raspberry Pi5 to use that I picked up back in November. While I have dabbled a bit with it running my Sinden guns, it wasn’t ideal. I had been waiting for a proper image release of RetroPie but that still seems a way off so I explored alternatives. I have moved over to Batocera Linux for the software on the machine, and the Pi5 is happily now installed and running well. Lots to do in setting up various emulators to get it fully up to where the old setup was, but it is already benefitting from the increased power.
Next month I’ll also move the old Pi4 from the cab into the lounge to use with the guns, as there is a dedicated image for that model which should tide me over till I get a PC setup for them.
Games purchased in July
The Eternal Castle – SteamDeck
Been meaning to pick this up since playing it at my friend’s last year. It was a matter of pence on Steam this month, and a perfect fit for playing on the SteamDeck.
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions – Steam
A bit of an experiment this one. Pitched as a gamified focus tool, with things to help improve concentration. The jury is out, but it is cute.
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare – Xbox 360
I think this one passed me by because I didn’t think it had any proper story content. After playing Alan Wake 2 recently, I decided I wanted more of that and this popped up in a Backwards Compatibility sale on the Series X for £3.
Returnal – PS5
I’ve been curious about this PS5 launch title since I first saw it. Returnal is from Housemarque, one of my favourite developers. It is a bit of a departure from the arcade style shmups I love, and is instead a 3rd person shooter with Roguelike elements. It was the rogue design that put me off from picking it up sooner, but after really enjoying Dead Cells and (for a while) Hades, it seemed time to give it a chance. Also I got the physical edition* when trading in some other games, so I can always sell it on if I don’t enjoy it.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
