Category Archives: Games played

Lego Speed Champions

June Games

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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

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

Witcher 3

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

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

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

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.

Lego Speed Champions

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 4

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

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 Game Pass Ultimate

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

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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 - April Games

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

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.

Witcher 3

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

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

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 May Games

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 Arenas of Destruction

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 May Games

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

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

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

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

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

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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 - April

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 - April Games

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.

EGX Rezzed

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 - April Games

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 - April Games

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

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 - April Games

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

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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

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

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

Call of Duty March Games

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

February Games – (Sponsored by Nintendo Switch)

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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

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

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 - February Games

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.

February Games

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 - February Games

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

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

January Games

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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

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

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 promo

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

Gears of 4

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.

GameBoy pickups January

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.

Kirbys Pinball Land

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.

2019 in Games

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A quick glance over the 2018 post shows an almost complete failure to stick to the plan. I’ll just have a quick review of the few I did play from the list, then come up with a new list for 2019. I’m going to roll some forward, but still give it a refresh.

Played in 2018

1. Gears of War 4 – Xbox One

I think I’m slightly less than half way through this now, playing in co-op with my usual Gears & Halo buddy. Pretty sure we’ll wrap it up in 2019, and hopefully make a start on something else. Maybe Halo 3.

2. Skies of Arcadia Legends – Game Cube

I made a start on this, but wasn’t really in the mood. I’ve dropped it back into the ‘one day’ pile, and will consider it again at some point when I’m in the mood for an epic JRPG.

3. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus – PS4

Hurrah, a game from the list I played and completed during 2018! Loved it too. I think the next game, Wolfenstein: Young Blood, has the potential to be really good too, but I don’t expect I’ll get to it this year.

10 games for 2019

1. Super Metroid – Wii / SNES

One I’ve rolled forwards from last year. I think it was a bit soon after finishing Axiom Verge (and playing so much Castlevania for the podcast) to play this last year, but I think we’re getting there.

2. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void – PC

Another one carried over from 2018’s list. I know I’ll be hooked once I make a start but I just need to be in the mood for an RTS. I did already buy the remastered original game though, so I’ve got that to look forward to as well at some point.

3. Riven – Saturn

I scrapped this from a previous list due to difficulties getting it to run well on PC. All the MYST games have recently been re-released digitally, and may well now run much smoother. However, I picked up a mouse for my Saturn last year, so I have scraped Myst III from the list for now, and reinstated the Saturn version of Riven. Excellent.

4. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow – GBA

Enough time has passed since the Castlevania episode, I think I’ll get to this soon. Good to have a handheld title on the list too.

5. Fable Anniversary

Picked this up a while ago and keep forgetting I’ve got it. I loved the second and third games but have somehow never played the original. This may be the year I sort that out!

6. Indigo Prophecy: Fahrenheit – PS4

Really intended to get to this last year, having bought the same game repeatedly and never played it.

7. Marvel’s Spider-man – PS4

The only game on my list that I don’t own already, I plan to buy this once I finish God of War. Hopefully won’t be too much longer on that. Comparisons between this Spider-man game and the Batman Arkham games are reassuring.

8. Quantum Break – Xbox One

Also from last year, I’m still looking forward to playing this.

9. The Last Express – PC

Last one on the list that I’ve brought with me from last year. Gotta have a train game!

10. The Witcher 3: Game of the Year – Xbox One

Only just picked this up during December. Not sure if I’ll take to it, but I plan on at least giving it a go during 2019.

2019 releases I’m looking forward too

This section was a bit of a washout last year, with only the Street Fighter Anniversary collection really catching my attention. Metro Exodus should be out in 2019 though, so I’ve kept it on the list for this year. Given the demise of Telltale, it’s unlikely Wolf Among Us 2 will ever appear.

1. Metro Exodus – PS4

I’m still worried that a shift to open world may ruin the tight experiences of the first two games, but I really like this world so I’m trying to be optimistic. Will keep an eye on the reviews before picking it up though.

2. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – PS4

I’m all in for this spiritual Castlevania sequel, hoping it lives up to the promise.

3. Doom Eternal – PS4

The previous game was a masterpiece, really looking forward to more of the same. Early footage has been promising.

4. Warcraft III: Reforged – PC

As you may imagine from my All-Time Top 5 RTS Games post, I’m pretty excited for this. I’m hoping to replay the full campaign again, and with a bit of luck, maybe play some multiplayer too.

5. Animal Crossing – Switch

Yeah I know. If one game can sell me a new Nintendo system though it’s a proper Animal Crossing game. Will see how the game looks when it comes out, but this is probably the only thing that could sell me a Switch at this point.

December Gaming

December Games

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Well I did manage to finish one more game during December to close out the year, and also picked up a bunch more. Oops.

Completed this month

Yoku's Island Express

Yoku’s Island Express – Xbox One

I was originally going to skip this one. Although I was interested in the premise, the demo felt like a poor Ori & the Blind Forest knock off. However, back in October I started preparations for a pinball related podcast we were due to record towards the end of 2018. Due to scheduling conflicts, we have put this episode back to early 2019. I saw the retail version of this cheap in a sale and thought I could squeeze in some playtime before the recording, and talk about it good or bad on the podcast. I’m glad I gave it another chance though, it was a real joy to play. The pinball mechanics really come into their own as the game progresses.

Also played this month

Still in love with my GameBoy

Solar Striker – GameBoy

I was playing this in a high score challenge, a bit disappointed that I didn’t manage to complete it in one credit, but I put in some respectable performances all the same. Really enjoyable to be playing this on my backlit modded GameBoy, rather than needing to use an emulator.

Forza Horizon 4: Fortune Island – Xbox One

The first expansion for Forza Horizon 4 arrived in December. I haven’t had a lot of time with it yet, but first impressions are good. Looking forward to getting into it properly in January.

Pick-ups during December

One of the best prize bundles ever

Super Bomberman R Goodie Box – PS4

I was lucky enough to win this on Twitter. The game is a pretty solid Bomberman, although some of the timing seems a bit off compared to previous versions and may take a bit of getting used to. As well as a copy of the game, the box had some really good stuff. Three T-Shirts, a beanie hat, stickers, a poster and the box itself is really nice.

Pang Adventures – Xbox One

Had my eye on this for a while, and it appeared in the Winter sale for a couple of quid. Hopefully it’s as good as the original games.

Pinball Gold Pack – PC

Another one I’d got on my wishlist waiting for a sale. I paid £2.40 for this pack on Good Old Games, containing 20 tables from the old school pinball classics: Pinball Dreams 1 and 2, Pinball Illusions and Pinball Fantasies/Pinball Mania. These are the DOS versions which aren’t as highly regarded as they were on the Amiga, but still some solid pinball.

Jazz Jackrabbit 2 – PC

Another pick up from Good Old Games. Although I did have this already, it was based on a dubious copy I’d acquired many years ago, and I’m glad to have it join my digital library. For more info on the game, do checkout the Run N Gun episode of the Maximum Power Up podcast, where I try to convince my suspicious co-hosts to play it.

Pinball FX 2 VR – PSVR

Yet more pinball! I already own all these tables in my Pinball FX3 collection on PC, however I have been meaning to get the VR version for a while. At this point the PSVR library is better than many consoles.

Witcher 3: GotY – Xbox One

This was a bit of a panic buy when I got an email from Microsoft saying I had £16 of credit that was going to expire in January. There wasn’t anything else I fancied in the Winter Sale so I plumped for finally picking up The Witcher 3. I have been interested in it for a while, as I enjoy the Witcher novels, but I’m not sure how I’ll get on with the open world. Now we’ll find out!

Sega Power Stick – Mega Drive

A surprise bargain I just saw in the windows of my local CeX. This is the stick I used to have for the Mega Drive before I sold my previous collection. Delighted to get it again, and it’s already improving some of my scores. Would still like to pick up a 6 button version, but it’s not really necessary for shmups.

Darius Burst Chronicles DLC – PS4

Probably a bit of a mistake since I’ve barely spent any time with the full game, I grabbed the Cave and SEGA DLC packs for this as they were on sale. Hopefully I’ll try those out at some point at least.

November Games

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Busy month in games land, with me managing to complete, play, and buy a bunch of games, and even abandon one for good measure. The 2018 playlist has all but been forgotten. Will review that for 2019 I think, roll some games forward and have a bit of a reshuffle.

Games completed during November

Tesla vs Lovecraft – PS4

Had an absolute blast with this. As you might imagine from the title, Tesla vs Lovecraft doesn’t take itself very seriously. It’s a lovely twin-stick arena shooter in the Robotron style. It’s not as polished as Housemarque’s excellent Nex Machina, but it’s not too far behind.

Rollers of the Realm – PC

I do love a bit of pinball, and couldn’t pass this premise up. It’s a party based RPG, where all the combat and exploration takes place in pinball table-based arenas. The various classes of character are different types of pinball, had a lot of fun playing through this one.

Forza Motorsport 7 – Xbox One

Finally finished the single player championship on this. The patched out all the lootbox trash I complained about previously, and it’s a much better experience for it. The mods remain clunky, hopefully we’ll have it resolved from the beginning when the inevitable Forza Motorsport 8 arrives.

Games abandoned this month

Watch Dogs 2 – PS4

I knew when I bought this, it was a gamble. I don’t generally get on well with open world games, but I’d been enjoying watching Mr. Robot so much that I thought I’d give it a go for the hacker vibe. I managed about 3 hours. Was enjoying the story and how on the nose some of the missions were, but the majority of the game play is everything I find tedious in Grand Theft Auto. Oh well, I tried.

Also played this month

Forza Horizon 4Forza Horizon 4 – Xbox One & PC

Still playing and loving this, looking forward to the first expansion turning up in December.

 

 

Tetris Effect Demo – PSVR

Granted I don’t usually include demos in this round up. Mostly because I don’t play many, but this is something special. An incredible experience in VR, but couldn’t bring myself to pay the asking price of £35 for another copy of Tetris, especially when I already have a substantial queue of VR games to play. Will grab it in a sale I think!

God of War – PS4

Only picked this up this month too, but managed to get on it pretty quickly after I gave up on Watch Dogs.  I’m about 6 hours in I think, and having a great time so far. It’s already the best in the series for me.

Forza Motorsport 5 & 6 – Xbox One

As well as completing the main championship on Forza 7 during November, I also put a bunch of time into these two games. Mostly mopping up Forza Rewards achievements, so that I get more free credits in Forza Horizon 4.

Games picked up during November

Cities Skylines Snowfall – PC

Bought myself this bit of DLC for Cities Skylines, in a bid to convince myself to get round to playing the game properly. I’ve had a bit of a go, but hoping to spend more time on the snow content during December.

 

PlayStation 2 Slim

I’ve never really spent much time with the PS2. It mostly passed me by at the time, as I was too busy playing Dreamcast, GameCube and Xbox. Finally decided to rectify this, and picked up a cheap used console from CeX.

 

Batman Arkham VR – PSVR

Haven’t got round to playing it yet, but I’ve heard so much good stuff about this game, decided to grab it during the Autumn sales. Looking forward to getting on it eventually.

 

Tempest 4000 – PC

Another one from the wishlist, finally grabbed Tempest 4000. I’d have preferred it for PS4 but the price difference was crazy. Great game though!

 

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy – PC

Loved this back on the original Xbox, picked the PC version up on Steam for the nostalgia hit.

 

DX-Ball 2: 20th Anniversary – PC

Had no idea this was even a thing! I loved DX Ball 1 & 2 way back when (20 years ago apparently!) and this update is just how I remember it. One of my favourite Arkanoid clones.

Pinball FX3 Jurassic World Pack – PC

Took advantage of the steam sale to add a few more tables to my Pinball FX3 collection. These Jurassic Park / World themed ones are excellent.

Forza Horizon 4

October Games

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A month without any games completed again. I did manage a fair amount of gaming, but I put the lack of completions down to a combination of playing the new Forza Horizon, and playing games that are much too difficult for me to complete for the latest Maximum Power-Up podcast episode “Run & Gun”. Teehee.

Games abandoned during October

Dead Space – Xbox 360 / Xbox One

I give up. After hinting about it last month, I still haven’t picked this up again since. I made it to Chapter 5 or something, further than any of my previous attempts. It’s disappointing because the story and atmosphere of Dead Space are superb and very much my kind of thing. I just don’t enjoy the gameplay enough, time to let it go and make room for something else. Maybe one of the many FPS games from my backlog.

Played this month

Forza Horizon 4 – XB1 & PC

Pretty much all I’ve played this month aside from podcast research. The game is a masterpiece. Consider it my new All-Time Favourite Racer. I’m also very much enjoying playing it on both PC and Xbox One depending on where I am in the house. Still plenty to do, and I haven’t even taken it online at all yet.

Games picked up during October

Shadow Warrior 2 – PC

Pretty sure this was free on the humble store or Good Old Games as part of a promotion. Really enjoyed the first one, as well as the original game first time round. Looking forward to maybe playing this one day. Perhaps if I finish the first one…

ToeJam & Earl – Xbox 360 / Xbox One

This is a port of the two Mega Drive games. Grabbed them in a sale just for the convienience of having them on the Xbox One as well.

 

Fighting Vipers – Xbox 360 / Xbox One

A game that mostly passed me by on the SEGA Saturn, I picked this edition up just to spend a bit of time with it, if only to better appreciate the Fighting Vipers side of the Fighters Megamix roster.

 

Virtua Fighter 2 – Xbox 360 / Xbox One

Have played this to death ever since first getting a Saturn back in the day, but after confirming its place in my All-Time Top 5 fighting games, I thought I’d get it for the Xbox while I was buying Fighting Vipers, because why not.

Halo Wars: DE – PC

I think the people over at Steam who decide which games to put on sale had read my last blog post. This popped up for a bargain price, and I’m excited to give an RTS set in the Halo Universe a proper go with keyboard & mouse controls.