Summer is drawing to a close, and school is back in session. My Summer Gaming Challenge didn't go exactly as planned, but I think it turned out just fine. As you can see below, I didn't quite finish my list of games. However, I did get sucked into playing and beating other games, which was a great way to get me out of my gaming slump.
1.)
Pokemon Snap - Beat. I still think this is a great game, but maybe it's because I like hitting Meowth with various objects...
2.) Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn (GC/Wii) - Unfortunately, I didn't start this. Maybe during Winter Gaming Challenge.
3.)
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (DS) - Beat. I enjoyed the game for the most part. I could have done without the touch screen controls, but I would definitely play a sequel if it is ever released.
4.)
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (GBC) - Beat. It has become one of my favorite games. I loved the numerous Mario references and mechanics, and the atmosphere of Koholint was excellent. I loved the little bits of story sprinkled throughout the game, and I thought the ending was a pretty good way to end the journey. I definitely look forward to playing this through again someday. Maybe I'll hook up the Game Boy Player and play it on a TV.
5.)
Brutal Legend (PS3) - Beat. I really enjoyed this game. As a fan of classic rock and metal, the soundtrack kicked ass and has turned me on to several excellent songs I had never heard before. It has the best soundtrack in a game that I have played. The story was interesting enough to keep me playing, and the way the game looks like an album cover is awesome. I felt that the battles could have been a bit more precise, but otherwise, I would have no complaints playing a sequel.
6.)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (PS2) - Beat. It took me 78 hours, but I beat it. This, like Link's Awakening, has become one of my favorites. However, if I was to describe the core gameplay mechanics to myself, I would probably never have picked this game up. I've never been a huge fan of dungeon crawlers, but this game managed to make me want to play through more dungeons. I really enjoyed how each dungeon was themed (especially Void Quest), and fusing Personas to make new ones only had me wanting to test them out in battle. The story is excellent and kept pulling me at me to play until the morning. Most characters felt like they were unique and each had their own place in the story. Creating Social Links with individual characters was always addicting because I enjoyed seeing the progression of those characters, and the fusing bonuses they gave.
I could go on and on about what I loved, but I feel that I should touch upon a few small complaints. While the voice acting was excellent, I wish there was a way to either skip cutscenes or quicksave during them. There were a few occasions where I was unable to reach a save point for close to an hour. I probably could have kept pressing "X" to advance the dialogue much quicker, but I wanted to listen to the characters. A quicksave would also be very much welcome in the dungeons, which if you don't have a ton of spare time may leave you with no choice but to turn off the game without saving. I can say I'm definitely glad that I played this game during the summer because of the sheer blocks of time it would take up. There are probably a few other things that didn't sit quite right with me, but the overall experience of the game has made me accept these minor grievances, or forget them entirely. This game has left me with a really desire to play through again once I have the time. I am also really looking forward to Persona 5.
7.) Virtual Boy Wario Land (VB) - I never got around to starting this.
8.) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES) - Same as above.
9.)
Monster Tale (DS) - Beat. Overall, I found it enjoyable. The game is definitely a "metroid-vania", albeit with quite a lot of backtracking, most of which is done to make the game longer. However, the sprites are excellent, and in-game areas and beautiful and bright, and the game controls pretty well. The main draw is the "pet"-raising sim which takes place on the lower screen. Your pet is named Chomp, and he initially only has one form. After eating or playing with different things, he can gain new forms which have unique power-ups and stat increases. After a certain amount of levels in the form, its' unique power is then open for use on other forms. It is a pretty interesting mechanic, but once I found a nice set of moves that worked for me, I was never penalized for not trying out others. The game could have used some fine tuning, but I liked the game overall.
10.) Castlevania: Double Pack (GBA) - I got pretty far in Harmony of Dissonance, but then I got stuck and lost interest. Not sure why though, as I had enjoyed it up until that point.
Now, for the games I did play over the summer. These games were not on my list, but once I started my Challenge, I found the will to play games again. When I should have been playing the above games, I instead played the following:
1.) Streets of Rage 2 (PSN) - I played through the story mode, and it was pretty fun.
2.) Dead Space Ignition (PSN) - I finally got around to getting all the trophies. It was an interesting, ummm, game? I find the Dead Space universe to be interesting, so this bit of story appealed to me. I'm not too sure I would have paid for it, but I'm glad that it was free.
3.) Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (PS3) - I went for the Platinum, and it was a nice way of playing small chunks of most every game on the disc. The ports seem to be pretty accurate from my limited time spent with the Genesis, and the interviews were a nice touch, as were the arcade games on the bonus screen. Of all the games in the collection, Sonic Spinball was probably my favorite.
4.) Cars 2: The Video Game (PS3) - I liked the first movie, and had a Redbox rental code so I figured I'd give it a try. The game is as decent a game as I expected a children's game to be, but the later races did become pretty frustrating. I had a bit of trouble, so I can only imagine how much frustration a child would get from playing those courses.
5.) Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PS3) - I was very disappointed in this one. I was expecting something more along the lines of War for Cybertron (which I thought was great), and it instead became a quick, disappointing movie cash-in. In hindsight, I should have seen this coming. But, I hope they eventually do release a true sequel to War for Cybertron, as I had a blast with that one.
6.) Resident Evil 5 (PS3) - This was my second time playing through the game, this time on Normal. I enjoyed it more this time around, and I find the save system for New Game + to be excellent. I really love how all your cash, weapons, etc., carry through which ever course you pick, no matter what difficulty. More games should use this system!
7.) God of War (PS3) - This was the second time I played the game, however, the first time was on PS2. I still really enjoyed the game, but felt that it was pretty lazy for them not to redo the cutscenes. Everything else looks good, crisp, and as inviting as a God slaying, blood-drenched man can be. I can't wait to play through GoW II on the PS3.
So, I didn't finish my initial list. However, I did end up beating 10 + games over the summer, which made me happy regardless. I don't think I failed my challenge necessarily, because I still got to play some great games. I love this idea, and thanks for bringing over to RFG noise!
