Nothing completed, and I spent too much money. I recognise this guy.
Games played during September
Animal Crossing – Nintendo Switch 2
Definitely haven’t been back to the Happy Home Paradise, but I now only need one art item, and one sea creature to finish the museum. I also finally crafted the giant robot, which I’ve wanted to do since I first got the recipe right back in the beginning.
Hollow Knight: Silksong – Nintendo Switch 2
I did buy this in September too, but I’ve played so much it needs to be in this section. It also led to another of the purchases below too. So far it’s everything I wanted from a Hollow Knight sequel. I need to find more regular time to put into it though. This is out on GamePass, but I knew I’d appreciate being able to play a mix of handheld and on TV, and I still don’t have many games that make use of the Switch 2 hardware.
Heretic & Hexen Remastered – Xbox Series X
I’ve only done the first level, but I did jump on and play a bit of Heretic after finishing the quake expansion last month. They are just as polished as I’d hoped.
September Pickups
Pinball VR – Quest 2
Possibly a slightly ill-informed purchase. I picked this up as I really missed playing the PSVR version. Then I realised I hadn’t got round to actually playing anything on the headset anyway and it was taking up space in the flat. It’s now moved into the storage unit for a bit, so won’t be playing anytime soon either. At least it’s easy to go and get next time the VR urge takes me.
8bitdo Ultimate 2 Controller – Switch 2
I rapidly discovered that the d-pad on my 8bitdo Pro2 controller I was using on my Switch 2 was not cutting it for Silksong. I couldn’t bring myself to pay the mighty amount for an official Nintendo Pro 2 controller so this new Ultimate 2 from 8bitdo* was the next best choice. It is superb though, and has fancy TMR sticks (which should mean no dreaded drift) and as much as I usually turn RGB stuff off, I like that the thumb sticks light up with the Switch colours.
Vaporwave Pinball – SteamDeck
Had my eye on this one for a while and it went on sale, very chilled game of pinball, and perfect on the SteamDeck.
Toaplan Arcade Collection 1 – Evercade
I knew the Evercade was going to be a rabbit hole, oh well. There aren’t loads of carts that I want, but I definitely wanted to grab some to get me started. This one has Zero Wing and Truxton on, both favourites that I can’t play while my mega drive & arcade machine are in storage.
XenoCrisis & Tanglewood – Evercade
Went for this as I remember it being a bit of an event when it first came out on Evercade, I did play a bit of XenoCrisis at the time on something, probably Steam or GamePass. They seems like perfect games to give a proper go of on this hardware.
Evercade VS-R & Tomb Raider Collection 1
Well that didn’t take long. I love my Super Pocket, but felt the need to be able to play these games on the TV too. I also really like that the VS system takes two carts at once, and it’s also a neat touch that with two carts in, the menu puts all the games from both onto one list. The Evercade is definitely scratching my retro itch. Oh and I got it with the Tomb Raider collection because it was a bargain for the VS-R bundle on funstock, and I was curious about how well they ran on Evercade. Amusingly I think I like playing these games best on the Super Pocket, and the two carts above on the TV.
Games abandoned this month
Bravely Default HD: Flying Fairy – Nintendo Switch 2
Think I need to accept that this has been retired again. I do own it physical but I don’t think I’ll trade it in yet, in case I’m inclined to pick it back up again, but for now it’s back on the shelf.
*Links to Amazon are affiliate links and may earn me a small commission if you buy something
A couple of completions for August, including going back to a Quake expansion I started forever ago.
Games completed this month
Quake: Dissolution of Eternity – Xbox Series X
With the surprise release of new Heretic & Hexen remakes on all consoles (and GamePass) I was reminded I never finished playing through the content on the Quake 1 & 2 releases. These updates to 90s FPS games are superb. I finished off Dissolution, which is the second of 2 official expansions that were released back in the day, really enjoyed it, including the surprise dragon. Now onto the modern expansions. Unless I get distracted and decide to play Heretic’s campaign first.
Herdling – Xbox Series X
Another game that appeared on GamePass from day one, this is from the team that made FAR: Lone Sails and FAR: Changing Tides. Both games that I loved, so I was looking forward to this. It’s a similar length game, only around 3 hours long, and while it is another enjoyable journey, it isn’t as much fun in the moment as the FAR games were. Enjoyed it, but glad I played it on GamePass rather than spending money on it.
Games played during August
Animal Crossing: NH: Happy Home Paradise – Nintendo Switch 2
Not sure if I’ve done much more on the Happy Home Paradise front, but playing Animal Crossing everyday continues. At this point I just want them to announce a new game, but I am so close to completing my museum now.
The Devil in Me – PS5
We’ve still been ticking along with this, but haven’t made as much progress as I’d expect. Hopefully get back to it in September properly.
Xenotilt – SteamDeck
I was dabbling with my SteamDeck for something unrelated, and spotted this in my library that I had forgotten buying. Very pleasant surprise, so I dabbled with it for a bit. It does run well on the SteamDeck but it mostly made me miss playing pinball on a vertical screen.
August Pickups
Castlevania Requium – PS5
While I have been trying to pick up all the Castlevania collections on the Nintendo Switch, this compilation of two of the best Castlevania games, Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood, is exclusive to PS4/5. I think this is down to them being ports of the PSP versions of the games, and Sony probably have the rights to the emulator that is running them. It popped up on sale for £3.99 and I couldn’t resist. I have started to replay Symphony, but the surprise announcement that Silksong is coming the first week of September means I’ll probably drop that.
Earth Atlantis – Nintendo Switch
I hadn’t heard of this, but watching one of the ‘games coming soon’ presentations recently I saw Earth: Atlantis 2 which looked great. Discovered the first game available for next to nothing, and jumped in. I’ve had a quick play, it’s good fun but feels a bit more of a boss rush than a traditional shmup. I love the graphics too, sort of hand drawn original game boy vibes..
META Quest 2 VR Headset
Not sure I needed this, but my friend did me a deal and I have been wanting to play a bit of VR and all my other stuff is in storage. When I get my gaming pc back out, it should be able to stream my existing VR library to this headset. In the meantime, I’ve just picked up MYST from the Quest store so I can play that for the thousandth time and I might grab some pinball.
Hyper Mega Tech Super Pocket Taito Edition
Just squeezed in at the end of the month, and with a name worthy of a 90s Capcom fighting game, is this delightful little handheld games console. I’ve had my eye on these in the past, but always resisted as I have the games on the arcade cabinet, and although these are also fully compatible with the Evercade games library, I’ve never seen the need for one of those either. All that changed though with the announcement of a Llamasoft collection for the Evercade. Suddenly I had to have a way to play that.
Haven’t done any sponsored links for a while, but I did end up buying this from Amazon – despite my better judgement. Super Pocket Taito Edition*
Recorded my first completion on the Switch 2, which was nice.
Games completed this month
Pinball Spire – Nintendo Switch 2
This is a pretty short game, but a lot of fun. I did only buy this in July, but since I already finished it I didn’t bother including it in the pickups. Reminded me a lot of Sonic Spinball and now I have the urge to play that, might fire it up on the Nintendo Switch Online Mega Drive. Very much hoping Pinball Spire gets a sequel too.
Games played during July
Animal Crossing: NH: Happy Home Paradise – Nintendo Switch 2
Realised I now have access to this DLC since I got the family Nintendo Online with Expansion Pass for me and my partner when I bought my Switch 2. We’re still playing Animal Crossing everyday, and I’m occasionally making progress with this expansion content too.
Mario Kart World – Nintendo Switch 2
Still enjoying this, but the niggles are keeping me from playing it as much as I’d expect. Once a few more of my friends get the console I imagine I’ll start playing the online modes.
Split Fiction – Xbox Series X
This continues to be great, but progress has slowed down as we’ve started the game in the pickups collection below.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD – Nintendo Switch 2
Slightly concerned I may be going to bounce off this again, I’m a couple of chapters in at a boss fight. I’m getting a little frustrated with some of the difficulty though. Taking a bit of a break now and I think when I pick it back up I’m going to do some of the side quests to build up the other ‘jobs’ and a bit of xp.
July Pickups
The Devil in Me – PS5
Despite loving the first two Dark Pictures games, we found the third one to be a slog and gave up. This one had a much more promising synopsis though so I had been keeping an eye on it. Popped up on sale recently so we jumped in. We’ve only played the first hour or two but it’s great so far.
Brotato: Abyssal Terrors DLC – Xbox Series X
Got suckered into this with it being a Lovecraftian expansion, Brotato is always fun though, if not quite as good as Vampire Survivors. I’ve had a couple of goes on it and managed one clear, so at least it counts as bought & played…
June accidently became a very spendy month, but there was lots of gaming and even a completion.
Games completed this month
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Xbox Series X
So after last month, I did manage to go on and roll credits on this. Loads of post-game I could still do, but I was ready to move on for now. I was still struggling with The Paintress and in danger of abandoning the game altogether in favour of my new toy (spoiler) so I dropped the difficulty down to story mode for the remainder of the game. It’s a fantastic game, and if I don’t come back to do the extra stuff off my own back, I almost certainly will if they drop an expansion.
Games played during June
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2
Very much back on this one now. Another year of comedy timing where I didn’t play in March / April so I still can’t catch a spider crab, the only sea creature I’m missing. Chipping away at collecting the art for the museum though. Mostly I’m waiting for Nintendo to announce a new Animal Crossing.
Mario Kart World – Nintendo Switch 2
Yes, I got on board for day one (as below) and this game is mostly as good as they say. I don’t really like the open world stuff, which is broadly invisible anyway, but the weird driving between courses counting as laps of the race is odd. It’s generally great fun to play though so hopefully we’ll get some improvement via patch as it goes on.
Split Fiction – Xbox Series X
I picked this up as now I’ve moved in with my partner and things are settling down, we were ready for something new to play together. Split Fiction is superb, a worthy follow-up to It Takes Two. I’d assume we’re about half way through but not really sure.
Monster Train 2 – PC GamePass
I have played a little bit more of this, but it’s not really sticking. I’ll be surprised if I complete a run before this gets retired.
June Pickups
Orb Tower – SteamDeck
I’ve had my eye on this for a bit, as the premise of a roguelike Puzzle Bobble game was very appealing. Thanks to a sale and steam credit from the weird gift card things, I managed to get it for 22p. I completed one run on it, and it is really good fun, but unfortunately you can only aim with the mouse, which restricts you to the track pads on the SteamDeck. This feels clunky and sadly means I’m unlikely to stick with it.
Orbital Bullet – SteamDeck
Kind of broke my commitment to only buy games I’m going to immediately play, as I’ve picked it up and not touched it yet. However it was only £1 so not going to worry about it too much.
Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart World
Despite talking myself out of pre-ordering the console, and mostly being convinced I didn’t need one, I do find myself owning a Nintendo Switch 2. I had decided I’d get one later when the hype had died down and they were readily available. Then I was thinking about a future Animal Crossing game and how we’ll need two consoles once that appears, and obviously it’s more sensible to spread that purchase and buy one sooner, and the next one when Animal Crossing comes out… Next thing I know, it’s Switch 2 launch day, a friend mentions Argos have day one stock available. I had a quick look online at my local store, and had one delivered by the end of the day. Oops.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD – Nintendo Switch 2
While I did bounce off the original version of this on the 3DS (for more on why, see my JRPG post) I am interested to give it another go. Mostly because of how much I enjoyed Bravely Default 2 and the two Octopath Traveller games which use the same Brave/Default system of gameplay. After finishing Clair Obscur I’m ready for a new JRPG on my new console. I was deciding between this and the Suikoden 1 & 2 remaster, and decided on Bravely Default as it’s exclusive to the console and Suikoden is on other platforms (and could even turn up on GamePass). It also didn’t hurt that it was only £33 brand new for the physical ‘Game Keycard’ release, which I’ll be able to resell if I end up hating it.
Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition – Xbox Series X
As usual with these big fighting games, I like to wait until there is an edition that collects all the DLC characters for less than £20 total. I managed to get a key for this one for £17. I don’t think it’s as good as MK X or MK 11, but it’s fun enough. I’ll play through the story content and occasionally beat up my friends as Conan the Barbarian.
Decided an update for this post was necessary. Some minor text updates and a new entry. If you’re interested in the original list (it’s pretty similar) you can read it here.
Number 5 – Octopath Traveler (Switch)
I’m still playing this at time of writing, but over 60 hours in and confident of its position on this list. It’s not going to topple my top 4, but I’m still having a great time. Playing in parallel with my ex-wife, sharing tips (and a variety of game over screens) over What’s App, a process we first followed playing a game further down this list. If anything the main thing Octopath suffers from, is that the game further down came out after and improved on it so much. If we’d played them the other way round I would probably hold this in higher regard.
The choice of eight protagonists to form your party of four is interesting, but in reality you need to keep swapping one out to progress the various stories, which just becomes a bit annoying in trying to balance levels. Octopath Traveler is now on GamePass, and available for Xbox and PC as well as the Switch version I’m playing.
A game I played mostly by chance, got a bargain on release without knowing anything about it and fired it up just to see what it was. I was blown away by the graphics, it was easily the best looking game I’d seen so far on a console, and at first was just playing to admire the aesthetics. I got sucked in though, and it became the first JRPG I ever saw through to completion. The story was ridiculous, which I suspect may be an essential criteria for a JRPG, and the costume designs left me questioning the usefulness of such armor in a swordfight.
I really liked the combat though, and the timing based boost you could give to your attacks was surprisingly satisfying. I sometimes think I might replay this, but then I laugh at the thought of me replaying anything, never mind a 40+ hour epic, and the impulse goes away.
While you can probably find a second hand copy kicking around, you can also buy this digitally here, and it does seem to go on sale quite often. It’s an Xbox 360 game but plays great on an Xbox One or the new Xbox Series S / X.
Number 3 – Panzer Dragoon Saga (Sega Saturn)
Played through this for the first time back in 2017, and I am amazed how well it has held up. I was a big fan of Panzer Dragoon and Panzer Dragoon Zwei first time round on the Saturn, and this is doubtless the main reason I took to Saga the way I did. The art style was consistent with the previous games, and immediately felt like a comfortable return to that world.
The shift to turn-based combat was a concern before I started, I didn’t know how the previous rail-shooter style would translate. I need not have worried, the combat is superb, with the two basic attacks being lifted straight out of the other games to feel instantly familiar. The need to constantly keep re-positioning around the enemies and the bonus to attack speed granted for attacking as you move ensures that the combat remains engaging.
I found the controls in general to be very well done, particularly in the parts where you’re navigating the world on your dragon. When revisiting early 3D games you often have to make allowances for the controls and/or camera, but I can honestly say I had no issues with either.
While the story here is no exception to my understanding of the JRPG norm, I did find myself happily reading all the subtitles and enjoying the many cut-scenes. This extra flavour for the world is a big part of why I’ve gone back to playing the original games, and why I’m optimistic that I might even beat them this time round.
Bit of a nightmare recommending ways to play this. Not sure how well it runs under SEGA Saturn emulation. Best option would probably be a modded SEGA Saturn and downloading it (is what I did). It’s a pricey game to buy second hand if you can find one.)
Number 2 – Bravely Default 2 (Switch)
This did come very close to toppling number 1, played through this recently and loved it. This was the game I played alongside my ex-wife before Octopath Traveler and having someone to discuss progress, strategy and which are the best outfits very much helped. The characters and various systems in Bravely Default 2 are very satisfying and improve on the first game in every way. You can even see the blueprints of Octopath in this, and again they have all been built on and improved to make this.
Frankly if Bravely Default 2 had Chopin, it would probably take the top spot.
At time of writing you can still get the nice bundle with stickers, poster and postcards from Amazon*.
Until Eternal Sonata, I always found cel-shading to be a bit of a novelty. It’s such a perfect fit for making the whole game feel like an elaborate cartoon. It’s joyful, twee and yet manages to be interestingly educational at the same time, as along with the story cut-scenes it also has video history lessons relating to Chopin’s life. (From reading some commentary these weren’t to everyone’s taste, but I loved it)
The music in the game is obviously Chopin influenced, and accordingly spectacular. There are very few game soundtracks I listen to outside of playing the games, but the 4 disc album produced for this is still a staple on my iPod.
I remain annoyed the PS3 release afterwards had extra content, as I didn’t want to start over from the beginning after I completed it on the 360. I think I’d happily replay it now though if it was given a refresh for the modern consoles.
I’ve heard plenty of critique about Eternal Sonata, more than one person declare it “the worst JRPG I ever played”. I take some amusement from this, as it seems likely that as a generalisation, I can still say I don’t like JRPGs, and perhaps I like the ones I do because they are outliers within the genre.
Mentions?
Bravely Default (3DS)
I gave this a go when struggling to find something other than Animal Crossing or Mario Kart to play on my 3DS. Discussions about it described a game with a similar feel to Final Fantasy VII which made me think perhaps I’d enjoy it. I was aware of the “outrage” at the changes made for the Western release from the anti video game censorship crowd, but they all seemed like changes for the better to me, so figured I’d give it a go.
I mostly enjoyed the game for maybe 18 hours. The story was nonsense and even with the localisation there was a a sufficient creepy ‘ick’ factor that never quite went away. (I think it was hard to distance from the fact that these characters were originally written to be 15 years old). However, the gameplay mechanics were fun, and I liked the ‘job’ system in building my party. It all got a bit grindy and dull though, and I just lost the will to come back to it.
Final Fantasy VII on the original PlayStation was my first JRPG, and apparently, the first one many of my friends played too. This game was a fairly major event back in a high school, and for a while it seemed everyone was playing FFVII. I was quite enjoying it, albeit a departure from my usual choice of game. I do remember that trying to navigate the world map while also dealing with random encounters tested my patience, but the whole thing collapsed when my memory card corrupted around 20 hours in. I appreciate in the grand scheme of things, 20 hours isn’t very long, but that was pretty huge for me at the time, and certainly more than I’d be happy to play over.
I pretty much swore off the genre after this, and it would be quite a few years before I was to try them again. I am considering playing the remake though, and giving it another chance as a modern game.
*Can’t update an old blog post without throwing in some affiliate links. If you buy something from one of the Amazon ones on this page, I’ll get a small cut. Thanks.
Over 3 years since i last posted in this category, when I visited the virtues of PC Gaming. Now I’ve had my Nintendo Switch* for a while, I reached ten reasons why it’s worthwhile to me. Maybe.
It’s not my favourite platform, but it is the most convenient.
1. Golf Story
Still one of my favourite exclusives on the Nintendo Switch, and an early contender for best “Game I Played This Year”. Golf Story is an excellent RPG / casual golf game hybrid and a real joy. The top 3 points on this list are why I caved and bought the system, but Golf Story tipped it over the edge.
It wasn’t enough to get me to buy a Wii U (let’s be honest, it would have taken a lot) but when I finally got round to putting some real time into Mario Kart 8 I did have to concede that it’s probably the best Mario Kart yet. The main issues I had with 8 were:
The bizarre juxtaposition of Mercedes product placement as DLC in the mushroom kingdom
The break from the traditional mould for Deluxe on Nintendo Switch, where all the cups are unlocked immediately, taking away the joy of unlocking them as you progress.
However, I’ve since accepted 1 by simply ignoring that the vehicle is there and 2 was less of an issue once I starting playing and just approached it as I would usually. Started with the first cup on 50cc and worked my way through.
Yep, not even out yet (and has had further delays since I picked up my Switch). However, the trailers all look great and I can’t wait. Easily my favourite Nintendo first party IP and just the promise that it was coming was enough to influence my purchase.
I never did get round to writing my “Ten-Reasons I own – PS Vita” post, maybe I’ll still get to it later. However, while the Vita was my preferred platform for lots of indie games that were available on other formats, like Limbo, Velocity, Axiom Verge, the ‘death’ of the system means that suitable games no longer receive Vita ports. The Switch has now taken this role in my house, and Hollow Knight & Timespinner are early examples of great indie games I’ve really enjoyed on there.
5. SEGA Support
As a self-proclaimed Sega Boy I do find it satisfying that some of the best games on my Nintendo Switch are from SEGA. The SEGA Ages ports are very polished, and while I’ve got (and enjoyed) a few of them, Virtua Racing stands out as a top example.
6. Tetris 99
This arrived by surprise after I had already got my Switch, but it now stands as a system exclusive that could justify buying a Switch all on its own. Easily my favourite Battle Royale game, and the recent update to add achievement-like ‘badges’ and daily quests have only strengthened its position. It also made the DLC content much more appealing.
Tetris – objectively the best game of all time.
Buy the weird physical edition here* (or just download it for free if you have Nintendo Online)
7. Handheld Mode
I know there are plenty of people who mostly (in some cases, exclusively) play in handheld mode, but for me it represents a compromise. I’d still much rather play docked on my television, but being able to play in handheld mode when the TV is otherwise in use helps me carve out additional playtime. It’s very much a “nice to have” but not the reason for me to buy it, hence me not including the Nintendo Switch in my Top 5 Handhelds.
The Switch Lite isn’t for me, but this one is stupid pretty*
8. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
Not the greatest game, but solid fun and a surprise Nintendo Switch exclusive. I really enjoyed the previous games on the Xbox and 360, and this one is more of the same. The fanservice has been updated for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the character roster is much more 2019, but it is very much the same game. I’m still having a great time with Ultimate Alliance 3.
This is a weird one, since on the surface it shouldn’t be any better than the PS4 or Xbox for local multiplayer stuff. However, for some reason, the Switch has established itself as the system of choice for local multiplayer games in my house. Granted it’s mostly my girlfriend and I playing Raging Justice or versus mode Puyo Puyo Tetris. I think it’s probably down to the start up speed, but it’s definitely an important part of the system.
10. SNES Classics (& NES I guess)
It was a long time coming, but Nintendo didn’t disappoint when they finally got round to adding SNES games to the system. Following the “free” NES games included with Nintendo Online, Nintendo has added SNES games to the service. I’m not a big fan of most of these games, having mostly missed out on the NES and SNES first time round. However, I’m really pleased to see Super Metroid on there (as mentioned on my metroidvania post) and I do like the chance to dabble with both libraries of games essentially for free. Also my girlfriend has probably gotten my money’s worth for the online service, by just playing Dr Mario.
*affiliate Amazon links, I’ll get a small cut if you buy anything
Nintendo are currently (in Europe at least) running an extensive digital sale on Switch and 3DS games on the European eShop, until 23rd May 2019. While scrolling through the list of 130+ discounted titles, I noticed the majority of the best offers were on games I already played through on other systems.
In this post I’m going to point out the games I think are worth picking up for Switch, but will include which format I originally played the game on for context / disclaimer in case the Switch port turns out to be terrible.
Standout titles
These are games I’ve already played elsewhere but heartily recommend on Switch if they have previously passed you by.
Abzû
An underwater adventure, something like a cross between Ecco the Dolphin and Journey. It’s beautiful, atmospheric and a delight to experience.
I’ve lumped these two together as I did when I included them in my top 5 horror games, despite them being separate purchases on the store. They’re puzzle/platformer games, where you’re uncovering a story that is pretty open to interpretation, while trying to avoid traps. If you’re only going to get one of them, I’d suggest picking up Limbo first.
Version played: Vita (Limbo) & PS4 (Inside)
Oxenfree
I almost missed this one myself. The title really doesn’t give anything away does it? Oxenfree is an excellent adventure game. It has a bit of a Science Fiction theme, and in parts is genuinely creepy. The writing is pretty good, and I found the dialogue system to be really engaging. Particularly worth a look if you like classic adventure games like Monkey Island and Broken Sword.
My only complaint for Tesla vs Lovecraft, is that it isn’t Nex Machina, Housemarque’s masterpiece in the same genre. However, TvL is still a really competent Twin-Stick Shmup, in the style of Robotron 2084 and Smash TV. I was tempted to pick this up and play it again on Switch, but then remembered I still have a couple of difficulty settings to beat on PS4, so I should go back to that instead.
If the idea of fighting off a variety of Lovecraftian horrors using a selection of “Tesla-esque” electric weaponry appeals to you at all, then this is an easy recommend.
Futurlab’s Velocity series started out as a Playstation Mini for the PSP and Vita. The first of those games I was really interested in. It was then followed up with a full release in Velocity Ultra for the Vita and PS3, and later we received this sequel, Velocity 2X. I played all 3 of these games on my Vita, and they are amongst the best games on the system.
On the surface, the Velocity games look like typical 2D Space Shooters, however with the teleportation mechanic and focus on speed running, there are also significant puzzle elements to the game play. Velocity 2X added platforming sections to the game, but these still play very similar to the ship sections, thanks to maintaining the teleportation element.
The music in the Velocity games is also incredible, one of very few I’ve ever bought the sound track for.
Version played: Vita
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap
This remake of the incredible Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon’s Trap from the SEGA Master System, was also my top game of 2017. An absolute masterclass in how to do a remake/remaster.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is one of my favourite games of all time, expect it to feature prominently when I get round to listing my All-Time Metroidvania games. While I played this on PS4, the Switch seems like a good home for it, as I probably did 40% of the game using my Vita to remote play from my garden.
The Worms series placed highly when I looked at my favourite local multiplayer games, and if anything I’m more certain that Worms W.M.D. is the best iteration of the game. It’s at least as good as Worms Armageddon, my previous favourite. Given the Switch trying to position itself as the local multiplayer system of choice, Worms is a perfect fit here.
Version played: PS4
Wulverblade
Okay I haven’t actually finished this, but I have played it quite a bit. Wulverblade is a brawler in the style of Golden Axe, although it goes more in favour of “brutal historic combat” rather than the fantasy magic & dragons of Golden Axe. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I am friends with the developer so may be carrying some bias, however I still very much recommend Wulverblade, and other people I’ve introduced it to have also enjoyed it.
A few other titles I’ve played elsewhere that are worth looking at if they appeal to you, but are perhaps not going to be for everyone. “Your mileage may vary” as they say.
Another World
I find it quite hard to recommend Another World in 2019. This remaster was very polished when I played it on the Vita, but I feel like 90% of my enjoyment was based on my fond memory of playing it on the Mega Drive back in the day. If you have nostalgia for that, this is a worthy purchase. The game play hasn’t aged well though in my opinion.
Version played: Vita
Darkest Dungeons
The second “Lovecraftian” game on this list, Darkest Dungeon is another game that is hard to recommend. I did discuss my thoughts about this game on the Lovecraft episode of the Maximum Power Up podcast, but basically, it’s just brutally difficult. It’s important to appreciate before you start that the game isn’t really about completing dungeons and gathering loot.
It’s much more about the physical and psychological toll on those adventures going into the dungeons and facing eldritch horrors. You’ll die. A lot.
It’s 10/10 for capturing the essence of despair and futility of H.P. Lovecraft’s works, but I’m still not sure if it is fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EKrpRj9HEY
Version played: Vita
Dimension Drive
An enjoyable shmup with a unique element in that you’re playing in two play-fields at once. The only reason I’m not straight up recommending this in the list above, is that I simply haven’t spent enough time with it. I have very much enjoyed what I’ve played so far.
Version played: PC
GRIP
For both this, and Dimension Drive above, I won codes for these games on Twitter. I’ve played a bit of GRIP on PS4 now, and while in some ways it does capture the fun of Rollcage from the original PlayStation, it hasn’t completely nailed it. Even in this sale it remains a more expensive ask than other, better, games on the list. Hmm.
Version played: PS4
Pang Adventures
I loved Pang (also known as Pomping World or Buster Bros depending which version you played) back on the Amiga and PlayStation. This modern release captures the classic game play, and if you’re a fan, it’s easy to recommend this. Doesn’t really do anything new, but it’s pretty cheap. Does tend to feel a bit “mobile game” though, which I found quite jarring playing on the Xbox One, but may be less of an issue on the Switch.
Version played: Xbox One
Yooka-Laylee
I was quite enjoying this on my PS4, but when it first came out some issues with the camera meant it kept making me nauseous, and I couldn’t play for more than half an hour or so at the time. I understand this was fixed in a later patch, and shouldn’t be present in the Switch version. Unfortunately I never went back to it to find out though, so for now it’s gone back into the PS4 backlog.
Version played: PS4
Also consider
Lastly, these are the ones I’m thinking of picking up myself, haven’t played them yet so can’t vouch for quality, but this is why I’m interested.
Horizon Chase Turbo
I’m on the fence about this, heard lots of positive comments but not entirely sure it’s for me.
Pocket Rumble
I have now bought this, although still not played it as my Switch is still a dedicated Hollow Knight device. I really like what they’re trying to do in channeling the aesthetic of the fighting games on the Neo Geo Pocket Color. I loved those games, and miss having them around. While I still don’t really consider the Switch a handheld system, I’m hoping that in portable mode it’ll give me some nostalgia of that glorious console.
Sundered: Eldritch Edition
Only reason I haven’t bought this already is that I’m 40 hours into a different Metroidvania in Hollow Knight, so it’s likely to be a while before I want to jump into a new one. It is Lovecraftian again though so I might crack before the sale ends.
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.
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 – 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.
Well, had to happen eventually, but I managed a month without completing anything. This month does a have a new section though. Enter “Abandoned”. Games I was intending on completing that I gave up on.
Games abandoned during August
Wario Blast – Game Boy
Was very much enjoying replaying this on my shiny new Game Boy. Thought it was going to be a relatively straight forward completion to tick off. Not so, the last boss is an ass. I’ve watched videos of people doing it in less than a minute, but the timings are painful. Have given up, I think when I beat it back in the day it was in local co-op on my friends Super Game Boy. Maybe I’ll try again one day.
Here They Lie – PSVR
This was a free game on Playstation Plus, and I was looking forward to checking it out with my headset. The game starts off really interesting and very creepy. Unfortunately it also gave me the worst motion sickness I’ve had from VR yet. After about 20 minutes I had to give up, I had been enoying the game though so continued in 2D. Sadly what was an interesting experience in VR, was very ‘middle of the road’ without it. Glad I didn’t buy this.
Also played this month
90s FPS Games – PC
Following last month’s PC Upgrade, I’ve been making the most of my new hardware, by using it to play games I played back in the ’90s. This mostly involved finding modern engines for them, to add higher resolutions, improved lighting etc. Played around with Doom, Heretic, Hexen, Hexen 2 and of course Quake 1 and 2.
Star Trek Bridge Crew – PSVR
A big part of the reason I picked up my headset in the first place, I finally got around to playing this online with a buddy. It was excellent, and I’m looking forward to our continuing adventures. Hopefully with another crew member if we can work the timings out.
Virtua Cop – SEGA Saturn
Spent a bit of time with this using the mouse I picked up earlier this year. It’s not as satisfying as a light gun would be, but is much more playable than using a pad. Nice to be able to play these old shooters at all.
August Pickups
Quake Champions: DLC Pack – PC
The Champions Pack DLC went on sale for £13, and I’d already put enough time into the game that I was happy to buy it. The pass unlocks all the current champions as well as any more that get added. I’ve also been doing much better in the game since I found out how to properly set up my mouse sensitivity & DPI settings for FPS games. I’m still playing a few rounds pretty much everyday.
Game Boy stuff
I went up to London for the Play Expo event this month. As usual I didn’t have much on my shopping list, but was pleased to pick up some games I wanted and a slipcase for my new Game Boy.
Wario Blast – Game Boy
Here They Lie – PSVR
90s FPS Games – PC
Star Trek Bridge Crew – PSVR
Virtua Cop – SEGA Saturn
Quake Champions: DLC Pack – PC
Game Boy stuff