Category Archives: Games played

April Games

Cheating a bit on the completions as I’m going to still be playing the game for a while. Managed to pick up a bunch more games as usual though, as well as some pre-loved bargains.

Completed this month

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Switch

As I said, not much of a completion as there is still lots to do, but I finished the “story” to get K.K. Slider playing a concert and roll the credits. Counts for me. (If only so I can claim to at least have finished one game this year!)

It seems both Switches, and the game are in relatively short supply at the moment, although you can at least pick up a download code from Amazon*. Won’t help if you don’t have the console though!

Games played during April

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – PC

Still my multiplayer game of choice, really is so very polished. Didn’t manage to play any more Overwatch sadly. Also thought about going back for a go on Destiny 2 but didn’t do that either. Oh well.

You can pick up the Xbox One and PS4 versions on Amazon*. I think the PC version is only available digitally, I personally grabbed a code from Green Man Gaming, where it was on sale.

Puyo Puyo Tetris – Switch

Yep, still playing a lot of this of course. Can’t see this changing any time soon.

Switch edition is available here on Amazon* (I also have it on PC and PS4, we just tend to mostly play Switch.

Streets of Rage 2 – Mega Drive

Continuing the theme from last month, the excitement for Streets of Rage 4 is real.

Golden Axe III – Mega Drive

As above, we continued the Mega Drive love and played more Golden Axe. These brawlers are still some of the best local cooperative multiplayer games. Man the dragons are pretty sucky in Golden Axe 3 though right?

April Pick-ups

Chess Ultra – PC & Switch

Managed to buy this twice. Was on the look out for a nice new chess game and this had good reviews. It was on sale for a couple of quid on Steam so grabbed it. Shortly after it was heavily reduced on Switch as well which felt the more convienient way to play.

Sisters Royale – Switch

Another game that went on sale for not much at all. It seems to be a well reviewed vertical shmup. To be honest I just grabbed it to play using the flip grip for my Switch. Can see me buying more of these after stumbling across the list of compatible games on this site.

Indie Horror Bundle 1 – Switch

Triple pack of Switch games including Uncanny Valley, Paranautical Activity and Slain: Back from Hell. I’ve seen a lot of these bundles on the Switch eShop, and largely passed them by as they looked a bit suspect. However, I fancied picking up Slain and this bundle being on offer made it ridiculously cheap. Not sure if I’ll play the other two games or not, but I’ll at least have a look.

Streets of Rage 4 – GamePass

Hurrah, it’s out and has reviewed really well. Can’t wait to get stuck into this. In a very pleasant surprise I was intending to buy this on Switch (and had added £50 credit to my account ready) then a few days before it was due I found out it was going straight onto GamePass for PC and Xbox One. Great result!

Power Rangers: Battle For the Grid DLC 1 – Switch

A sale on this first DLC pass meant I could finally justify (sort of) buying extra characters for a game we barely play. When we do play, I know I want to be able to play as Lord Zedd.

PC Engine CoreGrafx Mini & Extra Controler (Pre-order)

In April I celebrated completing a formal, work-related, qualification that I had been studying for over the last 12 months alongside working full time. This pre-order is my reward to myself, but the current pandemic means the device has been indefinitely delayed. Hopefully we’ll have a new release date soon. I also ordered a second controller, I anticipate that being worth while if only for Parasol Stars. The device is exlusive to Amazon in the UK but they are still taking pre-orders here*.

Modern Warfare Season 3 – PC

After enjoying Season 2 I had no problem picking up the new pass. Although I don’t play enough to really make the most of it, I do like having the extra level of unlockables as I play.

Sphinx & the Cursed Mummy – Switch

Although I picked this up digitally on PC back in November 2018 I couldn’t resist when the physical Switch port popped up for £8.

Not quite as cheap, but still affordable, this is available on Amazon*.

Sine Mora EX – Switch

When buying Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy I spotted this on the same site also for £8. Really enjoyed it back on the 360 (think I played a bit on PC & maybe Vita too) so couldn’t resist owning it again on Switch.

Wild Guns Reloaded – Switch

Yep, another sale, another impulse purchase. This lockdown is costing me a fortune. This is apparently a remake of an old SNES game, I never played the original but I’ve heard good things about this update.

SNK Gals Fighters – Switch

Had no idea this port of the Neo Geo Pocket Color (NGPC) game was coming until it was out. I had never played the original Gals Fighters, but I loved my NGPC and the fighting games on there were all very polished. I love how this emulator has been setup with display customisations including being able to pick which model of NGPC is used for the surround (I use the camoflauge blue one, as that’s the version I owned). I really want to see more of these ports – specially Neo Turf Masters and the Capcom vs SNK games. They did port the NGPC version of Samurai Shodown 2 already but it was exclusive to those who pre-ordered the new Samurai Shodown, and I missed it. 🙁

Enhanced Wireless Controller – Switch

The wired spare controller I picked up a while back that my girlfriend uses for local multiplayer on the Switch has developed the dreaded ‘drift’. As you can imagine it was ruining Tetris & Puyo Puyo when the controller permanently moves things sideways on its own. Hopefully this one will last longer! I did also want to get it quickly so we were ready for Streets of Rage 4, but that was before we realised we could get the game on GamePass instead.

“Retro” Controllers

A thoughourly nice chap on Twitter was having a clearout, and selling off some bits. I initially just purchased this mint retrobit Sega Saturn controller (along with a boxset of the 80s Willy Fog cartoon not in pic), and he threw in the other two Saturn pads for free. The Xbox Pad S was also from him, and I bought it along with the books below.

Gaming Books

Along with all the above controllers, the same guy was clearing out some books. I took the majority of the gaming related ones, the C64 and Neo Geo books are the main ones I wanted but there are plenty of gems here. The MYST, Doom, Master System and Terrible Old Games books were already mine, but all the others in the photos were new to me. I did read Console Wars and Service Games already on my kindle, but it’s nice to have them on the shelf.

Beta Access

As with last year, EGX had again kindly supplied me with a press pass for the upcoming EGX Rezzed event. Although the event has been cancelled due to the pandemic, they have continued to provide me with press packs etc. This has included some keys for early access games.

Empires in Ruins – PC

Of the keys I’ve received, Empires in Ruins was the most appealing to me. It’s a hybrid of Tower Defense and 4X turn based strategy. Looking forward to spending more time with this.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

March Games

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Still no games completed, rounding off Q1 2020 nicely. I’m also pretty late with this post, but that’s down to a combination of a minor worldwide pandemic meaning I’ve been doing a lot of additional hours at work (albeit from home – stay safe kids) but I’ve also been finishing off my studies. Final assignment was submitted just before Easter, now I’m just waiting to find out if I passed.

We also found time to put out a new bonus “pandemic pod” episode of the podcast. Topical as the team and I discussed games and other tips to get us through the current period of isolation.

Games played during March

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – PC

I’ve continued playing and enjoying this. I made a start on the campaign which is fun so far but I’m still mostly playing the multiplayer. Played one go on the free “battle royale” Warzone mode with my nephew. It’s fine, but dull in the build up like all the other ones. I’d probably play it if I hadn’t bought the full game, but I can’t find a reason to play it when all the other multiplayer modes (not you infection) are more interesting.

You can pick up the Xbox One and PS4 versions on Amazon*. I think the PC version is only available digitally, I personally grabbed a code from Green Man Gaming, where it was on sale.

Puyo Puyo Tetris – Switch

“Lockdown” has meant my girlfriend and I have been playing quite a few games together. As ever Puyo Puyo Tetris is the main one, and in the latter half of March we were playing an hour or so every evening.

Switch edition is available here on Amazon* (I also have it on PC and PS4, we just tend to mostly play Switch.

Overwatch – PC

Managed to get a good session on Overwatch this month, hoping to spend more time with it ahead of Overwatch 2 arriving. Still a fantastic game, although so much has changed since I used to play that it was a bit like starting over. Oh well.

Available from Amazon*

Raging Justice – PC

We’re looking forward to the arrival of Streets of Rage 4 in this house, and in the meantime we’ve been back to this for our street brawling fix. Still a very enjoyable game but hopefully not much longer to wait for Streets of Rage 4. Looks like it should be out towards the end of April.

March Games - Animal Crossing New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Switch

What I’ve mostly been playing, and will probably still dominate my April and May playtime too. It’s the perfect lockdown game, being very much a gaming “happy place”.

It seems both Switches, and the game are in relatively short supply at the moment, although you can at least pick up a download code from Amazon*. Won’t help if you don’t have the console though!

Golden Axe – Mega Drive

We also returned to this classic for some brawler action in March, and fired up the Mega Drive. We had a good run but we finally fell against the last boss. Maybe next time Death Adder!

If you don’t already have a Mega Drive, you can pick up one of the mini ones (when they’re in stock) from here*. Unlike the previous mini versions of the Mega Drive console, these ones are really good quality and properly support modern televisions. It does have Golden Axe on already.

Tetris 99 – Switch

Hadn’t been on this for a while, but have been playing a few rounds again in between bouts on Puyo Puyo Tetris. It’s still fantastic.

March Pick-ups

Black Mesa – PC

Impulse buy I haven’t played properly yet, this is the remake of the original Half-Life. It’s had some great reviews so hopefully I’ll get round to playing at some point. Maybe after I clear the Modern Warfare campaign…

LEGO DC Super Villains – Xbox One

Another one brought on by the pandemic. Fancied something substantial I could play co-cooperatively with my girlfriend. We’ve enjoyed a few of the Lego games now, and as our favourite DC characters are Riddler and Penguin, this has already proven quite a success.

All editions are available from Amazon here*, I went for the Xbox One as that’s where we’ve played most of these Lego titles. I’m a bit gutted I don’t have the Amazon DLC as I got mine from GAME. That Black Lightning mini-fig looks pretty cool.

March Games - Squidlit - Nintendo Switch

Squidink – Switch

Just a bit of a curiosity, a modern game created using the original GameBoy palette. Haven’t tried it yet but it was on sale for 80p so thought it was worth a look.

Doom 64 – Switch

This almost passed me by, I thought it was only going to be included with pre-orders for the new Doom Eternal game, and since I am waiting to pick that up when I don’t have a backlog of First Person Shooters to play, I thought I’d miss out. However, it appeared for £3.99 on the eshop and some solid reviews so thought I’d give it a go. I’ve done the first couple of levels just to check it out. It holds up well and is very nice on the Switch.

Humble Conquer Covid-19 Bundle – PC

I’m no stranger to Humble Bundles in general, and already owned most of the games in this pack. However it was still worth it for the handful of games I didn’t have, and the money went to a good cause. The headline title was definitely Hollow Knight, yes I’ve played it already but it’s worth shouting about again.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

February Games

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Already a bit concerned about the lack of games completed this year, and given what I’ve mostly been playing that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. Unless I can stop playing multiplayer stuff for long enough to finish one of these campaign modes…

Games played during February

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – PC

After playing a bunch of online multiplayer on the PS4 version in split-screen at my mates house over Super Bowl weekend, I discovered this had full cross platform multiplayer support. I bought the PC version online while I was in the airport waiting to come home. Have played quite a bit of this now, mostly the multiplayer and maybe an hour of the campaign. It’s fantastic that I can just party up with my friend on his PS4 playing with a pad, which I play with keyboard and mouse on my PC. It was also a nice bonus that when I logged in, all my progress from the weekend on PS4 carried over.

You can pick up the Xbox One and PS4 versions on Amazon*. I think the PC version is only available digitally, I personally grabbed a code from Green Man Gaming, where it was on sale.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Switch

Still plugging away at this, very happy with the Switch version now and it’s definitely my preferred way to play even given the performance dip versus the other ports.

Various editions available here* from Amazon – and I can now happily also recommend the Switch version too

February Pick-ups

Firewall Zero Hour – PSVR

I think I’ve included PS+, Games with Gold and other ‘free’ games in my pickups on previous posts, so I’ll maintain that trend and add this one. I’ve heard good things, and always like to add to the VR library.

SEGA Ages Fantasy Zone – Switch

I love Fantasy Zone, and the Master System port made the list of “also-rans” in my All-time Top 5 Games list. So this new addition to the SEGA Ages range on Switch was a no-brainer. It’s a port of the Arcade game and I don’t think I’ve ever cleared that one so I’ll be hoping to rectify that. Further evidence for me needing an arcade stick though, it is not great to control in handheld mode with the joy cons.

Modern Warfare Season 2 - February Games

Modern Warfare Season 2 Pass – PC

Wouldn’t usually go for this sort of content, but knowing I was going to be playing quite a bit of this online for the near future I didn’t mind paying out a few quid for the extra things to unlock as I go. My mate picked it up as well.

Dusk – PC

This popped up on sale and curiosity got the better of me. They’ve really nailed the 90s aesthetic for FPS games of that era. It looks great and plays exactly as those games did. Not entirely sure I’m happy that I paid £11 or whatever for a game that feels 25 years old, but still. It’s certainly polished.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

January Games

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Fashionably late thanks to me spending last weekend on Super Bowl excitement, here’s a look back at my January gaming.

Games played during January

Demon’s Tilt – Switch

I’ve carried on with this, and the Switch might be my preferred version too. As expected, now I’ve got the flip grip discussed further down, the system is a perfect fit for pinball.

Injustice 2 – PS4

Managed to spend a bit of time playing Injustice 2 with my partner again. After watching the DC animated movie Justice League vs Teen Titans* which I received for Christmas, we were very much in the mood to smash Superman about with a selection of other heroes (and Ninja Turtles).

A Way Out – PS4

After picking this up back in April 2019 I finally got around to playing some. Along with Phil from the podcast, we’re probably somewhere between 25 – 50% of the way through. Hopefully we can find time for another online session soon.

Destiny 2 – PC

Fell down a bit of a hole with this. I bounced off the PS4 version fairly quickly when it was free with PS+. However with the move to free 2 play, my PC Gaming group were interested in it as something we could be playing together. We’ve only actually had one session where we (unsuccessfully) did some of the PvP stuff, but I stuck with the game and played quite a lot over a couple of weeks. It’s a great game moment to moment, but the MMO trappings mean it’s difficult to feel like there is any sort of end point. I’ll probably ween myself off it to play something with a more straightforward campaign.

Warcraft 3: Reforged – PC

Unlike the rest of the internet apparently, I’m really enjoying this. Granted I wasn’t interested in any multiplayer beyond 2 – 4 player matches for fun with my friend groups, and never really spent much time with the Custom Games. I’m having a good time replaying my favourite RTS story game, with nice looking graphics. Blizzard being Blizzard, they’ll no doubt continue to patch it, but I think we do have to accept they’re just not the company they used to be.

January Pick-ups

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Switch

After considering it last month, I managed to pick up a physical copy of the Switch version with some vouchers I had left over from Christmas. The Switch version has received another performance improvement update, and is now a pretty competent port. It is never going to be as pretty or as smooth as the other versions, but it is now perfectly playable. For me, the convenience of being able to play it handheld makes up for the compromise in quality. I’ve put about 5 hours in now, and pretty much caught up with where I was on the Xbox version.

Various editions available here* from Amazon

Flip Grip – Switch

Soon after posting last months update, I ordered the mentioned flip grip, which allows you to play the Switch in handheld mode with the screen rotated 90 degrees to be vertical / portrait (also referred to as TATE). Perfect for pinball as mentioned above, and for vertical shmups, this also influenced my next two purchases (and added about 6 more to my wishlist). Nintendo Life published this list of best TATE Switch games which gave me some ideas too.

Anger Force Reloaded – Switch

This is a nice little vertical shmup. Like the graphics style and it seems pretty fun, haven’t dug too deep yet though but it is great to play with the Flip Grip.

Stern Pinball Arcade – Switch

More vertical pinball! This a great set of replicas of the real machines. I picked this up from Argos where it was £9.99 for an annoying plastic box with the download code for the digital version inside. It was less than half what it would have cost to buy from the eShop though so still the best way to go. Especially since activating it gave me £3 worth of eShop gold coins too.

Constructor Plus – Switch

Another one from Argos. They had an offer on where all the £9.99 games were 2 for £15. Felt like this was worth a punt as I was buying pinball anyway (the rest of the games in the deal looked garbage). I played a lot of the original Constructor game on the PC years ago, so hoping to get some fun from this version.

Retired during December

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom – Switch

Couldn’t quite get into this as much as I’d hoped to. Certainly glad I didn’t pay full price. Not sure what the problem is though. I’ll try coming back to it. For now I’m sticking with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night for my Metroidvania and platforming fix.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

2020 in Games

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As history repeats itself right here on my blog, once again I played very little from my intended playlist as planned at the start of 2019. Will I learn from this? No, I shall give the list a shake and roll it forward anyway!

Played in 2019

1. Gears of War 4 – Xbox One

It’s still here! We still haven’t finished this but we did play a bit more. I’m sure this could be our year! Maybe we’ll jump straight to Gears 5 when we’re done.

2. Riven – Saturn

Hurrah, this was on my 2019 list, and I even completed it. Well done me. Reminder that MYST 3 should be on the list for 2020 then.

3. Quantum Break – Xbox One

I did try to play this, but abandoned it back in March due to it not being any good. Oh well.

4. The Witcher 3 – Xbox One

Another one I tried to play, but although it is undoubtedly a great game, it just wasn’t for me. I’ll stick to reading the books and now watching the TV show.

10 games for 2019

1. Super Metroid – Switch / SNES

Will be the third year for this on the list now, I’m more confident I’ll get to it with it now being playable on the Switch, but I’ve decided 2020 is the last time I plan to play it. If I don’t get to it this year it can go back on the shelf.

2. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void – PC

Keeping this on the list as well, just haven’t played enough PC games this year.

3. Fable Anniversary – Xbox One

Yep, let’s keep this too. I did make a bit of a start with it ahead of the discussion on the Original Xbox episode of the podcast, but I need to make more of an effort.

4. Indigo Prophecy: Fahrenheit – PS4

Another one being given its last chance in 2020. If I don’t get to it this year… blah blah.

5. Marvel’s Spider-man – PS4

Well I did get round to buying Spider-man towards the end of 2019, so I definitely intend to play it this year.

6. The Last Express – PC

“Last one on the list that I’ve brought with me from last year. Gotta have a train game!” – Think I’ll keep that quote from last year too…

7. Warcraft III: Reforged – PC

Warcraft III remains at the top of my All-Time Top 5 RTS Games post, although this remake got pushed back into January 2020 for release. Definitely ready to play it this year now.

8. Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Switch

Also due out this year after getting delayed in 2019, I’ll certainly be playing this from launch. Unlike this time last year, I now have the Switch ready for it.

9. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom – Switch

One I picked up in December, hoping to get to it properly soon so it deserves a place here.

10. Myst III: Exile – PC

As promised after successfully playing Riven last year, let’s continue with more MYST. I think I’ll be playing on PC, but I do have a couple of console versions kicking around too.

2020 releases I’m looking forward too

Along with Warcraft III: Reforged and Animal Crossing, just a couple of other mentions:

1. Doom Eternal – PS4

Still looking forward to this, and I think we can expect it in 2020.

2. Halo Infinite – Xbox One / PC

I am interested to see more of this, although must concede that I still didn’t finish 4 or 5. I put that down to wanting to play co-op eventually though and having a bunch of games in the queue to clear first.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps - 2020 in Games

3. Ori and the Will of the Wisps – Xbox One

Really enjoyed the first game, so will definitely give this one a go. Specially as it’s coming to Game Pass.

4. Hollow Knight: Silksong

I’m not even sure this will make a 2020 release, but the first game is one of the best I’ve ever played so will be all over this when it does come out.

December Games

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Ahead of my end of year post that’ll appear (hopefully) early January, first we’ll close out with gaming goings on from December. Looks like another month with nothing completed too.

Games played during December

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Switch

Like any good December, the majority of my gaming this month has been multiplayer. Wish I’d started practising in November though. At least Mario Kart remains a good time even when you’re not winning…

Puyo Puyo Tetris – Switch

This Christmas featured a good amount of Tetris, and a lot of the Puyo Puyo Tetris multiplayer variety. Such a great multiplayer title, and a great way to round out what has been a year of Tetris really.

December Pick-ups

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom – Switch

I have been interested in Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom for a while. It got a substantial 50% discount in a December sale on the Nintendo eShop so decided it was finally time to pick it up. Haven’t played much yet, but it looks incredible running. Looking forward to getting stuck in.

Halo Reach – PC (Game Pass)

Yes of course I’ve played this before, but was very interested in trying the new PC port. Remains one of the best games in the series, and looks great in this version. Looking forward to them adding more of the games to the PC version of the Master Chief Collection.

Cities Skylines Add-ons – PC

Humble Bundle had a strategy bundle up during December, and although I already owned most of the games, it was worth a purchase for the various Cities Skylines expansions I hadn’t picked up yet.

Demon’s Tilt – Switch

I was already feeling spoilt when the Xbox One version of this excellent pinball game appeared on Game Pass. I didn’t realise a Switch version was coming until the day before it released. It was a day one purchase for me, particularly since the developer’s gave me a code for the PC version so I could do this Demon’s Tilt preview. For one of my favourite games of the year, I was certainly happy to throw some money at them for a Switch version.

Now I just need one of those flip grips, so I can play with a vertical screen.

Dicey Dungeons – PC

First of two games gifted from my Steam wish list by a good friend. I did mention this briefly on my EGX Rezzed blog post, now glad to be able to play the finished game.

Islanders – PC

The second of the Steam games I received for Christmas, I don’t really know anything about other than the description from the store page. It looks great though!

Streaming / Podcast Recording PC

I had been considering putting together a second PC that I could dedicate to recording and editing the podcast for a while. It also occurred to me that the same hardware would be suitable for handling streaming if I decided to try that. Fortunately my partner’s work were auctioning off some old hardware and I picked up a 2017 Dell laptop on the cheap. I’ve since doubled the RAM up to the limit of 8GB, and added a 480 GB SSD*. It is now pretty nippy and should be up for the task.

I didn’t really know where to start with things like audio mixers and capture cards, but have gone for the below based on some bits I’ve read, and will see how I get on. I went with the HD60 rather than the HD60 S thanks to the former’s hardware encoding. This should shift some of the load away from the CPU in the older laptop.

Mixer: Behringer Xenyx QX1002USB*
Capture Card:https://amzn.to/39qGFRx*

Of course I don’t actually know what I’m doing with any of this yet, but I’ll figure it out. Maybe.

Retired during December

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Xbox One

I’ve retired this for a while due to not getting as much time on the Xbox as I’d like. I’m presently in two minds about grabbing the Switch version despite the performance issues just so I can play it more regularly. We’ll see.

Various editions available here* from Amazon

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

November Games

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Another month without completions, can mostly put that down to my nipping off to Egypt for some winter sun. Did spend a small fortune though. On with the games.

(Also now updated the post as some old text reappeared when I posted it before, had a few weird errors on here lately)

Games played during November

SEGA Mega Drive and Master System

Thanks to my OSSC purchase detailed below, I spent a healthy amount of time with my Mega Drive this month, playing a variety of both Mega Drive & Master System ROMs via my EverDrive. I think the most playtime went to Super Fantasy Zone and The Ninja. Didn’t manage to clear either of them, although I did get to the last boss on Super Fantasy Zone a couple of times. Just couldn’t remember how I was supposed to beat him.

Ticket to Ride – Mobile & Steam

I play so much digital Ticket to Ride, I had to include it eventually. Also during November I managed to play a fair bit of the board game as well so seemed a good time. The mobile app is the best board game adaptation I’ve found, and works really well for a group of friends to be able to maintain an asynchronous turn-based game over a few days. It’s also a nice touch that I can fire it up on my computer when I’m at my desk and continue the same games.

Why not buy one of the board games?* I’ve got the Europe main game, along with Netherlands and Japan/Italy expansions.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Xbox One

Still playing this when I get time, it really is a worthy Symphony of the Night successor. Have almost caved and bought it on the switch a couple of times recently. Must check in on how those performance patches are coming along.

Also your apparently monthly reminder to check out the Castlevania episode of Maximum Power Up.

PS4, Xbox One and Switch versions available here* As mentioned previously, I’d skip the Switch version unless you don’t have access to the other platforms, or if the portability makes you think it’d be worth taking the performance hit.

Forza Horizon 4 – Xbox One

Realised I hadn’t played Forza Horizon 4 in a while, so loaded it up for a bit of a session this November. Still one of the finest racing games I’ve ever played, although I think I stopped playing because the LEGO challenges were starting to get a bit tricky!

November Pick-ups

Open Source Scan Converter (OSSC)

A bit of an extravagance this, but it sort of saved me money. I was considering one of the fancy Analogue Mega Sg systems, but the price was putting me off. However, I realised that I could get the OSSC for £100+ cheaper than one of those would cost me (factoring in international shipping and customs charges). The OSSC provides fancy up-scaling and scan-line generation like the Mega Sg, but using my existing Mega Drive & EverDrive combo. It also has the added benefit of working with my other retro systems too so a clear winner really. I just need to spend more time configuring it for the other consoles.

I got this OSSC* from Amazon, as it is open source, other people make them too and you can buy from other sources.

WarCraft III Reforged – PC

I was always going to grab the WarCraft 3 remaster when it came out, as it is one of my favourite games and my all-time favourite RTS game. I just plumped for the pre-order so I could have a look at the beta. Looking forward to the full release now.

Laytons Mystery Journey - November Games

Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy: Deluxe Edition – Switch

Ridiculous title aside, I really fancied this after playing it at EGX 2019. I’m having fun with it, although either I’ve got smarter since the first game, or (more likely) this is a much easier game than I remember. It’s pretty quaint anyway, and at least having bought the physical edition I can trade it in when I’m done.

Available from Amazon here*, I preordered this one as it was cheapest I could find

Blood & Truth – PSVR

Only heard really good things about this, and I loved the short “London Heist” game they put out as part of PlayStation VR Worlds. Haven’t had chance to play yet but it popped up in the Black Friday sale so looking forward to getting time with it next time I’m on the PSVR.

Spider-Man: Game of the Year – PS4

Also on the PlayStation Black Friday sale, I finally picked up Spider-Man. Not sure paying extra for the Game of the Year edition with all the DLC was sensible, but here we are. Now I just need to find time to play.

PC Upgrade

So, as planned last month I did head to Overclockers Black Friday sale for my PC Upgrade. I picked up a 500GB 970 EVO Plus Samsung Solid State hard drive of the m.2 persuasion and one of the PowerColor Red Devil line of AMD Radeon 5700 XT cards. While I was at it I also upgraded my chair, to one of these fancy ones. Hopefully start to play more PC games again now and make the most of the extra firepower! I think when I next upgrade it’ll finally be time to replace the case I’ve had for so long now. The featured image for this post is the top of my current case, with the stickers that came with all the hardware it has housed along the way.

The Hard Drive* & GPU* are the same price on Amazon too

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

October Games

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October was another month where I didn’t manage any completions. I have chalked up a retirement though, but I’m hoping to come back to that one later.

Games played during October

Tetris 99 – Nintendo Switch

Finally managed to stop playing this everyday, but I did go back and play quite a bit for a Luigi’s Mansion event in late October, to unlock the associated theme. I still mostly just play with the Game Boy one, but Luigi’s Mansion is cool.

If you’re in the market for a Switch Lite, the Tetris bundle* is obviously the way to go.

Civilization VI - Switch - October Games

Civilization VI – Nintendo Switch

I did only pick this up in October, but I’ve played so much I thought I should include it in this section. I’ve had a funny relationship with the Civilization series, since despite owning every one of them and most of the expansions for all of the games on my PC, I’ve played less than 6 hours total across them all. However, I did put a lot of time into Civilization Revolution on the DS and Vita, and it was this handheld fit that made me consider the Switch version. Loving it so far, and it does feel better sitting with the game in handheld mode on the sofa, rather than when sat at my PC.

Physical edition on Amazon*

EGX

This month was EGX 2019, the Eurogamer Expo. I played a bunch of games there, and talked about them in a bit in my EGX round up post.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Xbox One

Made the decision to stick with the Xbox version and not bothering to restart on PC. Some ropey looking water effects aside, I think I’ve come to terms with the graphics. Still a great game and the only real “Halloweenesque” gaming I did for October.

As mentioned last month and if you do like Castlevania, please do check out this episode of Maximum Power Up I recorded with Phil. Still one of my favourites, and I intend to follow it up looking at the two Bloodstained games at a later date.

PS4, Xbox One and Switch versions available here* As mentioned previously, I’d skip the Switch version unless you don’t have access to the other platforms although it has received a performance patch though so things are improving on that front

Nitro Type – PC

Discovered this free little browser-based gem a little while back. Competitive Typing is exactly what it is. It prompted me to finally put together my top 5 typing games post. You can play it yourself on the Nitro Type website, but you’ll need a keyboard, obviously.

Nanotale – PC

As also mentioned in my Typing Games best of, the kind folks at Fishing Cactus sent me a key for the Early Access version of Nanotale. I’ve been playing it a bit to prepare a preview post that should appear during November (Probably when I get back from my holiday).

October Pick-ups

Slay the Spire – Nintendo Switch

I did receive the PC version of this as a gift back when it was in Early Access. Slay the Spire is a great card game / adventure and a perfect fit for the Switch. I grabbed the Switch version when it went on sale, very much enjoying getting back to it.

StarCraft Cartooned – PC

Picked this up at the start of the month after having an eye on it for a while. It’s a complete “reskin” of the original StarCraft game. I’ve been promising myself a proper playthrough of StarCraft at some point, and now I think this may be the way I play.

Paper Trains – Nintendo Switch

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned previously, I do like a train game. This one is a fairly simple puzzle game but it’s the hand drawn “pen & paper” art style that sets it apart and makes it worth a look.

Scene It – PS3

Bit of a surprise charity shop find this, I didn’t even know Scene It had a game on the PS3. We did play quite a bit of the Xbox 360 version first time round, but this has different content to that one, and very nicely supports the Buzz Wireless Buzzers on the PS3. Great fun.

Overwatch – Xbox One

Another charity shop pick up, I’m not sure I’ll play this but couldn’t leave it there for £3. I haven’t even touched the the PC version in over a year but at least I’ve got the Xbox One version as well if some of my friends drag me into it.

GoG Galaxy 2.0 Beta – PC

Not directly a game itself, but I received an invite to the beta from Good Old Games for their new “GOG Galaxy 2.0” client. I’ve already linked it to all my other PC libraries along with my Xbox and PlayStation ones. It’s nice to see everything in one place, but even better to be able to search all those games when I’m trying to check if I own something already or not…

Snapshot of my gog library - October Games — Too many games

Games retired during October

Metro Exodus – PC

Definitely intend to revisit this. With changing jobs, studying and spending 3 of the weekends during October at NFL games in London, I just haven’t had time for an in depth story game. Hoping November will involve a PC upgrade so I think I’ll come back to this then.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

September Games

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September was an incredibly busy month, including me changing jobs and sitting a formal exam for a professional qualification. Won’t actually know how I did in the exam until the end of November, but at least I can look at what games I managed to play.

Games completed this month

Vermintide II – PC

This was quite the achievement, being the first game completed in co-op with my ‘semi-regular’ online gaming foursome. We rapidly discovered we weren’t up for the harder difficulties, but we had a lot of fun playing through the base game. I think we’ll look to pick up the DLC on sale and maybe come back to it later.

PS4 version on Amazon*

Games played during September

Tetris 99 – Switch

A surprise update to Tetris 99 added a few new features, including daily quests to earn ‘tickets’ that can be used to purchase additional themes for the gameplay modes. It worked as intended, and so far I’ve played everyday and have completed 100% of these daily quests. I’m still yet to get a 1st place, but it is starting to feel like just a matter of time.

If you’re in the market for a Switch Lite, the Tetris bundle* is obviously the way to go.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 – Switch

Had a great time with this for the first few hours. I have hit the difficulty wall pretty hard though, and am struggling to level my characters up to progress. Probably just need to read some guides but I’ve put it on hold for now. I do quite fancy the Season Pass if it goes on sale, the appeal of more characters is strong.

Physical edition on Amazon*

Tesla vs Lovecraft – PS4

Inspired by some of my friends playing this, I decided to go back and gradually work towards picking up the Platinum Trophy. Still a ways to go but very much enjoying having a twin-stick shooter in my gaming rotation again.

No Amazon link for this as it’s digital only, but this Lovecraft & Tesla comic* looks great…

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Xbox One

Mentioned this one a few times on here, it was in my games to play this year plan, and I also covered it in my EGX Rezzed post. As mentioned in my Top 5 Metroidvania post I had originally intended on picking it up on Switch, but the performance issues with that port had left me in a bit of a quandary with which version to get. Fortunately this was resolved by the game being added to GamePass. I’ve been playing it on Xbox One, but while I still don’t like the graphics (and tbh the shine on the character models and the water effects look terrible to me) GamePass also included the PC version, and I’ve had a quick go on there and it seems to look much better. Just trying to decide if I can be bothered to restart it. Game is great fun though, no complaints about the gameplay.

If you haven’t already, please do check out the Castlevania episode of Maximum Power Up I recorded with Phil. Still one of my favourite episodes, and I intend to follow it up looking at the two Bloodstained games at a later date.

PS4, Xbox One and Switch versions available here* As mentioned though, I’d skip the Switch version unless you don’t have access to the other platforms

Life is Strange 2: Episode One – Xbox One

Another game I fired up on GamePass. It’s still good, and I’m looking forward to continuing the game. I don’t quite like the characters as much as Max and Chloe though, and it’s probably telling that this is the first episode I didn’t play in one sitting. Hoping it’ll start to grab me more as the story progresses.

September Pick-ups

Tetris 99 Big Block DLC - September Games

Tetris 99 DLC

As mentioned above I’m back on this, and the new patch convinced me to pick up the paid Big Block DLC. At £9 I felt quite happy with the purchase, as I’ve already played around 30 hours of Tetris 99. Oops. Not sure if it was just a time limited offer, but buying the Big Block DLC meant I also got DLC Pack 2 when it came out, which added some local multiplayer modes.

Physical retail edition* includes this DLC and 12 months of the Nintendo Online service

SNES Games – Switch

Already covered this in my Ten Reasons I Own a Nintendo Switch post, but September also saw the addition of SNES games to the Switch online offering. Super Metroid can finally happen!

Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns – Nintendo Switch

Really enjoyed the original game back on Xbox Live and the Nintendo DS, but unlike several of my friends, I never did finish it. I’ve also had some fun with the mobile Puzzle Quest games, like the Marvel and SEGA ones, but the mobile trappings of the Free 2 Play model always end up putting me off. I was very pleased to see this version come to the switch, particularly as it bundles the original DLC along with some fresh new content for this port. I probably should play something other than Tetris.

Konami Arcade Anniversary Collection – Nintendo Switch

Much like the Castlevania collection I picked up back in May this year, this line up for this collection is pretty solid. Some great games, and Haunted Castle… These were back on offer, so I thought I’d grab this one too. I almost picked up the Contra Collection to complete the set, but as discussed on the Run N Gun Podcast episode, I find the difficulty gets in the way too much with that series.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

August Games

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Managed to play a reasonable amount during August, still spending a lot of time with the Switch. I am planning on a substantial PC upgrade between now and Christmas though, so I expect that’ll be where I focus my gaming time once it happens.

Games completed this month

Timespinner – Switch

A rare 100% completion here, including a New Game+ run. Really enjoyed Timespinner, but a lot of it was spent thinking what a great game Symphony of the Night is. A worthy tribute, as touched upon in my Metroidvania post.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World – Switch (SMS)

One of the first games I played on a games console, and certainly the first played on a system I owned. I finally completed Alex Kidd in Miracle World this month, some 30 years after first playing it. One of my all time favourite platform games, it only narrowly missed a place in my All-Time Top 5 games. Granted I was playing the SEGA Ages version on Switch and benefiting from some quality of life improvements, but it was satisfying to see the ending. I had previously got to the last area on occasion as a child, but didn’t understand what I needed to do.

Games played during August

Tetris 99 – Switch

Another Tetris 99 event to unlock a theme took place over an August weekend, and although the theme was based on a videogame IP I don’t care for (Fire Emblem) just the prospect of unlocking something was enough to pull me back in. Very much enjoyed putting some time into this again. I bloody love Tetris. Still haven’t managed first place though.

Tiny Trax – PSVR

I have been neglecting my PSVR. Admittedly the warmer weather had been making me less inclined to step into the headset, but the issue was more that whenever I put it on, I ended up just playing Tetris Effect and nothing else. Realised I’d bought this months (at least) ago and never even tried it. Spent some time with Tiny Trax this month and really enjoyed myself. It’s pretty much slot-car racing, with a steering mechanic to make things interesting. Also, it’s from FuturLab, the Brighton-based developer who made some of my favourite games on the Vita, always happy to show them some support.

Metro Exodus – PC

Put a few more hours into Metro Exodus during August. I am enjoying it, mostly because I like the setting and the characters. I do miss the claustrophobia inducing tunnels of the metro from the previous games, but at least there is a train. Everyone likes a train. Could do without the crafting though. Humbug.

Phantasy Star – Switch (SMS)

I played about half an hour of this, spoke to everyone in the village where I started. Entirely forgot I could save anywhere. Took one step outside the village and got murdered by a giant scorpion. Game Over. Games used to be tough, ya know? I was a bit disheartened but I shall go back and try again with regular saving (and maybe a guide).

Tetris Effect – PSVR

After my good work playing Tiny Trax, I was intending to play some more of my VR stuff. However the urge took me and I spent another 4 hours playing VR Tetris instead. No regrets! Also finally got to play in the “1989” themed levels, modelled on the original Gameboy graphics & music. It did not disappoint.

Retail version on Amazon here*. Best reason to go for the physical release for this is that if you forget to put the disc in, you might end up playing some of your other games for a change.

August Pick-ups

Warcraft 1 & 2 – PC

I never really played these properly back in the day, but have been meaning to try them properly ever since Good Old Games added them to their store. Warcraft II is still pretty playable so I’m hopeful I’ll get round to playing through that campaign. Possibly wasted my money on the first game though, not much fun to play in 2019…

Diablo – PC

As above for this really. Grabbed it at the same time as the Warcraft bundle. Like Warcraft 1, the original Diablo is clunky to play now, but I might still spend a bit more time with it. The mechanics aren’t as bad as early RTS games.

Outrun 2, Project Gotham 1 & 2 – Xbox

I took to eBay to pick up a few basics for my recently acquired Xbox. Outrun 2 was pretty much the main reason I wanted to console so was very happy to get hold of it.

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid – Switch

When this first came out I was intrigued as my partner is a big Power Rangers fan and does enjoy a versus fighting game. However early reports suggested that although it was a competent game, it was let down by a lack of content. It popped up in a Switch sale recently though, for a very reasonable £15, and a quick google informed me they had since added a few new characters and a story mode to the game as free updates. Figured it was now worth a punt, and after having a quick go it does seem promising.

Just Dance 2019 – PS4

Because fun.

Zelda Wired Pad – Switch

Not entirely happy about this one. My partner’s brother was visiting and I wanted to pick up a cheap extra pad in case we played some 3 player Raging Justice or Puyo Puyo Tetris. I left it too late to order online and my local Argos didn’t have stock for same day pick up. I was thus limited to Game and the only ones they had were this, Pokemon and Mario designs. I went for Zelda as the least visually offensive and to be fair it is a pretty good pad to use. As it happen’s my other half is a Zelda fan and really likes the design, so I’m optimistic she’ll use it and I can both get my Pro Controller back, and also stop having to detach the joy-cons when we want to play together on the TV.

They have this one on Amazon* if you want one. Can’t imagine why you would though. xD (In fairness, it is a very competent extra pad if you already have a Pro Controller)

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 – Switch

Didn’t think I’d get round to picking this up for a while. It hasn’t reviewed particularly well, but the criticisms could largely be levelled at the two previous games in much the same way and I had a lot of fun with those. The main thing putting me off was the £50 RRP. However during August there was a “Buy one get one half price” deal on a handful of Switch exclusive retail games. Although there was nothing else in the offer that I wanted, my buddy was keen to pick up Dragon Quest Builders 2, so we grabbed both games and split the discount. Worked out about £34 each via Amazon thanks to their “slightly less than RRP” base price. (Deal has ended, but Amazon have dropped it further to £39.99* atm)

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

Completed this month

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Switch

Games played during April

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – PC

Puyo Puyo Tetris – Switch

Streets of Rage 2 – Mega Drive

Golden Axe III – Mega Drive

April Pick-ups

Chess Ultra – PC & Switch

Sisters Royale – Switch

Indie Horror Bundle 1 – Switch

Streets of Rage 4 – GamePass

Power Rangers: Battle For the Grid DLC 1 – Switch

PC Engine CoreGrafx Mini & Extra Controler (Pre-order)

Modern Warfare Season 3 – PC

Sphinx & the Cursed Mummy – Switch

Sine Mora EX – Switch

Wild Guns Reloaded – Switch

SNK Gals Fighters – Switch

Enhanced Wireless Controller – Switch

“Retro” Controllers

Gaming Books

Beta Access

Empires in Ruins – PC

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Games played during March

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – PC

Puyo Puyo Tetris – Switch

Overwatch – PC

Raging Justice – PC

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Switch

Golden Axe – Mega Drive

Tetris 99 – Switch

March Pick-ups

Black Mesa – PC

LEGO DC Super Villains – Xbox One

Squidink – Switch

Doom 64 – Switch

Humble Conquer Covid-19 Bundle – PC

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Games played during February

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – PC

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Switch

February Pick-ups

Firewall Zero Hour – PSVR

SEGA Ages Fantasy Zone – Switch

Modern Warfare Season 2 Pass – PC

Dusk – PC

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Games played during January

Demon’s Tilt – Switch

Injustice 2 – PS4

A Way Out – PS4

Destiny 2 – PC

Warcraft 3: Reforged – PC

January Pick-ups

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Switch

Flip Grip – Switch

Anger Force Reloaded – Switch

Stern Pinball Arcade – Switch

Constructor Plus – Switch

Retired during December

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom – Switch

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Played in 2019

1. Gears of War 4 – Xbox One

2. Riven – Saturn

3. Quantum Break – Xbox One

4. The Witcher 3 – Xbox One

10 games for 2019

1. Super Metroid – Switch / SNES

2. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void – PC

3. Fable Anniversary – Xbox One

4. Indigo Prophecy: Fahrenheit – PS4

5. Marvel’s Spider-man – PS4

6. The Last Express – PC