Category Archives: Games played

October Games

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

Leave a Reply

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

Leave a Reply

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.

July Games

Leave a Reply

Incredibly busy month, where I’ve been mostly trying to study, but also applying for, and getting, a new job. Didn’t play a great deal, but managed a good amount in 2-player on the Nintendo Switch with my other half.

Games completed this month

Raging Justice – Switch

Barely feels like a completion, but we got a credits roll so I’m counting it. Girlfriend and I had a great time on this, the ride-on lawnmower section is a definite highlight.

Games played during July

Horizon Chase Turbo – PS4

I had been on the fence about grabbing this for the Switch. I liked the idea of it, but was concerned it might feel a bit “mobile game”. Fortunately it popped up as a freebie on PlayStation Plus for the PS4, so I was able to spend some time with it. I played for about 45 minutes. It was enjoyable and certainly presses the nostalgia buttons for these classic arcade racers. However after 45 minutes I’d had enough and don’t think I’ll go back to it. Saved me buying it on Switch, although it did motivate me to immediately buy a different game on there. More on that below.

Duke Nukem Forever – PC

Yes this is just about as bad as you think it is. I played it for an upcoming podcast episode, but didn’t entirely hate it. A couple of the later guns were quite satisfying, and there is a whole level early on where you’ve been shrunk and you’re driving around in an RC Car. I did enjoy that.

Metro Exodus – PC

Had a quick go on this, busy month meant I haven’t put a lot of time into anything, but I think this could be my next proper game after The Witcher 3, and was pleased the PC version was included in the Xbox Game Pass thing. What I really like is that it seems to be really well optimised, and gets 60+ fps on my PC with everything on Ultra at 1080p.

X-Men Legends – Xbox

As included in my NERG Pickups below, this month saw me acquire an original Xbox. This game was already on the Hard Drive, I’d forgotten just how good these games were. I think I’ll probably put a bit more time into it.

Doom 2 – Switch

Bethesda released Doom 1, 2 & 3 across all the modern platforms, coinciding with QuakeCon. Annoyingly I was supposed to go to the event in London but had to cancel to finish up some study. I did grab Doom 2 though, and have already had some fun playing it in split-screen with my girlfriend.

July Pick-ups

Virtua Racing – Switch

As mentioned above, this was the purchase I made straight after playing Horizon Chase Turbo. This port of Virtua Racing is incredible fun, these SEGA Ages ports continue to impress. I doubt I’ll ever get to try the 8 player split-screen mode but I’m glad that it’s in there. I really hope we see some more racing games. Naturally I want SEGA Rally, but it would be something of a dream if they could finally give us home versions of SCUD Race and Daytona 2.

NERG Pickups

I covered NERG in my last blog post, but thought I’d just mention the gaming items I picked up. First up was the modded Xbox that was a gift from Phil, have wanted to get one of these again for a while. I also picked up a 6-button Competition Pro pad for the Mega Drive the same as the one I had as a kid. Last bit of gaming related stuff was a handful of loose Game Boy games. Robocop, Terminator 2, Batman the Movie (or Batman inexplicably with a gun), Jurassic Park and Elevator Action.

Puyo Puyo Champions – Switch

To be honest, I just grabbed this because it was 50% off and I thought my girlfriend might play it. We’ve been playing a lot of Puyo Puyo Tetris again recently, but I just stick to Tetris. My little brain can’t Puyo.

Phantasy Star – Switch

The third SEGA game I bought for my Switch this month, I haven’t loaded this up yet. I’ve never really managed to get into the Phantasy Star games, but this looks like quite a polished port of the original Master System game, so thought I’d give it a go.

Brawl – Switch

This was 89p. I played Brawl a bit on PS4 when it first came out, it’s a fairly competent little Bomberman clone, with an odd horror aesthetic. I didn’t really get into it at the time but thought it might be nice to have some Bomberman action on my Switch without getting Super Bomberman R for the third time.

Retired this month

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Xbox One

Well I tried my best, but the openworldness got to me. Found myself not wanting to load it up anymore. Think I’ll stick to reading the books and I’ll check out the TV series when it appears.

June Games

1 Reply

June was a relatively quiet month for game progress, but have managed to find a reasonable amount of time to play. Even wrapped one game up.

Games completed this month

Nefarious – Switch

Well I cleared it. Nothing mind blowing but the boss fights were really fun even if the rest was filler.

Games played during June

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Xbox One

Still playing this, mostly enjoying it but the crafting, alchemy etc are all tedious, and I’m already bored of Gwent. The story is great though so I’m hoping to stick with it.

House of the Dead: Overkill – PS3

Dusted off the PS3 Gun Grips for the Move Controllers and played a few rounds of this with my partner. Still one of the best lightgun shooters ever.

Typing of the Dead: Overkill – PC

Partly inspired by playing House of the Dead again, but also as it was something a bit different to what others were playing, I played a bit of this while setting up my PC to do some Twitch streaming. Not sure if I’ll ever stream much, but it was fun to dabble.

Timespinner – Switch

Only picked this up this month, but have already put a bit of time into it. It’s a very straight forward Castlevania: Symphony of the Night clone, with the graphic style of a Super Nintendo Japanese RPG. I have been enjoying it but the art style isn’t really my kind of thing and it feels very limited after Hollow Knight.

Forza Horizon 4: Lego Speed Champions – Xbox One / PC

Easily the best news out of E3 for me, this expansion for Forza Horizon 4 is a worthy successor to the Hot Wheels expansion for Horzion 3. I have been having a great time with it, but I’m mildly concerned I’m going to have to spend more time doing the boring stuff like drift challenges in order to complete the main single player content.

Dauntless – PC

Spent a couple of hours on this with 2 friends. We had a good time, and I think it’ll replace Apex Legends as our backup game for when we don’t have enough for Vermintide 2. We do tend to prefer co-operative experiences for these sessions.

Gears of War 4 – Xbox One / PC

Managed again to get a bit more online time on this with my buddy. We’re finally getting there, and may even see the credits roll before Gears 5 comes out in September.

Dead Space Extraction – PS3

Another one that made my Top Lightgun game list, put a bit of time into this on the PS3 in preparation for an upcoming podcast episode. Still great fun, and having spent more time with the Dead Space series since I wrote that list, I can now say it’s my favourite Dead Space game…

June Pick-ups

Epic Pinball Complete – PC

Definitely one of those impulse purchases I’ll probably never play, but couldn’t resist this collection when it went on sale for a couple of quid on Good Old Games. Basically just another bunch of DOS based pinball tables I used to play on my old PC back in the 90s.

Xbox Live Ultimate

Bit of a ridiculous bargain this. Microsoft promotion meant that taking a £1 trial of Game Pass Ultimate (which includes Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass for PC) also converted whatever remaining subscription you had to any of those services, to be Ultimate. I had just upgraded my Xbox Live Gold for another year, so I got 13 months of Game Pass Ultimate for £1. Already a few games on there I’m looking to play, including Metro Exodus and the most recent Tomb Raider.

May Games

1 Reply

Good productive month all-round. Well, where gaming is concerned anyway. I procrastinated the hell out of everything else I was supposed to be doing.

Games completed this month

Hollow Knight – Switch

Hurrah! So far I’ve only got the ‘basic’ ending, but that’s enough to count. Up to this point Hollow Knight is up there as one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. I have some gripes with it after this though, now that I’ve been playing for the “true ending”. To get the true ending you have to clear a platforming challenge that feels massively out of place compared to the rest of the game. I have done that now at least, but then found the final, final boss infuriating. I intend to go back to it after I take a break. For now though, I had an ending and the credits roll, so we’re done.

RIVEN – SEGA Saturn

Really enjoyed my return to the MYST universe, definitely want to get to MYST III – Exile now. Also incredible fun playing with the Saturn mouse. Might have a look at some of the other adventure games that support it too.

Games played during May

Tetris 99 – Switch

I fire this up now and then anyway, but this month had a limited time event where you could unlock a classic Game Boy Tetris theme for the game, complete with music and sound effects. I had to get in on that. Managed to secure the required points, so now my Tetris battle royale losses are much more nostalgic.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Xbox One

After putting Hollow Knight to rest, it is time to tackle one of the bigger games on the list for the year. I’ve been reading the books again to get into the mood and at four books in, I am ready. Played a few hours so far and am very much enjoying myself.

Nefarious – Switch

A bit of light relief after Hollow Knight. Difficult game to recommend, as the actual platform levels are pretty much just “filler”. The boss fights are amusing though, taking the role of villain and seeing the other side of classic fights from Sonic, Mega Man, SNES style RPGs and even a bit of Mario.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Switch

Thanks to one of my other pick ups below, I’ve been back on my Mario Karting. I’m aiming to 3 star all the cups up to Mirror Mode (200cc can bite me, I might try to do those with 1 star…) Maybe I’ll also get to playing online a bit now.

May Pick-ups

SEGA Rally – PS3

Picked this up cheap with the PS2 games below. I’ve been wanting to check it out for a while, since it mostly passed me by when it first came out. I played it for half an hour or so. It is fun but I’m not sure it’ll hold my attention now.

Super Bust-a-Move 1 & 2 – PS2

As per my top arcade puzzle games post, I’m a big fan of the bust-a-move / puzzle bobble games, and couldn’t resist grabbing them for my PS2 when I saw them cheap.

Robot Wars – PS2

Mostly picked this up for my partner, as she is a big fan of the TV show. The game seems fun, and I like how the controls are mapped for the robots. It seems like you need to put a bit of effort into gaining funds to build a robot though. To be honest we’d have enjoyed it more if we could just pick from a selection of existing robots from the show and smash them into each other.

Gameboy Games

As we were in Brighton shopping, I popped into Ninja Games Den again, and grabbed a few more loose Game Boy games. Mostly worth it for Dr. Mario, the others were just a bonus.

Pocket Rumble – Switch

Picked this up almost entirely because of how much I miss the Neo Geo Pocket Color. I have looked at buying it on Steam before, but the Switch version feels a bitter fit to closer replicate the old hand held feeling of a decent portable fighting game. If only I could get a Switch Joycon with one of those Neo Geo thumbsticks on.

Castlevania Anniversary Collection – Switch

I played all but one of these games for the Castlevania episode of the Maximum Power-Up Podcast. However that was mostly just dabbling with emulation and various EverDrive devices. I liked them well enough that I fancied this collection on the Switch, so I could give them a bit more time. Particularly Super Castlevania IV and Bloodlines.

Sundered: Eldritch Edition – Switch

This game caught my eye back when we were researching for the podcast’s H.P. Lovecraft episode. I didn’t get to it at the time, but kept it on my radar. It popped up in the same Switch sale as Pocket Rumble above. It’s a metroidvania with some heavy Lovecraftian influences, so I’m looking forward to getting into it eventually.

Pro Controller – Switch

As hinted at above, this is why I’m back on Mario Kart 8. A birthday gift from my partner, I do now see what all the fuss is about. This is an excellent controller, the lack of analogue triggers keep it from joining or surpassing the PS4 and Xbox One pads as my current joint favourites, but it is very good.

Obduction – PC

Free this month on Humble Bundle, I’ve wanted this for a while. I was going to pick it up on PS4 when the promised VR support was added, but reports of that suggest it doesn’t run well on the PSVR hardware. PC version it is then!

Toki Retrollector Edition – Switch

Another birthday gift, this time from one of my friends. Didn’t know much about the game going in, but this collection made a great gift. All the parts are high quality, and the wooden arcade cabinet style stand for the Switch is awesome. I can see me using the stand with other games when not playing on the TV. I’ve played a bit of the game as well now, and it’s good fun. Looks great and is a straight up remaster of the old arcade game. I do have vague memories of playing it first time round (probably the Mega Drive port).

April Games

Leave a Reply

April has been a bit quieter games wise. after completing six games during March, I managed to not finish any this month. I didn’t give up on anything either, so there is that.

Games played during April

Hollow Knight – Switch

Yes I mentioned this last month, but this is also why I haven’t finished anything else. Hollow Knight has consumed almost all of my gaming time for the last 4 weeks. I think I’m perhaps as much as 60% of the way through now, so hopefully I’ll finish it during May. Some of these boss fights get quite tough though, so we’ll see.

Apex Legends – PC

Not often one for the Battle Royale style games, but I do enjoy a good multiplayer online FPS. My current online gaming group have picked this as our back up for three of us to play if someone can’t make our regular Vermintide 2 session. I’ve been really enjoying it so far. I do prefer a more frenetic game like Quake Champions, but this is a much better social experience for an evening hanging out online with friends.

RIVEN – SEGA Saturn

Finally got around to making a start on this after picking up a mouse for my SEGA Saturn last June. I’ve played the first couple of hours and really enjoying it so far. I have taken some advice from Lewis Clark over at SEGA Driven, and am using a walkthrough for any puzzles I find myself spending more than 10 minutes on. The puzzles are particularly obtuse, even by MYST standards.

Misc Games Played at EGX Rezzed

As per my EGX Rezzed blog post, I also played a bunch of games at this event, and wrote that round up of some of my favourites.

April Pick-ups

A Way Out – PS4

Picked this up to hopefully play through with Phil from the Maximum Power Up podcast, we’ve played a few other games in co-op, and I’ve heard great things about this.

Slain – PC

I had my eye on this for my Switch. When Slain first came out it received a bit of a bashing from critics, and I gave it a pretty wide berth. However, the Back from Hell edition apparently addresses some of the issues so I thought I’d give it a look. While I was on the fence about picking the Switch version up for around £6, it popped up on PC for 75p. That’ll do.

Sunless Skies – PC

After talking about how much I had enjoyed it in my Rezzed round up, it turns out I won a copy of Sunless Skies from a twitter competition I entered at the event. Bonus. Looking forward to spending more time with this one.

Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia – PC

I played the demo of this when it first appeared on Steam, and really enjoyed it. Not sure where I originally heard about it, but I’m always a sucker for a good typing game. It got a bit of a discount during April so I picked it up. I had a quick go, and was very pleased to see my progress carried on from where I’d got to in the demo, which was a nice touch. I can see it getting pretty difficult, but I love the mash up of typing game meets “bullet hell” style shmup.

March Games

1 Reply

March was a pretty solid month for gaming, mostly because I had a week off work to use up before the end of March, so I stayed home and played games.

Games completed this month

God of War (2018) – PS4

Really enjoyed this, although it has probably ruined all the earlier God of War games for me. Taking the best elements of various action/adventure games, I think this is my favourite 3rd Person Action game of all time.

Yoku’s Island Express – 100% – Xbox One

So I originally cleared the story for this back in December, but unusually for me I felt the urge to go back and complete all the optional stuff. 100% completion, what a really great game!

Batman Arkham VR – PSVR

This is a pretty short game, probably only 40 minutes to complete, but it is an amazing VR experience, and essential for a Batman fan.

Armored Warriors (Capcom Beat ’em up Bundle) – PS4

Might take me a while to get round to clearing all 7 games on this compilation, but I did enjoy Armored Warriors.

Tetris Effect – PSVR

Okay so I’ve only cleared the Journey mode on this, and still plenty to do. Beating that last stage was a challenge though, and worth logging the achievement just for that. I did play a little bit of it outside the VR and it is still great, but it really shines as a VR title.

Golf Story – Switch

A substantial reason behind why I bought the Switch last month, and it didn’t let me down at all. I really hope we get a sequel to Golf Story. The golfing gameplay reminds me a lot of Game Boy Golf, and it has an amusing story to follow as you play a selection of increasingly ridiculous, but fun, courses.

Games played during March

Modern Warfare Remastered – PS4

This was free on PS Plus, and while I’m still toying with the idea of replaying the campaign (not on Veteran again though, that was madness) I found time this month to jump online with my mate. While we struggled to make an impact initially, the old muscle memory started to come back and we were winning more. Enjoyed it for a couple of afternoons, even if I don’t end up going back again.

Vermintide 2 – PC

In PC land I’ve been playing this one with three friends as our new “we’re definitely going to regularly play this game together” game. Unlike all the other ones that died off after one or two sessions, we’ve already had three goes on Vermintide 2. I’m optimistic we’ll play it for a bit longer. It’s as well designed for 4 players as left 4 dead was, and I find it much more enjoyable for not involving zombies.

Hollow Knight – Switch

Partly playing this for an upcoming podcast episode, but also because one of my friends keeps raving about it and I was ready for something else to play on the Switch after clearing Golf Story. Really enjoying it so far, although it’s tougher than I usually like my metroidvania games to be.

Hidden Agenda – PS4

Picked this up preowned for like £3 or so. It’s a “PlayLink” title, a multiplayer game when each player uses their phone as a controller. I was curious about this as a narrative based game as an alternative to the various quiz style party games that this format usually takes. Four of us did a full competitive playthrough, and it was fairly well received.

March Pick-ups

Grip – PS4

I’d been following the development of this game for a while. It’s pretty much a tribute to Rollcage (from some of the same people) which I enjoyed back on the original PlayStation. However, when it was released the reviews were a bit average, and I was concerned about paying full price for it. I managed to win a copy of it on Twitter in March though, so I’m now happily dabbling with it for free.

Nefarious – Switch

Another game I’d had my eye on for a while, Nefarious is in the vein of 90s platform games, but with you playing as the villain. I heard about this on a podcast back in 2017. I’ve had it on my Steam wishlist since then, but hadn’t got around to picking it up because I know I don’t really play platform games on PC. The Switch is an ideal format for it though, and it popped up in sale for half the price it is on Steam. Result. Time will tell if I actually get round to playing it though.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World – Switch

Narrowly missing out on my top 5, but scoring an honourable mention in my All-Time Top 5 Videogames, Alex Kidd in Miracle World is one of my favourite games. This was a no-brainer to pick up the day of release on Switch. Maybe I’ll finally complete it now.

Games retired in March

Quantum Break – Xbox One

Had to give up on this, as ultimately I just wasn’t enjoying myself. I put a few hours in, and was about 40% through the game. I really liked the format of having a TV episode to watch after each act, and the story was interesting enough. Unfortunately it was the gameplay segments that felt like a let down.

February Games – (Sponsored by Nintendo Switch)

Leave a Reply

Well it was hinted as a possibility for this year, I’ve cracked and bought a Nintendo Switch. I didn’t even wait for Animal Crossing. More thoughts on that in the Pick-ups section below. No games completed, but hey, at least there are more games in the backlog now…

Games played during February

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Switch

It’s Mario Kart, I’ve been playing quite a bit, but haven’t taken it online yet. Was trying to at least 1 star all the cups first, but 200cc races are madness. I may need to rethink that.

Tetris 99 – Switch

This was a surprise announcement / release from Nintendo. A free (providing you pay for the online service) Tetris game where you play a “battle royale” style competitive game. You versus 98 other people. Last one standing wins. It did what it was supposed to, and made me pay for the online service.

February Pick-ups

Nintendo Switch

As headlined at the start of the post, I caved and picked up a Nintendo Switch. I had been toying with the idea on and off, particularly now there is an Animal Crossing announced. The main thing that sold it to me though was just the urge to get properly into a Mario Kart game again. There still aren’t many games I want for it, but I expect that to change in the future. I anticipate the Switch becoming my preferred platform for those indie games that previously I would have got for my PlayStation Vita.

Hyper Sentinel – Switch

My second Switch game. A fun little C64 style shooter, I originally played this at a retro event last year. It was £1.49 in the Nintendo eShop, where almost everything else is comically overpriced.

Starlink: Battle for Atlas – Switch

I’d heard good stuff about the core game of Starlink, but I think the expensive toy mechanic meant that the game pretty much tanked, and is now available very cheaply. Nintendo’s version of the game also includes Star Fox as a playable character. This month they announced the Switch version would be getting some free DLC to add the rest of the Star Fox crew to the game, so I figured I’d pick the starter pack.

Tetris Effect – PSVR / PS4

I had been waiting for a price drop on this since trying the demo last year. Found a bargain online and can’t wait to get my face on it. The demo was incredible. Pretty much the trippiest way to play Tetris.

Puyo Puyo Tetris (yes again) – Switch

The Switch is the perfect home for this as a great multiplayer puzzle game. This does however mark the fourth time I’ve bought Puyo Puyo Tetris, and the third Tetris game I’ve picked up this month! What year is it again? Fortunately I managed to sell my Japanese copy of Puyo Puyo Tetris on the PS4, recouping 70% of the cost.

SEGA Ages Thunder Force IV – Switch

The Switch has a whole bunch of shmups old and new, but annoyingly they tend to be much more expensive than on any other platform. I expect I’ll pick up more when they go on sale, but Thunder Force IV was the most tempting of the SEGA Ages range of games to start me off.

Golf Story – Switch

The only Nintendo exclusive I’ve really wanted to play on Switch so far outside of Mario Kart and the as yet unreleased Animal Crossing. Looking forward to giving this a proper play, definitely up for Golf the RPG.

Games retired in February

SEGA Heroes – Mobile

I haven’t been properly into a mobile game for years, unless you count Ticket to Ride & Hearthstone, which I don’t. This game is a standard “puzzle quest” style match 3 bejeweled clone. It is from SEGA though, and I was highly entertained by the fan service in the game. However, they launched a recent event to obtain “Tails” that was ridiculously cynical even by mobile game standards. It was looking at a purchase of upwards of £49 just to take part in, so I’m out.

I appreciate there is money to be made chasing “whales” in the mobile or free to play market. However, a company like SEGA should probably be more protective of its IP. Or we might be looking at the demise of the SEGA boy…

January Games

Leave a Reply

Off to a reasonable start for the year. Even sort of managed a completion. Albeit one where I imposed my own definition of “complete”.

Completed this month

Forza Horizon 4

Finally calling this ‘finished’, although I’ll no doubt be playing it for considerable time to come. I have wrapped up the story, finished all the exploration (map & bonus boards), hit max level, ‘prestiged’ and bought all the in game houses. I’m never going to even attempt 100% completion on these games as long as there is a requirement to complete ‘drift’ events.

Also played this month

Worms W.M.D. – PS4

Managed to get quite a bit of this on in multiplayer recently, remains excellent and I think has become my favourite in the series. Finally toppled Armageddon & Worms World Party.

God of War – PS4

Managed to make a bit more progress with this, still loving it but could do with a day or two to just sit down and play.

Pinball FX2 – PSVR

You’ll spot a bit of a pinball trend this month, it’s been ongoing since last October or so as we’ve been preparing for a Pinball Episode over at Maximum Power Up. Look out for that soon. Playing Pinball in VR is a revelation, although I’m currently trailing in my leaderboard battles and need to get back on that.

Demon’s Tilt – PC

Played quite a bit of Demon’s Tilt in January, pinball everywhere. Read my full Demon’s Tilt Preview. It’s now available to buy, and pretty much essential if you like video pinball.

Pick-ups during Janaury

Wi-fi and Bluetooth Card

When adding my new microphone (link) to my computer last month, I discovered I was somehow using all the rear USB ports. Rather than just add more ports, I picked up this card. I was previously using a USB Wi-Fi adapter so it freed up that port, but also a wired Xbox 360 Controller. I’ve now switched to a Bluetooth Xbox One pad, so I’ve reclaimed two ports. My local Wi-Fi is now 2.5 times faster than it was before too, and is much more reliable for my SteamLink and streaming my PS4 and Xbox One to the PC.

Gears of War 4 – Xbox One & PC

Already had this as a physical copy for the Xbox One, but it cropped up in a sale for £3 digitally, so I re-bought it so I could also play it on my PC. Looks and plays better on there and still worked perfectly to play online co-op with my mate. Managed to trade my physical copy in at CeX for the two games below as well. Result.

Flipnic & Taito Legends – PS2

Essentially free thanks to trading in Gears of War 4, I was very pleased with these pick ups. Flipnic is an interesting curiosity, although not really any good. Was good to get hold of it for the upcoming podcast episode though. The Taito collection is excellent, and a nice addition to my recent PS2 acquisition.

Rollers of the Realm – PS4 / Vita

A game I completed on PC back in November, I couldn’t resist buying it again when it popped up in a PlayStation sale for less than £2. It’s crossbuy so you get both the PS4 and Vita versions, and it’s absolutely perfect for the Vita. A rare game I’m happy to replay.

Game Boy Games

In January we visited a retro games shop in Brighton, Ninja Games Den. I was pleasantly surprised by the prices and it was fun to choose a handful of Game Boy games. The only one of these I’d played before was Wave Race so it was a bit of a gamble but I’ve had a little go on each and I’m happy with the selection.

Kirby Pinball – GB

One more Game Boy title to round out the January games pick-ups, although I took to eBay for this. Continuing my recent pinball game kick, this is great, and one I missed out on previously.

Games played during October

Tetris 99 – Nintendo Switch

Civilization VI – Nintendo Switch

EGX

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Xbox One

Nitro Type – PC

Nanotale – PC

October Pick-ups

Slay the Spire – Nintendo Switch

StarCraft Cartooned – PC

Paper Trains – Nintendo Switch

Scene It – PS3

Overwatch – Xbox One

GoG Galaxy 2.0 Beta – PC

Games retired during October

Metro Exodus – PC

Share this:

Like this:

Games completed this month

Vermintide II – PC

Games played during September

Tetris 99 – Switch

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 – Switch

Tesla vs Lovecraft – PS4

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Xbox One

Life is Strange 2: Episode One – Xbox One

September Pick-ups

Tetris 99 DLC

Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns – Nintendo Switch

Konami Arcade Anniversary Collection – Nintendo Switch

Share this:

Like this:

Games completed this month

Timespinner – Switch

Alex Kidd in Miracle World – Switch (SMS)

Games played during August

Tetris 99 – Switch

Tiny Trax – PSVR

Metro Exodus – PC

Phantasy Star – Switch (SMS)

Tetris Effect – PSVR

August Pick-ups

Warcraft 1 & 2 – PC

Diablo – PC

Outrun 2, Project Gotham 1 & 2 – Xbox

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid – Switch

Just Dance 2019 – PS4

Zelda Wired Pad – Switch

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 – Switch

Share this:

Like this:

Games completed this month

Raging Justice – Switch

Games played during July

Horizon Chase Turbo – PS4

Duke Nukem Forever – PC

Metro Exodus – PC

X-Men Legends – Xbox

Doom 2 – Switch

July Pick-ups

Virtua Racing – Switch

NERG Pickups

Puyo Puyo Champions – Switch

Phantasy Star – Switch

Brawl – Switch

Retired this month

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Xbox One

Share this:

Like this:

Games completed this month

Nefarious – Switch

Games played during June

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Xbox One

House of the Dead: Overkill – PS3

Typing of the Dead: Overkill – PC

Timespinner – Switch

Forza Horizon 4: Lego Speed Champions – Xbox One / PC

Dauntless – PC

Gears of War 4 – Xbox One / PC

Dead Space Extraction – PS3