A Winner Is You 2017 Edition

Mass Effect 2 - PC w/controller mod

https://gamefaqs.akamaized.net/scree..._99726_2_2.jpg
51:15 hours completion time on hardest difficulty doing everything and with all DLCs (just like like I did for ME1 too)


You know when I first started playing this series, I thought 2 was the best like everyone else. Then as soon as the 2nd playthrough of Trilogy, part 1 grew on me just a tad more to be in direct competition with ME2. Was always torn about which was my favorite... until this playthrough, that is. ME1 is definitely my fave without a shadow of a doubt. I even think ME2 aged worse. You see, ME1 stands on it's own with it's game play quirks and all, has enough of it's own identity gameplay wise (plus a sense of exploration as a bonus). Because ME3 basically improves immensely on the ME2 gameplay, ME2 actually now not only feels outdated, but doesn't have enough to stand on it's own outside of difficulty (ME3 is far and away the easiest on hardest difficulty).

ME2 is also much more talky then I remember it if you want to hear it all. So much dialog and not enough gameplay to balance it out. Fine for first few replays, but once you know the story & characters so well, it's a little too much in further consecutive replays. That and I like the more 80s sci-fi feels and visuals of ME1 more too. The sci-fi visuals are certainly more refined here with graphics upped for places we know (Citadel) and some really new interesting places added to the universe (Omega which is pictured above & Illium). Plus ME2 has more Batarians, the coolest badasses of the galaxy.

10. Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs (Nintendo DS): This was a silly game. You roam through each area collecting fossils and fighting other dinosaurs, and gradually powering yourself up. Every now and then you fight a "secret" character, which are random things like (among others) a phone booth, a fire truck, and a school house. The game invites you to play through multiple times by unlocking other dinosaur species, but once you've beaten it once, you've pretty much seen everything the game has to offer.

^ So back to the trade store?

?

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

10. Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs (Nintendo DS): This was a silly game. You roam through each area collecting fossils and fighting other dinosaurs, and gradually powering yourself up. Every now and then you fight a "secret" character, which are random things like (among others) a phone booth, a fire truck, and a school house. The game invites you to play through multiple times by unlocking other dinosaur species, but once you've beaten it once, you've pretty much seen everything the game has to offer.

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That reads just like the back of the box of Fossil League: Dino Tournament Championship. I wonder of they're related.

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

That reads just like the back of the box of Fossil League: Dino Tournament Championship. I wonder of they're related.

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They might be...

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Originally Posted by BubsyFan1

7. Fossil Fighters: Champions - DS

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

^I have this in my queue, actually. ;)

I decided to play what may be its "sister" game instead.

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Back when IGN was still worth reading, there was an editor that reviewed all the Battle of Giants games. He seemed to really enjoy them, despite their flaws. Remembering these reviews (but not the exact titles of the games), I bought Fossil Fighters and Battle of Giants when I was padding up my DS collection recently, figuring that one of them was the game I was thinking of.

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

?

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Well when you look at what you wrote here;

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but once you've beaten it once, you've pretty much seen everything the game has to offer.

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I just get the impression that there's no more point in replaying this game.

Thats not quite how it works here. My house is more like a game sanctuary, rather than a halfway house.

Is my signature showing?

Monster Hunter Tri - Wii

Man I really wish to have the WiiU just to play Ultimate. I really like the hunting and the grinding in that game :) A pity I can only play offline, but ey, with modding, I was able to import almost all online quests :)

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

Is my signature showing?

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Not on my end. What is it, a gaming shrine?

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Originally Posted by Nightwolf

Monster Hunter Tri - Wii

Man I really wish to have the WiiU just to play Ultimate. I really like the hunting and the grinding in that game :) A pity I can only play offline, but ey, with modding, I was able to import almost all online quests :)

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Why aren't you playing online, because mods disable it? Shitty mod then.

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Originally Posted by Thief

Why aren't you playing online, because mods disable it? Shitty mod then.

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Because online servers for Tri are long closed :(

Oh, QuickSciFi... I thought you disliked sigs. :t:

I despise them. They make forums difficult to scroll through for outsiders.

But for you, I'll make an exception. I love what you said.

^ Valid points. My sig is also mess. Gotta fix that. EDIT: Done.

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut - 2004 CD Release (PC)

https://s22.postimg.org/cihkduu69/Sadx-pc-eu-box.jpg

Sonic DX is the 2003/4 port of Sonic Adventure on PC and the GameCube that gave us shiny characters, slightly better water, more bugs, and all the Game Gear games. If it wasn't apparent already, I hate this version of the game. The PC version is slightly worse, missing a few of the enhancements from the GC release, and having inferior sound quality.

The Dreamcast original release is not a good game, but it still ranks as the best version. Officially that is, anyway. With mods, the game on PC can restored to the DC assets thanks to the modding community. 1080p, widescreen, original sound quality, etc etc. But alas, the game is still a rushed turd, with a horrible camera and terrible physics engine. Oh and the Homing attack is just broken. Besides that, it's a nostalgia ride and can be fun for a while.

Beat the game with all the characters, def won't be coming back to this for a while.

Interestingly, this PC port was the base they used for the PS3 and Xbox 360 version, where they added a huge border around, and has horrible input lag and horrendous loading times. Later, it was ported to the PC again, with all the faults intact for a Steam release. So, Dreamcast>PC/GC>PS3/360>PC. Yikes.

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

I despise them. They make forums difficult to scroll through for outsiders.

But for you, I'll make an exception. I love what you said.

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You turn off sig viewing in control panel too?

Bloodborne - PS4

http://cdn3-www.gamerevolution.com/a...loodborne3.jpg
36:38 Hours - unfortunately not interested enough to pay for it's single DLC


So glad I finally finished this overrated game. My least favorite Souls game by a long shot. To put in perspective, I though Dark Souls III was pretty bad for a Souls game, yet now I can't wait to play it next.

This game also reminded me frequently that From Software & Sony were experimenting with the Souls formula to make it more mainstream. Nothing says more mainstream then faster action pace, simplified RPGness and... guns! lol. (Among other things)

What else to say. The Victorian age atmosphere doesn't do it for me either. As a side effect it's also much less varied then the medieval Dark Souls to the point where it basically felt like 90% of the game was the same looking London city and 10% a forest (take a guess which area I liked best). Therefore all the areas are blurred to me, just like the terrible eye sore that is this game's frame rate that never got patched. It's almost like Sony and From Software rushed this game out the door, gave a pity DLC and just abandoned it.

Gameplay wise. Yeah, not as good, nor as in-depth. But don't take my word for it.


In the conclusion, if this game manages to introduce more new players to the Souls series, then great. Hope to see you in Dark Souls next.

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

^I have this in my queue, actually. ;)

I decided to play what may be its "sister" game instead.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

10. Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs (Nintendo DS):

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

That reads just like the back of the box of Fossil League: Dino Tournament Championship. I wonder of they're related.

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Oh dang, it looks like I need to pay more attention to the DS library! More games to go through though? Aww, jeez.

8. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - PS2

About six months or so ago, a buddy of mine brought up this game and said that he had the itch to go through it again. He and I have talked to my girlfriend about it a good amount as we know she would love the demons, the themes, the music, etc., but she knows that she would not be able to actually go through the game if she were to play it due to the gameplay and whatnot. So, what we decided to do is meet up periodically and go through it. We knew it was risky business as my buddy was planning on moving to a different state. After going through it for about five months (schedule complications among three people, personal things going on, etc.), we finally beat it this morning at about 1 a.m. (second time for him and third for me) - perfect timing as he is leaving later today to start his new life. We let my girlfriend take care of all of the decisions as far as conversations, fusions, etc. were considered while my buddy and I handled going through the game. That was satisfying.

11. Mega Man (NES): I was so annoyed over some stories I heard on the news today about what pantywaists and snowflakes my fellow Americans are that I decided to plow through one of the more difficult games in my collection.

I know what you're all wondering: did I cheat?

Yes, but not as much as you'd think. I did the pause trick on the Yellow Devil (because I don't know how someone could reasonably get past this bastard normally, despite having done it once myself). Once more on the Mega Man clone, and finally on the clone Guts Man battle after several attempts to get through him straight.

I managed Dr Wily using traditional tactics, which ended up being far easier than I would have expected.

This is the third time I've beaten this game in my life.

Was my wife impressed?

No.

No, she wasn't.

It's because you played the wrong Mega Man game. I'm sure she'll be impressed once you play Mega Man 3 and acquire Hard Man's power.

http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/r...DE8B4A6C36.jpg

Chaotix (32X)


Fuck. This. Game. I've not been this frustrated and annoyed in ages, but this game hit all the right buttons. The elastic band partner mechanic, whoever came up with that, I want shot. My word. What a shitty concept. Like bouncing around with zero control? How about different characters having different weights, meaning the physics are different for each one. How is that bad? You don't get to choose your partner; it's done via a carnival grabber minigame, and just to fuck with you even more, there power-ups which can change your partner randomly, which is freaking maddening, as you'll bump into one accidentally a lot.

Level design is further designed to fuck with you, as everything is layered out as one big maze. You are given no clue where to go, which would be nice considering the whole "hold right to win" crap the other games get flak for, but oh not here. It's too damn labyrinthine to be any fun. Also, you have power-ups (like above) that mess with you - like the item box that makes you small: it also makes your jumps so much lower and decreases your speed. Why? Why do this. The levels are also five acts each, and are randomized, again, why?!

Positive things to say? The graphics are gorgeous. Sprites are nice, beautiful colours. The music is also out of this world - def one of the best in the series. It's just not worth playing it for this. Rip it off Youtube, just don't play this. I beat the game and got the bad ending, not gonna touch this for another ten years.

^ Sorry to hear your last gaming experience didn't go well, The Jackal. At least you've played it and now you know. And knowing is half the battle.



Dark Souls III - PS4
http://www.godisageek.com/wp-content...-3-artwork.jpg
39:40 Hours - Soul level 66 - no DLCs (I have my season pass for PC version) and missed out on one optional secret area (Archdragon Peak)

You know you're a Souls addict when you enjoy & replay your least favourite Souls games too (well, Bloodborne is my actual least fave, but plan on replaying that a few times too). Played it to check out the PS4 version this time, because why not. I did want to do the DLCs this time around and almost paid for them again as this playthrough I really got into the game when compared to my first playthrough. Something I didn't predict. No worries, I'll probably replay it again before the month is up, because these games age like fine wine.

So this time around I was finally able to access the final boss, which glitched out on me last time preventing this. Didn't see anyone to summon to help out when I arrived, so put down my summon to help out someone else to see what the boss was all about and get a practice run in at the same time. We beat him, with me down to a sliver of health too. After that I right away seen someone else's summon sign and we too conquered like fine aged champions.


One pro strat I've never used in a Souls game is this one, lol. :D

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Originally Posted by Thief

^ Sorry to hear your last gaming experience didn't go well, The Jackal. At least you've played it and now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

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I've played it before; I've had the game for over ten years now. I actually thought it wasn't that bad bitd, but playing through it again was a eyeopener. Anyone who praises this game really needs to sit down and replay it from start to finish.

Dark Souls (PS3)

http://www.impulsegamer.com/360/darksouls04.jpg
28:26 Hours - Soul level 79 - skipped DLC

I actually started with superior PC version, but noticed a decline in player base activity so decided to fire and compare with Potato Station 3 version. From playing both up to Bell Gargoyle boss, PS3 did seem busier. Guess the last gen consoles still have life in them, potato frame rate and all. Some area's in this game with two other players make Star Fox on SNES frame rate look butter smooth. In a nutshell, yes I chose blurry resolution and painful frame rate in the name of seemingly higher player base... being able to send msgs to other players without having them on my friend list is sweet too.

Anyway, I discovered something cool while experimenting with DSfix settings for PC on how Demon's Souls and Dark Souls handle longer draw distance processing strain. I first noticed in Demon's Souls awhile back that while at a crisp looking 1280x720p without Anti-Aliasing (AA), I really didn't notice the jaggies. Partly because darker color tones and partly because landscape in the distance was slightly blurred out. Always thought that distant blur was a pretty clever technique to cover up AA. Well Dark Soul 1 at 1024x720p has AA and still with the distant landscape blur. So what's that blur covering up? Lower resolution, that's what. That's the technique employed to cut down processing power with distant landscapes and objects. Pretty clever & pretty simple. Though keep in mind the blur does eat some processing power too, but in the end it still saves.

12. Hey! Pikmin (Nintendo 3DS): The Pikmin series is one that, in my opinion, has gotten better with every entry... up to a point.

I've been wanting a portable Pikmin game ever since the 3DS came out, despite the fact that logistically it doesn't make much sense on a portable system. The touchscreen seems like a natural input method for tossing around the titular Pikmin with pinpoint accuracy, but honestly, you probably couldn't display dozens to hundreds of the tiny little guys on a 2" screen without some potentially detrimental compromises.

So Nintendo did this, instead.

It's a side-scrolling game in which you control up to 20 Pikmin at one time to defeat enemies, negotiate environmental puzzles, and collect a crap-ton of garbage. It's a seriously abbreviated take on the Pikmin formula, but absolutely not without its charm and merit.

A word of warning to anyone looking to play this game: I did not catch the subtle clue Nintendo gave us by launching this game with its own Amiibo and using it to promote the New 2DS XL (fun fact: this game does not utilize 3D at all). I instead played this game on a standard 3DS XL, and I gotta say, it is practically unplayable. The framerate drops to literally headache-inducing levels, and the game is constantly punctuated by 20-30 second load times. I soldiered through in this manner all the way through the end, right through the stuttering, jumpy end credit crawl, and then switched to my New 3DS to check out the Amiibo functionality.

The faster processing power of the New 3DS completely erased the framerate issues and agonizing load times. I wish I'd played the game on this system from the get-go, I believe the load times themselves easily added an hour or two to my total play time, not to mention the fact that the abysmal framerate bothered my eyes when I played for longer than thirty minutes at a time.

This game is worth playing if you have any affinity for the Pikmin series, just don't expect anything close to the level of depth you'd find in the console games. And I wouldn't recommend this game at all if you don't have either of the "New" models.

Dark Souls III - PS3

https://i.imgur.com/ttRLShz.jpg
58:10 hours - Souls Level 73 - All 2 DLCs & the single optional area completed

So my first time through the DLCs and optional areas, as well as dedicated some more time toward pvp via various covenants and even some envasions this time around. More so then helping other players via PVE. The DLCs a pretty big, at least as big if not bigger then the DSII ones, but it's hard to compare because these ones have more real-estate versus more tightly connected and efficient use of space of DSII. ... This is something that bothers me about DSIII level design versus what we had in the past. Too spacious with too much walking/running too open areas.

What are my thoughts on DSIII after a third playthrough? Still the same, least favorite Dark Souls, but it's biggest thing it has going for it is the higher player base it still has over the other games. And I do love these games for their online aspect which is where a huge chunk of the replay value lies with this series. Though one thing that hurts replay value in my opinion is this game's length, even without the DLCs. For example, of all the times I've replayed DSII, only once did I complete it's 3 DLCs. For me the DS series should just focus on shorter quality over quantity content since these games are all about the replay value.

13. Mega Man X8 (PS2): This is one of the most bipolar games I've played in recent memory. On one hand, it's one of the better games in the MMX series and offers glimpses at some great innovations to a series that, to be honest, was well on its way to feeling stale after the second entry. On the other hand... fuck this game.

I spent the first hour or two throwing myself against the initial eight stages without even seeing one of the bosses. In that same amount of time, I had completed Mega Man 1 just a couple weeks prior. Many of the levels eschew traditional traditional platforming formulae, but a lot of times it just comes off as half-baked and gimmicky. There are two full vehicle-based levels this time around. Another level is a forced-scrolling descent into a volcano: don't bother putting down the controller after you beat the boss, as it is followed by a frantic escape sequence that would make Samus Aran cringe.

The graphics are full 3D this time around, but the character models are bland and unappealing. The levels are generally more interesting than they've been since X3, but their 2.5D perspective make the demanding platforming sequences unnecessarily awkward and confusing. The music is actually quite good, but it's way too quiet and not mixed particularly well; many of times all you can hear of it are the drumbeats.

Oh, and of the 8 bosses, only one doesn't look retarded.

Despite this laundry list of complaints, I still ended up liking this game. I think with a bit more TLC, it could have turned out much better.

Man I wish you guys would list the hours it takes to beat some of these games that list this. I couldn't care less for how many videogames you guys play this year. Zip. Nada. I just care about the particular videogame being discussed and how long you guys decide to take with these games is a great window into how some of you guys play games.

Also, graphics more appealing in a 3D PS2 game that ages like fine toe jam then a fine 2D SNES sprite work that ages like fine wine in X3? I don't believe it, MrMatthews. :p

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Originally Posted by Thief

Also, graphics more appealing in a 3D PS2 game that ages like fine toe jam then a fine 2D SNES sprite work that ages like fine wine in X3? I don't believe it, MrMatthews. :p

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Dude, read that part about the graphics again. I did not say they were appealing. Matter of fact, the first thing I said to my wife when I booted this up was "Damn, this looks like shit!" The graphics are improved over X7, but still very dark and muddy, and the "3D-ness" totally obscures the character detail.

I would have mentioned how long it took me to get through this game, but it only logs the time put into the save file. If you restart the game without saving (which I did several times), it doesn't track that play time.

That being said, the saved playtime was about 15 hours. In actuality it was probably 16-17.

Oh, and the game count is for my benefit, not yours. ;)

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

Dude, read that part about the graphics again. I did not say they were appealing. Matter of fact, the first thing I said to my wife when I booted this up was "Damn, this looks like shit!" The graphics are improved over X7, but still very dark and muddy, and the "3D-ness" totally obscures the character detail.

I would have mentioned how long it took me to get through this game, but it only logs the time put into the save file. If you restart the game without saving (which I did several times), it doesn't track that play time.

That being said, the saved playtime was about 15 hours. In actuality it was probably 16-17.

Oh, and the game count is for my benefit, not yours. ;)

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But MrMatthews, if your game count ends up too high, people will start telling you to get a job.

And thank you for telling me the game time and as well as you best guess.

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Originally Posted by Thief

But MrMatthews, if your game count ends up too high, people will start telling you to get a job.

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Those sons of bitches... LET'S SEE THEM TRY IT!!!

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Originally Posted by Thief

And thank you for telling me the game time and as well as you best guess.

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I think it's interesting to see how much actual time gets put into each game. That's one feature I really enjoy about the 3DS, although I don't often go into the data tracker to check this. I'm sure other modern systems do this as well, I just haven't looked into it.

So for Phoenix Wright a while back, my play time was 25 hours, 16 minutes.

Remember me talking about Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes? That was a great game, I still recommend it. That one was 29 hours.

That silly Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs was 5 hours, 35 minutes. I played through it twice in that time.

And Hey! Pikmin was 22 hours, 13 minutes on one system, and then another 3.5 hours on the other system to finish it up.

Sonic Mania - PS4

https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net...20170616200623
Aprox 6:00 hrs - One, count 'em, one emerald ending :p

My sis stepped in once while on my second or third stage and said "Was it all you dreamed off?" I said, "Well, I don't know, that's what I'm finding out." Layman's term, my feelings were mixed. Grumble, grumble. I guess the climax for me was Flying Battery stage, then went downhill from there...

First of all, this game is long. It took me that long with only having to entirely redo Flying Battery once and Oil Ocean twice (yay. I just finished mentioning it was my least fave Sonic 2 zone in another thread, so Oil Ocean struck back. At least the Act 2 tune was interesting). Plus timed out on each act of last zone, Titanic Monarch (was wondering why I was all a sudden handed a 1up or two so easily with them always being out of sight or reach?). For the bonus stages, was barely able to find the big rings and for the blue balls, well I just gave up on them after about halfway. ... Wish mania was a more tight contained experience then spread out, the way it is now I'm not sure it will work as great for replay. But will give it a try, I suppose.

They really went full The Force Awakens on this one, and even further by including the Holiday Special - Sonic CD. :sonic: Honestly at first I only though there were like 2 then 3 stage themes brought back, but then it kept happening, just like TFA. No disrespect to the dev team, I understand they had a small budget and team going by the credits I seen, and had make the best of what they've had to make a big enough impression. And TFA formula seems to be the big success formula these days if that movie's payout was anything to go by.

In terms of level design, well, analysis like this requires replay. Plus wasn't really thinking about it outside of the 2nd act of the last stage, Titanic Monarch Zone, where I hit like 3-4 warps in the row thinking "Ah, finally, some progress." Only to recognize a much earlier part in the act, to which I immediately thought "Now this game is trolling me." Lucky I somehow beat it without timing out again with 2 min to spare and 5 lives to beat the last boss (of which the timer reset for anyway). Oh wait, one thing I did think about design wise was it's 1up and lack of a continue system. Normally in Sonic 1 & 2 playing the bonus stages was a great place to score one ups and/or continues on limited continue games and also further encouraged to seek out and play these bonus stages. Sonic 3 and Mania sadly ditch this system. Everything these days has to beatable on first attempt and it has to be bloated long otherwise everyone slams your game with reviews of being too short or hard. ... The scoring system is also broken too since you can constantly hit the goal post sign over and over with just one button, Kollision won't like this.


To finish on a positive note, the tunes (remixed & new) where the highlight. Very 90's and Sega nostalgic like. ie. Act 1 of Press Garden zone even had this cool guitar sounding straight out of Sega Rally on Saturn, along with this other 90s sound bite I can't place my finger on, maybe it's just a Robotnik sound fx from past Sonic game? Metallic Madness Zone Act 1 & 2 even had these freestyle guys sounding straight out of the late 80s/early 90s, invoking memories of the first two TMNT movies. Studiopolis Act 1 reminds me of a pinch of something from Disney Afternoon and something else I can't place my finger on, and the lights camera action voiceover sounds straight out of a 90s Sega game too. Basically these tunes really do a great job firing up the time capsule of classic Sega & 90s goodness.

44. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX - GB Color
http://i.imgur.com/bFTl9Ae.jpg?1

I played it via the GB Player on the Game Cube using an OG GBA as a controller with the official cable and two extensions back to back for laid back awesome gameplay. It was a great experience and definitely a formidable direct sequel to A Link to the Past. I remember playing a lot of the earlier dungeons (shrines) bitd. I just never got to finish it. I even played the original without the color. And it was just as memorable. But now that I got to play through the entire game, I can attest that this is one of the best 8-bit games I've ever played. The colors and textures on the DX version are definitely akin to the SNES A Link to the Past. What a great follow up; and a much needed revamp effort for that matter. The game played perfectly on my GB Player; only the final credits had an issue flickering (just the words). Other than that, AAA experience. Even though I had never finished it before, Link's Awakening was my favorite handheld Zelda for the longest time. And now that I have, it definitely cements that notion. I loved it! :love:

^ Best Zelda imo. Love the game.

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

44. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX - GB Color

I loved it! :love:

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I think the brisk pace and the openness of the game are the primary factors for why this ends up at the top of so many "Best Zelda" lists.

...speaking of which, have you played Link Between Worlds, yet?

^Oh yes. I loved it. Probably my 3rd all time favorite after A Link to the Past and this one.

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

^Oh yes. I loved it. Probably my 3rd all time favorite after A Link to the Past and this one.

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I loved it also. I think that and BotW are my two favorite Zelda games.

http://nintendotoday.com/forum/attac...6wq4o1_500.png

14. Mega Man X2 (SNES):

I took a break from X7 to burn through this one real quick-like.

http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/r...DA64E8924C.jpg

The last time I beat this game on cart was when I rented it from Blockbuster several summers ago (1996?)

Definitely a better game than I remembered it to be, but unquestionably the beginning of the MMX series' slide into mediocrity. The creativity in the levels is about on par with X1, burn the music and character design isn't nearly as good. It's also a shame that they didn't link the levels like they did in the original, where beating one stage has an affect on another.

Oh, and Thief: I think this one was 2-3 hours. Just a guess.