Game 1 - Hero of the Kingdom The Lost Tales 1 - PC / Steam - Completed Jan 1st, 2023
I liked the first few Hero of the Kingdom games, but the third game really soured me on the overall experience. I picked up an indie bundle that had these two "The Lost Tales" games in them, and decided to give this one a try. I'm glad I did, because this game harkens back to the original game(s), and it's quite good. While the mechanics are somewhat simplistic, it's a fun little adventure that involves finding objects and trading them for others (or money) until you finally advance the story to the end. A short adventure that only took about 3 hours to complete, so a good way to start this year's challenge!
Game 2 - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion - PC / Steam - Completed Jan 2nd, 2023
My second time through Crisis Core, and I can say that this version is now the definitive way to play the game. Although the cutscenes are a bit rough around the edges, the updated graphics and voice acting throughout is a wonderful makeover for this game that was previously stuck on the PSP. The menu was much easier to navigate, and the summon and in-battle cutscenes could be skipped which reduces the repetitiveness of the original by a lot. The areas are still really small though, and the endless missions are easily the worst part of the game and really jack with the leveling curve. The PC version was great at 120fps, and with mods I got ultrawide resolution to mostly work. A wonderful experience that shouldn't be missed by any Final Fantasy fan.
Game 3 - Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising - PC - Completed Jan 7th, 2023
I wanted to finish this game up before the real Eiyuden Chronicle releases later this year. This game had great music, amazing environments, and awesome pixel art. If you love fetch quests, you're going to love this game. The story is pretty generic, but it was sweet, and the game had good characters. However, this could have benefitted greatly from voice acting to really give it the punches it needed. Considering this is a $15 kickstarter stretch goal game for the other, I'm really impressed. It's on Game Pass and worth playing!
Game 4 - I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1N IT!!!1 - PC / Steam - Completed Jan 8th, 2023
I remember picking this up on the Xbox Live Arcade during the 360 days, when it was only $1. While a pretty short game, it's a fun twin stick shooter with interesting power ups. While nothing mind-blowing, it's got a great soundtrack (hilarious at times!) that guides you through the game itself. What started as a meme, and a cheap 360 game, turned out to be pretty awesome. The fact that this "remastered" version was free on Steam was a nice bonus!
Game 5 - Hexcells - PC / Steam - Completed Jan 13th, 2023
Another short game (only took about 4 hours to complete 100%) but an amazing cross between picross and minesweeper. It took me a couple of levels to get the swing of the game's rules, but once I caught on I was pretty hooked. Although I play picross every day, not everything carries over as this game has the twist of every "cell" being hexagonal in shape. I know there are a few more of these games, so I might pick them up eventually (after I give my brain a bit of a rest).
Game 6 - Pokemon Scarlet - Nintendo Switch - Completed Jan 20th, 2023
I was gonna skip this game originally, considering I saw it had a ton of bugs and the last few Pokemon games (Diamond / Pearl remakes, Arceus) didn't grab me much. My wife asked if I'd get the double pack so we could do raid things together, so I said "sure". I started playing this game and... damn, it's really good. I had a really good time in the open world collecting pokemons and battling gyms. My biggest complaint would be the lack of voice acting, which was very glaring. Otherwise though, this may be my favorite Pokemon game ever. I hope the next Switch hardware can let this type of game live up to it's full potential.
Game 7 - Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order - Nintendo Switch - Completed Jan 20th, 2023
My son and I played through the campaign in couch co-op mode, it was a lot of fun. The game is really weird in the way that it handles leveling up characters and giving you things you can use to level up abilities. The game was obviously designed from the outset for multiple playthroughs. I also didn't have the expansion packs, so an entire row of characters was inaccessible to us which was a bit of a letdown. Overall though, the game was a good beat um up and I especially thought the voice acting was top notch.
Game 8 - Hero of the Kingdom The Lost Tales 2 - PC / Steam - Completed Jan 28th, 2023
This was another really good Hero of the Kingdom game, although this one seemed far more tedious than the last entry. While the same basic narrative was set up as the last game, this one had merchants that were underground / inside dungeons - meaning you couldn't fast travel to them. This created a lot of needless backtracking. However, still a really solid, though basic, adventure game. I hope more of these get made in the future.
Game 9 - Pictlogica Final Fantasy - Nintendo 3DS - Completed Feb 3rd, 2023
I started playing this last summer - the fact that you get to each section and have to wait a progressively long amount of time really pads this game out. However, this is still my favorite Picross game of all time, thanks in part to the battle system it has. You have to unlock new characters (by solving their picross puzzles) then leveling them up with stars (which you get for completing bonus challenges) to increase their stats and get better equipment. The gameplay loop is pretty cheesy, but it's actually really effective. Unlocked 100% of everything, did all the puzzles, got all the stars.
Game 10 - The Legend of Zelda - Game & Watch - Completed Feb 5th, 2023
I've got the Zelda Game & Watch sitting on my desk as a clock, but decided to use the "Game" part to play The Legend of Zelda in Japanese since that's something I've not done before. While I found it to be mostly the same, there are definitely a few differences - the most major is not being able to kill the rabbit things with arrows in this version. Beat Gannon and saved the hime!
Game 11 - 12 Labours of Hercules XI: Painted Adventure - PC - Completed Feb 13th, 2023
I really do love these games (obviously, this is the 11th I've played), but this one is probably one of the worst. Maybe not as bad as the one where thieves steal your resources, but close. The first half of the game was fine and actually pretty good, but worlds 4 and 5 really tanked this one. The difficulty level on these was cranked up so high (even to me, playing on "casual") that about half the levels in these worlds I couldn't finish before the timer ran out. Some levels I replayed a dozen times then gave up and went to the next one, which sucked a LOT of the fun out of it. I'll probably wait a while before trying to take on XII.
Game 12 - Fire Emblem: Engage - Nintendo Switch - Completed Feb 17th, 2023
This game was pretty good, but it slogged on towards the end. There were also FAR too many characters, and FAR too many cut scenes (especially at the end of the game). The strategy gameplay was really good, although dampened somewhat by the time rewind mechanic and how plentiful it was to use. The game also has a huge amount of side quests and things to do to strengthen the bonds between the characters and give them more flavor. Took around 40 hours to complete.
Game 13 - Slay the Spire - PC / Steam - Completed Mar 3rd, 2023
There aren't that many rogue-likes that I get into, but Slay the Spire is one of the few. This game definitely captures the "one more run" aspect that draws you in, and with earning points and unlocking new things for the next run pretty much constantly, it keeps you hooked. There is definitely more to do here, maybe for another day. The daily challenges are also pretty fun, where it's basically just a random set of rules which, thankfully, carry progress over into the other aspects of the game.
Game 14 - Theatrhythm Final Bar Line - Nintendo Switch - Completed Mar 6th, 2023
This game is pretty dog gone fun. I was a huge fan of both the original game and it's follow up, Curtain Call, on the 3DS. I also really enjoyed the Theatrhythm Dragon Quest game (which never got released in the West), so I knew what I was in for when this was announced. And although it shares a lot of songs with Curtain Call, there is enough here to make this a great package - and the fact that it's on modern hardware is nice too! I was a stylus guy on the 3DS, so it took some time to get used to the controls on this one. But that didn't take long, and it was smooth sailing after that. I cleared all titles in the story mode, and played every track (over 400 of them so far!) at least once.
Game 15 - Diablo IV Early Access Beta - PC - Completed Mar 18th, 2023
I ended up playing the beta for Diablo IV for about 14 hours, so I feel like this qualifies as a game clear. I really enjoyed the game, and I'm looking forward to the full release. I think I'll have to break my own "no $70 games" rule for this one. It actually fixes a lot of what was broken with Diablo 3, and presents it in a world that's a lot more grim (similar to Diablo 1 actually). There is tons and tons of stuff to do in the game, so even someone like me that doesn't usually focus on the meta / endgame will have a solid amount of stuff to do in this one.
Game 16 - Brotato - PC / Steam - Completed Mar 20th, 2023
I picked this up on the Steam sale for a couple of bucks, and I'm glad I did. Although the basic premise of this game is... well... basic, it was still an enjoyable experience. My only real gripe is that losing runs in this game doesn't give you any sort of permanent boosts - a system I typically require of my roguelikes, so that I never feel like I'm wasting my time playing. But this game has a massive "just one more run" vibe to it that'll really get it's hooks in you. Overall this game is definitely worth the asking price, and is a fun take on the "vampire survivors" genre.
Game 17 - Hi-Fi Rush - PC / Game Pass - Completed Mar 23rd, 2023
This game is really something special. First of all, amazing music from start to finish. The Black Keys, Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails, and a really solid original score. Secondly, the characters were simply some of the best in any game I've played in a VERY long time. While on the surface they seem to have the depth of a Saturday morning cartoon (and look like one too!), they all end up being incredibly complex and have clear motivation and amazing writing. The rhythm gameplay threw me off a few times, but that's a pretty minor misstep to what will surely become a modern instant classic.
Game 18 - Picross S5 - Nintendo Switch - Completed Mar 26th, 2023
More puzzles. This is more or less identical to Picross S4, but I still love it. I took a break after S4 to do a few other picross games, but now I'm back and finished S5. Even though this game doesn't bring much to the table in terms of innovation, I still enjoyed my time with it quite a bit - some of the puzzles were super tough. Onward to the next picross adventure!
Game 19 - Vampire Survivors: Tides of the Foscari - PC / Steam - Completed Apr 15th, 2023
Another fantastic Vampire Survivors DLC. This was super cheap ($1.50) and already gave me about 7 hours of new stuff to do - with more promised to be on the way! Seriously, at this point any DLC they release is going to be "instant buy" for me. This game just plain never gets old, and with the DLC mixing in new things all the time, it's more fun now than ever before.
Game 20 - Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood - PC / Steam - Completed Apr 20th, 2023
I'm usually a huge fan of any type of Vampire-Survivors-like game, but this is the first one I've played that's felt incredibly flat. The biggest problem I have with this game is that the runs are too short, and you don't get enough time to fully develop your character's abilities. On a typical "run" through a level, I'd be about level 9 or 10 by the end of it. Since there are a fixed number of enemies per level, there is also a fixed amount of EXP you can earn. The concept is alright, but the execution is way off. It's an Early Access game though - so maybe it'll get better by the time it's abandoned.
Game 21 - Tetris (Wonderswan Color) - PC / Retroachievements - Completed Apr 21st, 2023
It's hard to say you "beat" a game of Tetris, but I unlocked all of the retro achievements that I think I'll be able to on this game, and I call that good enough to list here. This is a surprisingly well done version of Tetris - simple and to the point. You can hold blocks, but otherwise it's pretty much identical to the NES version (though this runs better). It includes a 3-minute mode, and a 40-line mode - that are basically time trials. Lots of fun!
Game 22 - Beautiful Mystic Survivors - PC / GOG - Completed Apr 30th, 2023
I know this basically started out as a porn game (the "Sexy" version), but I found this to be a surprisingly good survivors-like. There are some new concepts here that, in some ways, make it better than VS, which it's obviously trying to copy. The 3D models and voice acting were both good touches. Certain enemies making obstructions when they died was also pretty cool. The weapon progression system was also quite neat. Not as much depth as VS, but still a fun game!
Game 23 - Yakuza: Like a Dragon - PC / Steam - Completed May 6th, 2023
Man, this game is actually pretty incredible. Solid story, good writing, amazing characters, a deep turn based combat system with good classes, basically everything I ever want from a good JRPG. I was having so much fun with this game, I looked up and had over 70 hours on the clock. I usually don't "mop up" achievements after finishing games, but I'm gonna go for 100% on this one (I'm only missing 9 total). It's the first Yakuza game I've played, and it didn't disappoint.
Game 24 - Castlevania (NES) - PC - Completed May 19th, 2023
I was in the mood for a retro Castlevania game and decided to play through the original. I've played through this game so many times, but it's been a minute since the last time I finished it. It took me a couple of hours and a few restarts, but I was finally able to beat Dracula. This game is a timeless classic. I should re-play the second game...
Game 25 - Full Metal Furies - Nintendo Switch - Completed Jun 7th, 2023
I'd heard decent stuff about this game for a few years, but didn't realize it was by the Rogue Legacy devs. I picked it up on a whim when it was on sale for a couple of bucks for the Switch, and I'm really glad that I did. I played through the game co-op with my son, and we had a blast figuring out all of the games systems and puzzles (my god, the puzzles!). The game definitely peaked in the middle, with the end of the game being extremely challenging. Also, playing with two players it turns out is the most difficult configuration - since in single player you can freely swap between characters, and 3 or 4 player multi gives you access to more abilities at once. Either way, still a fun experience!
Game 26 - Final Fantasy XVI Demo - PlayStation 5 - Completed Jun 14th, 2023
I don't normally put demos on here, but this one took me about three hours to complete, so I feel like it counts. It'll also help balance out the hours I'm sure to spend on the full game, because this demo really hooked me! Although it was a bit story heavy, I really enjoyed the game (especially it's combat). I started out with the "cheat accessories", but quickly unequipped them as it zapped all the challenge out of the game. Overall, I'm really looking forward to diving into this one!
Game 27 - Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde - PC / Steam - Completed Jun 30th, 2023
This is a damn good Vampire Survivors-like. The game has really smooth animation and a good art style. This game focuses more on evolving weapons, rather than passive abilities. One of the ways it stands out, is that there are "challenges" for each of the characters, where you have to build very specific sets of upgrades in a run - some of them are really challenging! The game has a whole lot of content, I ended up with about 25 hours on the clock. If you like survivor-likes, be sure to pick this up.
Game 28 - Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster - PC / Steam - Completed Jul 3rd, 2023
This game is, without a doubt, my favorite game in the Final Fantasy franchise. It might also be my favorite SNES games. Incidentally, it might be my favorite game of all time. I played through this game SO many times when I was younger, that it's been a while since I've done a play through. I could almost recite the script from memory, and if you asked me, I could hum any tune from the game perfectly. That being said, this pixel remaster is a damn good version of the game. I cried during the ending!
Game 29 - Star Trek Resurgence - PC / Epic - Completed Jul 5th, 2023
I'm a huge fan of Star Trek, and this game hit all the right notes for me. Dramatic Labs took the Telltale formula and applied it very successfully here to the Star Trek universe. Decision making always felt like it had weight to it (even though I knew all along it was an illusion, like all of these games). The writing was amazingly good, and the situations made the stakes of every decision feel high. It also took place during my favorite Trek era (after Voyager), and didn't have any elements of Discovery or "nu Trek". A very fun adventure!
Game 30 - Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms - PC / Epic - Completed Jul 7th, 2023
Every time Epic has a free giveaway for Idle Champions, I log in to get the loot then end up playing about 10-20 hours and forcing myself away. It's happened before, and it happened again here. The music in this game is crazy good if not a little cringe, being modern rock anthems and ballads about Dungeons and Dragons. Still, every time I play through I get a few little bits and bobs that make subsequent playthroughs faster and easier, so maybe when they do this promo again next year, I'll be ready...
Game 31 - Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed - Nintendo Switch - Completed Jul 13th, 2023
An absolute masterclass in storytelling. I had high hopes for this DLC, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Expanded greatly on the story of XC3, while also helping to tie it together with the first two games. Seeing older Shulk and Rex was really heartwarming and nostalgic. The expansion was also super meaty, I clocked in about 30 hours and there's probably another 4-5 hours of post-game stuff I could do (with the super secret optional seventh party member!). I really wonder where the series is going next...
Game 32 - Halls of Torment - PC / Steam - Completed Jul 26th, 2023
This is a damn addicting survivors-like, that's styled to look and sound like the original Diablo. There are a lot of interesting ideas here that I think in a lot of ways are better than VS. The build variety is outstanding, and the progressive exp gain for earning more achievements (I got them all) made the game have a really solid natural power-curve. I can't wait to see what the full game looks like once it's out of Early Access!
Game 33 - Hades - PC / Steam - Completed Aug 13th, 2023
Another year, another run through Hades. Every time I play this game, I get more out of it (and slightly different story beats, because this game has a crazy amount of optional story content). Still one of my favorite games of the last five years, and with this current playthrough it's slowly climbing my "top games of all time" list. Just an absolutely amazing experience all around - I cannot wait for Hades II.
Game 34 - Warhammer 40000 Space Marine - PC / Steam - Completed Aug 16th, 2023
I wanted to play through this before the sequel launches later this year, and I'm really glad that I did. This is just a fun, fairly short, no-nonsense corridor shooter - the kind that they don't really make any more. The game is a decade old now, but it still holds up incredibly well especially technically, as I was able to play in ultrawide at 60fps without having to jump through any hoops. The game's over-the-top violence, combined with it sending you waves and waves of enemies to kill, just felt really good. It took me about 8 hours to finish, which honestly felt just right without any bloat.
Game 35 - Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary - PlayStation Vita - Completed Aug 25th, 2023
I've been playing around with my old Vita and getting it loaded up with emulators and stuff. Installed a 1TB SD card. I found out that there was a partial English translation for Itadaki Street 30th and decided to try it out. Then, promptly lost and entire day and a half. I've played a lot of different iterations of this game, so I knew the rules and jumped right in. This version has a good career mode (that I finished), you get gold medals for completing challenges and use them to unlock new characters, artwork, etc. Even though I finished the game, I'm sure I'll be playing it here and there on the go in the future.
Game 36 - Fort Solis - PC / Steam - Completed Aug 25th, 2023
I hadn't heard about this game before I saw someone had made an OT on GAF for it. They said it was a 2-3 hour long narrative game, and it was only $20 so I decided to give it a shot. The game has a spooky atmosphere and a creepy unsettling mood, and then you start finding blood and eventually bodies in this seemingly abandoned space station on Mars. There are a total of four chapters, and I feel like the game kind of peaked in the middle of chapter 3, but overall I was pretty impressed with this game.
Game 37 - Cafeteria Nipponica - PC / Steam - Completed Sep 1st, 2023
This game was more or less identical to Kairosoft's other games, so I knew what I was getting from the jump. Do a thing, make stats go up to do another thing faster, get money, expand, etc. This was kind of an interesting take on their usual genre though (running a chain of restaurants in Japan) and the graphics, as always were pretty cute. The biggest downside is that this is obviously a mobile port and it shows. On the plus side, it worked well in ultrawide. The menus and things were somewhat difficult and cumbersome to operate with a controller.
Game 38 - Magic the Gathering: Arena - PC / Steam - Completed Sep 7th, 2023
I figured I'd go ahead and list this here again, since I've put about 30 hours into the game between it's release on Steam and my phone. The game continues to be my favorite way to play Magic, and I've still yet to spend any money on the game despite playing it for years and having a pretty huge card collection. The meta in standard can get pretty annoying most of the time, so I've switched to primarily playing in historic brawl (similar to commander).
Game 39 - Powerwash Simulator - PC / Xbox - Completed Sep 8th, 2023
I had heard really good things about this game, and how it could put you in a zen-like state. Very true, but I think I might also be a bit on the autism spectrum from liking this game so much. I put in about 50 hours total over the past couple of months. There isn't really much to say about this game - they give you a powerwasher and something dirty, and it's your job to clean it. The "story mode", as it were, was interesting and definitely went places I wasn't expecting. Overall a fun experience, but not one that I think I'll return to anytime soon.
Game 40 - Vampire Survivors (+DLC) - Nintendo Switch - Completed Sep 14th, 2023
I played through this (yet again) with my son, this time in co-op mode and it was a lot of fun. Even though I've fully played through this game about 3 or 4 times now, this was by far my favorite run through the game. The co-op mode was great fun and added a lot of depth to the gameplay. He hadn't played through the game before, so it was also fun to share it with him. Still an extremely solid experience for the $5 asking price.
Game 41 - Touch My Katamari - PlayStation Vita - Completed Sep 16th, 2023
I somehow missed playing through this lovely game on Vita, despite having the cartridge for it. Popped it in and was able to play through the whole thing in a lovely afternoon outside, thank to the Vita's portability. This felt like classic Katamari, and I appreciated that. I wish the soundtrack were as good as the first game, but few games have that distinction anyway. Overall, a really solid (if short) experience.
Game 42 - The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails - Nintendo Switch - Completed Sep 30th, 2023
When this game was originally announced that it'd be coming west, I think I pre-ordered it almost immediately. An action RPG that's set in the Trails universe (though not in the regular Trails chronology) was right up my alley and exactly what I was looking for. Falcom obviously has an amazing track record with these types of games (from the Ys series), and this did not disappoint. The music was great. The story was really good, and had me really caring about the characters by the end. Overall, an amazing experience.
Past challenges: