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Video Games Finished in 2023


EH_STEVE

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Welcome to Video Games Finished in 2023! 

 

NEW RULE - If you want to be on the "leaderboard" you gotta have either a post you edit regularly -OR- put your "Total Finished" with updated total after each "finished" post.

 

New year, new thread! 

 

We've been here before, but if you haven't? This is easy peasy. You keep a running tally of the video games you beat over the course of 2023, and post your completions in the thread! Feel free to join us, whether you're new or old. Let's see if we can top our collective tally of 254 video games beaten in 2022 this year! 

 

GAMES BEATEN:

When you beat a game, post the name and the system. That’s it. 

We are going by the honor system here. Line them up and knock them down, and let us know when you've finished one!  

Want to review your game? Go for it! It's by no means a requirement, but you can let us know how much you enjoyed- or didn't enjoy a game in this thread. Want to share a picture proving you beat a game? Go for it! It's not a requirement, but shots of the "The End!" or the credits are always welcome. 

 

If you want a way to keep track of your backlog, go to backloggery

 

RULES:

1) Make a new post when you beat a game, so I can easily see it and count it. The game and system you beat it on is all you have to post. However, having either your first post be a master post or keeping a running total on each new post helps me double check and make sure scores are accurate and is now also mandatory for leaderboard.
2) No emulators unless you actually own the game (or otherwise stated).  

3) You may finish a game you started playing in a prior year and count it. That's fine. In fact, I expect several users will beat games in January that the started playing last year. All I ask is that you don't open up a save file from years ago that is right before the final boss, beat it, and then claim beat the game. That's just goes against the spirit of the thread.
4) You can however, feel free to go back to a game you haven't played for year(s), start from the beginning and beat it and count it. That's fine. It is OK to beat the same game multiple years in a row. 

5) Beating a game multiple times in the same year will only count once. This includes the same game on different consoles and remasters. Consideration is offered to DLC campaigns and remakes. 

6) There is no Rule 6. 

7) Digital downloads count for the system you played it on, physical copies count for the system they were made for. 

8) Mobile games in the nature of gatcha, slight story, etc such as; Fire Emblem: Heroes, Puzzle & Dragons, Star Wars: Heroes, etc, can all be considered complete after beating all stages. For example, every story mode and paralogue stage in FE:H, all normal stages in P&D, all light, dark, cantina, and mod battles in SW, etc. These requirements can change if more story missions or stages are added. Just finish the levels available to you. I won't hold it against you if you claim a gatcha game as beaten and more levels are added later. Of course, if this happens, you can't claim to beat the game a second time in the same year. 

 

Categories:
1) Console – Switch, Xbox Series X, PS5, Switch eShop, PSN, Magnavox Odyssey², etc.
2) Handheld – 3DS, DS, Vita, PSP, GBC, 3DS eShop, PSN, Evercade, Game Gear, etc.
3) PC – PC and Steam Box
4) Mobile – Phone and Tablet games. 
5) Overall – Add up all categories above to get a total

 

NOTE: Since some PSN games have cross save functionality, you pick whether you beat it on PS4/PS3/PSV (if applicable).
NOTE: Physical copies of games count for their original system, digital copies of games count for the system you beat them on. You might remember this as Rule 7! This is true of emulators as well- if you own a physical copy of the game, it counts for the original system. 

 

2022 Results - 254 Games!:

Eliwood8 - 81
Link, the Hero of Dreams - 50
EH_STEVE - 28
blcdude1 - 25
Tyranogre - 19

Igneous42 - 15

Laclipsey - 8

Ithrak Utopia - 6

purple_beard - 6

Stephen 776 - 6
potato/bel - 4
April - 3
Irondog666 - 2

Art_de_Cat - 1

 

---

 

PLAYER PROGRESS:

(Updated January 8, 2024)

 

Eliwood8 - 90
Link, the Hero of Dreams - 47
EH_STEVE - 44
Irondog666 - 18
Tyranogre - 14
blcdude1 - 7 
TKrazyO - 5
Juanblue85 - 4
Laclipsey - 3
purple_beard - 3
April - 2
Shadow118 - 1
 

Edited by EH_STEVE
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Gotham Knights - XBX

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Arcade - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

Super Mario Bros - NES - NSO - Switch

Super Mario Bros 2 (USA) - NES - NSO - Switch

Donkey Kong - NES - NSO - Switch

Donkey Kong Jr - NES - NSO - Switch

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - NES - XBX via Cowabunga Collection
TMNT Fall of the Foot Clan - GB - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT II: The Arcade Game - NES - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT The Hyperstone Heist - GEN - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT II: Back From The Sewers - GB - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT Tournament Fighters - NES - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT Tournament Fighters - GEN - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT Tournament Fighters - SNES - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT III: Radical Rescue - GB - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT III: The Manhattan Project - NES - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT IV: Turtles in Time - SNES - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT: Turtles in Time - Arcade - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

Goldeneye - N64 - via Rare Replay XBX

Super Mario Bros 3 - NES - NSO - Switch

Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD - WiiU

Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins - GB - NSO - Switch

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princes HD - WiiU

Legend of Zelda - NES - Game and Watch

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD - Switch

Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Switch

Mario Odyssey - Switch

Zelda II: Adventure of Link - NES - NSO - Switch

Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past - SNES - NSO - Switch

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Switch

Deathloop - XBX

Cadence of Hyrule - Switch

Mega Man 2 - NES - Switch via Mega Man Legacy Collection

Mega Man 3 - NES - Switch via Mega Man Legacy Collection 

Redfall - XBX

High on Life - XBX

Stray - XBX

Texas Chain Saw Massacre - XBX

Starfield - XBX

Dead Space (2023) - XBX

Castlevania: Legends - GB - NSO - Switch

Dr. Mario - NES - NSO - Switch

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - X360 

Assassin's Creed Mirage - XBX

 

TOTAL GAMES - 44

Edited by EH_STEVE
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*Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS): 1/16/23

*Fire Emblem Engage (Switch): 2/17/23

*Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch): 2/27/23

*Neptunia x SENRAN KAGURA: Ninja Wars (Switch): 4/19/23

*Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Future Redeemed (Switch): 5/1/23

*Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (3DS): 6/20/23

*Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS): 7/10/23

*Gal Guardians: Demon Purge (Switch): 7/16/23

*Pikmin 4 (Switch): 7/30/23

*The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch): 9/17/23

*Valkyria Chronicles (Switch): 10/2/23

*Doom 2016 (Switch): 10/19/23

*Radical Dreamers (Switch): 10/30/23

*Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition (Switch): 11/24/23

Edited by Tyranogre
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Eliwood8's Games Beaten in 2023:

 

Console: 88

Handheld: 1

PC: 1

Overall: 90

 

Full games list:

Spoiler

January:

1. Shovel Knight Dig (Switch)

2. Harvestella (Switch)

3. Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Switch)

4. Stray (PS5)

5. Injustice 2 (PS5)

6. In Sound Mind (Switch)

7. Superhot (PS5)

8. Tunic (Switch)

9. Toem (PS5)

10. Minute of Islands (Switch)

11. Elderand (Switch)

12. Paradise Killer (Switch)

 

February:

13. Alfred Hitchcock - Vertigo (Switch)

14. Fire Emblem Engage (Switch)

15. Katamari Damacy Reroll (Switch)

16. Piczle Lines 2: Into the Puzzleverse (Switch)

 

March:

17. Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line (Switch)

18. Little Nightmares II (Switch)

19. 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure (Switch)

20. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch)

21. Cadence of Hyrule (Switch)

22. The Red Lantern (Switch)

23. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (Switch)

 

April:

24. Dawn of the Monsters (Switch)

25. Octopath Traveler II (Switch)

26. Kirby's Dream Land (GB - Switch)

27. Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB - Switch)

28. Cult of the Lamb (Switch)

29. Figment 2: Creed Valley (Switch)

 

May:

30. God of War: Ragnarok (PS5)

31. Ikenfell (Switch)

32. Garden Story (Switch)

33. Haven (Switch)

 

June:

34. The Pathless (Switch)

35. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)

36. The Knight Witch (Switch)

37. Tchia (PS5)

38. Trek to Yomi (PS5)

39. Bramble: The Mountain King (Switch)

40. Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intermission (PS5)

 

July:

41. Signalis (Switch)

42. Man of Medan (PS5)

43. Dicey Dungeons (Switch)

44. Ghostwire Tokyo (PS5)

45. Moonscars (Switch)

46. Alan Wake Remastered (PS5)

47. Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp - Campaign 1 (Switch)

48. Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp - Campaign 2 (Switch)

49. Teslagrad 2 (Switch)

50. Pikmin 4 (Switch)

 

August:

51. DREDGE (Switch)

52. Resident Evil Village (PS5)

53. Disney Illusion Island (Switch)

54. Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery (Switch)

55. Picross S8 (Switch)

56. Soundfall (Switch)

57. The Artful Escape (Switch)

58. Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands (Steam)

 

September:

59. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

60. Humanity (PS5)

61. Ghost Song (Switch)

62. Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)

63. Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy (Switch)

64. Sea of Stars (PS5)

65. ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni (Switch)

 

October:

66. Shadows Over Loathing (Switch)

67. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5)

68. Ruined King: A League of Legends Story (Switch)

69. This Way Madness Lies (Switch)

70. Detective Pikachu Returns (Switch)

71. Pikmin (Switch)

72. Pikmin 2 (Switch)

73. The Pedestrian (PS5)

74. Mortal Kombat 1 (Switch)

75. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)

 

November:

76. Blasphemous 2 (Switch)

77. Callisto Protocol (PS5)

78. WarioWare: Move It! (Switch)

79. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Switch)

80. Inscryption (PS5)

 

December:

81. Mineko's Night Market (Switch)

82. Super Mario RPG (Switch)

83. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (Switch)

84. Persona 5 Tactica (Switch)

85. Have a Nice Death (Switch)

86. Smile for Me (Switch)

87. Howl (Switch)

88. Dave the Diver (Switch)

89. The Forest Quartet (Switch)

90. Portal (Switch)

 

Edited by Eliwood8
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Link, the Hero of Dream's beaten games of 2023: 

 
1) Console – 36
2) Handheld – 3
3) PC – 6
4) Mobile – 2
5) Overall – 47

 

1/13- Poke'mon Crystal Nuzlocke for Nintendo 3DS 

 

I took a different approach, only using Gen II Poke'mon, or Poke'mon associated with Gen II. Because of that stipulation, Gen II was harder than imagined, so I tweaked a few rules: 

 

1. Explosion Clause: Anything that un-alives itself will NOT count towards a death. Seriously, screw that. 

2. Ho-Oh Clause: I can revive all of my Poke'mon if they defeat it or I capture it.

3. Elite Four Clause: I can revive all of my Poke'mon after losing or winning against the champ.

4. Dratini Clause: It's fair game. The only dragon else to get is a Kingdra, and I have limited trading options.

 

That's actually what happened with my round with the last Generation to make it a lot fairer. So, here's my Hall of Fame Team: 

 

DeadToAliv (Ariados) Level 54 

Roman (Togetic) Level 51 

Pooh (Piloswine) Level 53 

WellDone (Dragonair) Level 54 

Alphared (Shiny LOR Gyrados) Level 52

Kathy (Meganium) Level 53  

 

I got far, but if I remember, I lost Smash (Jigglypuff), Derpy (Quagsire), Strange (Oddish), First Movie (Snubbul). 

 

With the Elite Four done, I'll travel to Kanto. And since I have a Poke'mon Yellow Game Save, I might Time Capsule some Poke'mon... and even take on Red.  

 

1/13- Fire Emblem Heroes Chapter VI for Mobile 

 

Can't believe I forgot about this. 

 

1/29- Pokemon Emerald NuzLocke for GBA. 

 

Unlike my first two Generation look backs, I made Poke'mon Emerald fair game when it came to the rules of Nuzlockes. Like the last two games, I could only use Poke'mon from Gen III, or any evolutions or such that involve Gen III.  

 

So, with that said, my Hall of Fame team is... 

 

Jaiden (Blaziken, Level 63) 

Ruby (Flygon, Level 60) 

Danger (Absol, Level 61) 

Dued (Sableye, Level 60) 

Aaron (Aggron, Level 60) 

Pop (SHINY MANETRIC, Level 61)

  

 2/7- Hades for Nintendo Switch 
 

Spoiler

Hades has been one of the most interesting games that was under my radar for some time. It is one of the best games of 2020, and I love Green and Roman mythology. I never heard of Zagreus’ tale until I began playing it. When I heard that this game was a rogue-like, feelings of unease came flooding down. The last game I played, Shovel Knight Dig, was one of the most unfair games I ever played, maybe. And to an extent… Hades is too. But, in kind of a sadistic way or so, Hades tells players that DEATH isn’t the end, it’s only the beginning. Hades teaches the player that each death can make the player better. Still, does that design mentality really come across in this game? 
 
Hades is about Zagreus, the son of Hades, who is the lord of the underworld. Because of the constant abuse that he suffers from his father, Zagreus wants to really escape Hell and reach Earth. Though Zagreus has many friends who live in hell like Achilles, his pet Cerberus, and Hypnos, the god of sleep, Zagreus can’t take any more pain from Hades. He gets indirect help from ten gods (and the titan Chaos), who supply him with boons to make his trouble better. Even his uncles Zeus and Poseidon help him out. Still, a lot of minions under Hades’ contract, like the trio of Furies, will try to stop Zagreus any chance they get. And that’s all for now. The main plot is simple, but each character in this game shines with personality. Like for example… Medusa. Or Dusa in this game. She’s often known to be a devious and cold monster of sorts in real life, but in Hades, she’s funny, quirky, and seems to have a crush on Zagreus. Nyx, the goddess of night, tries to help out Zagreus any way she can, but she’s also the wife of Hades, which complicates things. Thanatos, the god of death, has a serious rivalry with Zagreus, but his means of competition is to see who kills more minions in an encounter. Honestly, Charon is my favorite. He’s a shopkeeper, and sells various wares. He has this mumble or groan that somehow only Zagreus can understand. He’s just a chill dude.  
 
Hades is one of the best looking indie games ever. I’m not joking. For a game about Greek Mythology and escaping Hell, the actual game is quite charming. Every character is expressive and has a lot of detail. The soundtrack is top notch too, even if it seems more ambient until the minibosses and bosses appear. Eurydice’s and Orpheus’ songs are poetic and amazing too. 
 
I have mixed feelings of the gameplay. First off, the game has six different weapons, with four different customization features. Zagreus can only wield his trusty sword at first; but as the game goes on, he gets the other weapons. My main weapon was the bow, because it has some stellar reach, and with the right boons, it is lovely to use. In tight hallways and smaller rooms, it’s worse, but that’s my only real problem with it. Each weapon has an attack, a special attack, and a cast. The attacks only attack one enemy; the special several; and the call has its own perk depending on the boon and weapon. Zagreus also has a dash, and a devastating move from each god. 
 
Zagreus will collect several items on his journey, from keys to jewels and to currency. Each collectible has its own use, whether buying stuff from Charon, upgrading the house of Hades, or improving Zagreus’ skills. Boons are basically skills that Zagreus can learn from each god. There’s also a chance of upgrading Zagreus’ weapon, and even upgrading a boon’s effect.  However, each door Zagreus enters determines the god/goddess, and Zagreus can only choose one of three boons. And, when a run is over by death, those boons and upgrades are gone too. The only way of getting them again is finding the right room with the right god/goddess. There’s also the possibility of two or more doors appearing, and a skull that says the next challenge might be harder. The one wild card is… Chaos. They take some of Zagreus’ health, and will give him a bonus, provided Zagreus passes a few chamber under certain conditions, like enemies taking more damage.  
 
The underworld has four different levels, consisting of Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and Styx. Each level has their own enemies, traps, and layouts. And bosses, of course. Each room and their enemies are randomly generated, so maybe Elysium might be easier than Tartarus on a certain run. Some rooms provide interesting challenges, while other rooms offer rest and relaxation, like rooms Charon occupies.  
 
Now, here’s I get a little salty. Some enemies are really hard and a pain to avoid. On my list are the gorgon heads and the little bone hydra things. And most of the vial goons from Asphodel. Elysium has its own problems, with it being mostly the warriors that one has to defeat both their human-like form and their soul form, or else the soul regenerates back to being “human” and they gain all their HP. … And to add to it are any ball mages. There’s also those pesky poison dagger throwers in Styx that I always give the middle finger to. But, nothing comes as annoying or as deviously sinister to… the butterfly-summoning balls. Seriously, they spawn and spread countless soul-sucking butterflies, which adds up after a while. I REALLY, REALLY DESPISE the miniboss one, where it’s also expecting you to fight several warriors too. It also doesn’t help that random enemies also have armor, which means more HP and more annoying stuff to deal with. There are sometimes traps in areas to mitigate this problem, but the problem is that the player can also be hit by such traps if not careful enough. I would sing higher praise for this game if some of these groups of certain enemies did not appear at all. I know this game tries to tell the player that death makes a player stronger and wiser, but that doesn’t work if the randomness of each run can be swung in the wrong direction. I blame the Fates, as they’re the problem.  
 
Speaking of which, so Zagreus learns that Nyx isn’t his mother; but Persephone, the goddess of harvest. As a guy who loves Persephone… yes! Yes! YES! Zagreus not only goes to the outside, the surface, but he finally meets his birthmother. After defeating Hades finally, Zagreus arrives in the cold lands of Greece. He comes across his mother’s home, who rightfully questions Zagreus’ existence. Apparently, Zagreus was never meant to be. He’s technically dead. After spending some moments with his mother, Zagreus feels a chill, and… DIES?! (Wait, that can’t be right, I beat this game fair…. OH. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE %^$^#@$@ING KIDDING ME!) Zagreus returns to the house of Hades. … And he plans to make his escape.  
 
So, this is where mechanics come into play, like the Pact of Punishment, but… This game requires the player to beat Hades… TEN. TIMES. Never have I seen an egregious means of game longevity. Sure, maybe that was to extent the drama of each run, but… there’s no end credits until the player beats Hades ten times. It would be so much better if each boss wasn’t recycled to an extent. Sure, the Fury sisters are an exception, but as for the Bone Hydra, and the Minotaur and Theseus, they use random patterns each encounter. And after a while, it just gets tedious to defeat them again and again. Monotonous, thy name is Hades. I know it might thematically make sense from the theming perspective, but Shovel Knight Dig wasn’t this bad.     Still, the main reason for these deaths out of nowhere are to serve for a huge draw of this game: The Pact of Punishment. After Zagreus defeats Hades each time, several conditions will appear, like enemies having more HP. For each upgraded heat, the same rewards from the last run reappear as well. This means it could take players months or so to complete Hades. But, this is somewhat a necessary evil, because weapons, house upgrades and the like are tied with the rewards. Again, this would be so much more fun, if most of the bosses weren’t recycled. Trying to fight Theseus and the Minotaur in particular is challenging. They’re one of the most dynamic bosses I’ve ever faced. There’s also a chance of facing the Minotaur… Asterius as a mini-boss. He losses health during the boss fight, but… that’s plain annoying. The Pact of Punishment has a condition that makes the bosses and minibosses harder too… Just, why?   
 
There is an upside to this. Zagreus gets perks from talking to his friends and giving them gifts, using his bedroom mirror and giving darkness, and using Titan Blood to upgrade and get new aspects of his weapon. I in particular LOVE LOVE LOVE the Aspect of Rama. It has a spread special that damages nearby enemies and gives bonus damage when using the basic attack, and it creates a wave. It has a long charge, it’s not ideal up-close, and the way to unlock it can take a while, but it’s been my favorite weapon to now use. And, the player doesn’t need to use the Pact of Punishment to beat the game. It’s there for challenging the players, and nothing more. And the thing is… after a while, beating the game using the Pact was kind of satisfying. Don’t get me wrong; this game can have its moments of B.S. (Like fighting those laser crystals in Styx when there’s barely any place for cover.) It’s never impossible. Getting the right boons, and playing with certain combinations that the player would never dream of… is really special. I somehow completed a run using only boons that I could only get one out of three options for. I got lucky. It also helped that I used perks that helped me beat each run. Cerberus’ accessory alone is a god-send. Speaking of which, thank gosh there’s a god mode that reduces damage taken after each death. It doesn’t make the player vulnerable, but… that means DEATH isn’t the ending.   
 
Going back to the ending, after beating Hades nine times, he kind of… gives up fighting Zagreus on the tenth attempt. Even though there’s a consequence of Persephone leaving the surface to return to her husband, which could start a war of untold magnitude, Persephone takes that chance. But to make sure the other Olympians do not find out about Persephone’s return until a means of peace is obtained, Zagreus agrees to fight his way out of the Underworld, so that the Olympians are distracted for a while until a solution is found. This ending… is kind of genius. And maybe devilish in disguise.   

 

I never had such a complex relationship with a game like Hades, and like Zagreus’ relationship with his father too. The only thing that really soured me a little was the means of replay value. I wish there more bosses, not as brutal RNG and enemy design, and maybe a better collectable system. Because Hades is one of the best games I’ve played period. I can’t wait to play the sequel when it comes out this year! 
 

  2/20- Fire Emblem Engage for Nintendo Switch  

Spoiler

Fire Emblem Engage was going to be a mystery for me. Because after the brilliance of Three Houses nearly four years ago, I didn’t know if the next game in the series would be just as grand. When I saw a preview or so, I think, Engage felt like it was going to be… Awakening 2.0. I mean it has been… TEN YEARS… Whereas Awakening was made to save the franchise from certain doom, Engage was coming off from a more realistic setting. Of course, Fire Emblem has had different styles here and there. Engage felt like the most cartoony in years. That doesn’t mean that kind of stylistic choices don’t make for a bad game. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is a perfect example of that. Putting that aside for now, what do I think of Fire Emblem Engage? 
 
The story starts off with another boy/girl adrift in sleep. They’re named Alear in the game, but like in other games since New Mystery of the Emblem, the player can choose their name and gender. And thrust into things, Alear wakes up near two twins and an old guard. And like most of the avatars before him… he has amnesia. The old guard, named Vander, and his pupils, Flanne and Clamme, tell Alear that they are a Divine Dragon, and they have slept for a thousand years after the end against a powerful Dragon named Sombron. The three accompany the awoken avatar to his mother, who has been waiting for this return. On his way, however, Alear and their group are attacked by creatures known as The Corrupted. The Corrupted are puppets under the rule of Sombron. Alear is at first afraid of fighting these creatures; but a voice calls out to him from a ring Alear held onto. Alear summons Emblem Marth, the Hero-King of legends. Although The Corrupted seem endless, a dragon in white attacks the monsters. She transforms into her human form, and introduces herself as Queen Lumera, one of the last of the Divine Dragons. And, yes, Alear’s mother. Although she is happy to see her child, Alear gives her the bad news of their memory loss. Undeterred, Queen Lumera welcomes Alear to her home and the land of Somniel. Queen Lumera is aware that some people or some force are trying to fully resurrect Sombron. Still, all is not lost, as Sombron is not at full power for now, and he needs the might of the twelve Emblem rings to truly restore himself. Alear has already seen Marth in action; so Queen Lumera pulls out Emblem Sigurd, the known crusader of the Holy War, in a practice battle. While figuring out what to do next, the Somniel grounds are under attack by more of The Corrupted. A prince from Firene, called Alfred, came by to help stop them. A good amount of Emblem Rings have been stolen from their chamber. A mysterious figure attacks Alear, and almost kills them; but Queen Lumera shields them from a deadly blast. Alear is overtaken by grief, knowing that the promise they made to talk with Queen Lumera more couldn’t happen anymore. Although the grounds are in shambles, and the queen is dead, Alfred needs help fending off these creatures in his kingdom. Alfred gives the run-down of each kingdom: Firene is a supple country known for peace and prosperity; Brodia is a harsh land known for power and strength; Elusia is a cold kingdom known for wisdom and knowledge; and Solm is a desert known for freedom. Elusia’s forces are the ones at play trying to summon Sombron at full power, and they mean to go to war with the other three kingdoms. They’re trying to find and take the Emblem Rings for him. And that’s all I’ll say. There are some interesting moments I really enjoyed, and most of the ensemble cast are some of my favorites. Each of the playable characters have their unique quirks and backstories, and it reminded me so much of the nature of Awakening, in a sense. Although the game took some inspiration from Awakening with some of its locations and themes… that never bothered me at all. Each location had a unique charm, and a memorable gimmick. Not all of the gimmicks are good, I’ll say that. *stares at any place with miasma* As for Somniel, it’s definitely smaller than the Garreg Mach Monastery… but that kind of makes it better. Everything is concise, and each activity of the place arrives after mostly each chapter. 
 
Like I said, the game has a little more of a cartoonish style. Coming from Three Houses, people may criticize the game for being too anime. Personally, I never found it contrasting with the story and tone at all. Engage may be the goofiest Fire Emblem, still. Some of the support conversations are hilarious. Like the interactions with Boucheron. The man is tall and buff like Ike… but has like a normal day, and even cries when reading a good book. A lot of these characters earn the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Engage does have dramatic moments, like the death scene of the mother. (Even if the “pinkie-promise” moment of that scene is a little cringe.) It’s maybe the most light-hearted game of the series, but it’s still a story about war and conflict. As for the music, I can’t name most of the songs, but I feel like it fits better than the trap beats and moments of Three Houses. And because of the nostalgia pandering, some older songs come in a medley and are remixed. I love it. The voice acting is just as welcome as the last game. The only problem at times are the drops in frame rate, but that was more of when characters moved more than anything.    
 
The game-play with swords, lances, axes, bows, magic, daggers, staves, and fists/qi remain the same, as well as armored, cavalry, flying/wyvern, and dragon units. So, what has changed? New weapons, such as blades, have a new smash ability. They can send a unit flying when done correctly, and they hit more than other weapons, but the person wielding the smash weapon attacks after the enemy does. Next is the breaking system. Remember the weapon triangle? Let’s say if a sword unit hits an ax unit, the unit drops the weapon and cannot attack. The unit whose weapon broke cannot attack for the rest of a turn, and that means more ample opportunities for characters to attack them without mercy. All of the qi users can break bow, magic, and dagger units in order to balance the qi’s lack of attack range. There is a caveat to this system, however. The enemy can also use smash weapons, and can also break weapons. So, don’t put an axe unit near a sword unit’s range. Also, daggers have a new poison system. It doesn’t outright poison the character, but increases the damage of other characters afterwards. It seems really strange, so I wish basic poisoning was in the game. The pair-up system also got an overhaul. Instead of applying the base attack of the partner, it’s about 2-9 damage from each partner. That’s right, each partner. What’s also known as a chain attack, characters surrounding the enemy attack first with their lower damage, before the main attacker attacks. That’s why the breaking system is also integral, since it leaves many characters vulnerable to strikes like these if they’re not careful. Even on the easiest difficulty, this game takes no prisoner. Skills have also returned, but it’s like returning to Path of Radiance levels. Each character has their own skills based on themselves and their classes. But, Emblem Skills and Inherited Skills are new. I’ll get to them when talking about the Engage Rings. Like Shadows of Valentia and Awakening, the map occasionally has skirmishes. During any kind of battle, yellow and purple circles will appear. The yellow ones will reward a unit Bond Fragments, regular EXP, or Bond EXP; the purple just any item. Also, don’t worry about lock-picking anything; since ANYONE CAN OPEN A CHEST LIKE IT’S THEIR BIRTHDAY! That took me a while to register, since it kind of made thieves somewhat unnecessary, even if the first one I got is funny and cool. And, just break doors and walls too. No repercussions. As for the weapon skill system… it’s gone. For the most part. Most characters base game can wield up to B-level weapons. The master and second seals are back too. And, this game also has its version of Divine Pulse too, but it’s more like the unlimited Mila’s Turnwheel.   
 
But, if a player wants to change a mage to a fighter, how is that possible? The new Emblem Ring system. Characters can wield only one Emblem Ring, and an Emblem Ring can only be equipped to one character per fight. While Engaged with an Emblem, the character can use weapons, skills, and big attacks with flair. The latter two options can only be used once per engage, but mostly do not allow for the enemy to counterattack. The Emblems’ weapons can be used to. Still, there are some things to point out. The Engage Meter drains after a few turns, and can only refuel by hitting enemies. Only one weapon unique to the Emblems can be used. And, they can’t use any skills of an Emblem they don’t have equipped any more. Still, there are the two things known as the Bond levelling up system and Skill Inheritance. Like the support conversations, the bonds between the user and the Emblem will raise per action. With each level up, the characters can learn certain skills from the Emblem. There are checkpoints for each bond: level 5, 10, 15, and 20. At level 5, the skills the characters learned up to that point can be inherited without the need of an Emblem Ring. At level 10 and 20, the amount of turns Engaged with the Emblem goes up. At level 15, the best weapons from each Emblem can be used. The Emblems have three weapons overall. However, unlike skills, they can’t be inherited. The Emblems also award proficiencies as well when leveling up their bonds, which replace the weapon skill system. The arena in this game doesn’t use money this time, but there can only be three duels after each battle. However, that’s not the case for dueling Emblems. Instead of EXP, the Bond EXP goes up. Still, there’s a trade-off. Because these duels can raise the Emblems’ Levels per the checkpoints, they need Bond Fragments. Bond Fragments are easy to collect, such as going to the circles mentioned, winning a battle, and exploring the Somniel. The Bond Fragments are used for other things, like making these dinky rings based on the Emblems’ origins, and engraving a weapon after them. … The Bond leveling up thing is way more important there.  (And that’s the same thing for donating to a country to buying actual weapons and so on. Don’t donate.) The Emblem Rings have a room where the players can do other stuff like the aforementioned Skill Inheritance and cleaning and polishing. In order to actually inherit skills, the character must use their SP, Skill Points. Be wary of some how much some SP are needed for some skills. Sometimes, characters get not enough SP, and some of the bigger ones cost like 3,000. Just go after the skills that are good, but are basic versions of said skills. Also, watch out when an inherited skill overlaps with the Emblem they have. Also, only two inherited skills can be used at a time. It’s more like Path of Radiance’s version compared to Awakening’s. The two +15 Hit Skills can’t be used together. Then there’s polishing the rings. It takes about twenty seconds to polish them from horrible to clean condition; and if a player does it firmly, the Emblem will chastise the character for polishing the ring too much. This is another way to earn Bond EXP, even if it’s kind of lousy to get some quirky lines from the Emblems every three seconds. (I got the Expansion Pass and got and used the Tiki Emblem like a saint. It helps with some of the middle moments and final stretches of the game.) 
 
What else is there? The Somniel has more than just the rings; it also has the arena and houses the place to buy weapons and so on … Uh, the player can adopt animals… It only rewards some grub, gifts, and sometime Bond Fragments… The player can get a random character to cook for Alear and two other characters to raise their support. … The player can pet and feed a spirit named Sommie for Bond Fragments… The characters can wear random stuff while at the Somniel … Other stuff and activities appear after some chapters happen… Such as using amiibo to get tickets for some extra costumes and music. I didn’t say that the Somniel was totally useful. But, there are achievements (which should be milestones) that reward Bond Fragments too.       
 
The things with the game-play and the hub-world might have given anyone the idea I hate this game. I don’t. The rewinding feature makes for some of my problems with the combat, and most of the stuff in The Somniel is rather optional. Fire Emblem Engage is challenging, but fair. Getting rushed by a group of enemies is annoying, but doing the opposite to them is satisfying. It’s a charming game too. It does have a few cracks, but most of the polish of the game is still there. 2023 started out with a high banger for me. And that’s rare for a game to do that early in a year. I’m not sure how other games in 2023 will follow this.    

Edited by Link, the Hero of Dreams
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I beat what I beat when I beat it....

 

1/1/23

 

MK8DLXBP Wave 3 > 1* rank all cups

*Also went back in and boosted up some star rankings for other DLC Cups I was lacking.

#1/7 3* Mirror and down all cups

#1/8 3* ALL

 

4/1 >1* MK8DLXBP Wave 4 >1* all cups

 

12/31 Minimum Gold Cup ALL

*3* 100cc and down

Min 1* 150cc, Mirror

-Got 3 Cups left to 3* 

-Got 4 Cups left to 3*

-200cc 6 Cups left to 3*

*1/1/24 Updated for 3* 150cc and down

*1/2/24 Updated  for 3* Mirror and down

 

12/25/23

Super Mario Wonder

--Beat boss

--Working on Bonus Levels.

Edited by purple_beard
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First update of the year! Gonna try to play through a couple more backlogged games before this year's new titles release (notably Fire Emblem Engage and Octopath Traveler II).

 

- Shovel Knight Dig (Switch)
The Shovel Knight gameplay does translate to a Roguelike pretty decently, but what this game is sorely missing is variety. The relics and accessories just don't make each run feel unique enough, which is a huge problem for a Roguelike.
 
- Harvestella (Switch)
There's a decent farming sim here, and a decent action-RPG. I'm just not sure they totally work together in this game.
 
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Switch)
What an all around delightful game, just warm and fun. Also a surprisingly mature game, not as in M-rated, but in the way it handles its narrative themes. I didn't really love the boss fights, at the very least they might be a tad too long, but otherwise a great game.
 
- Stray (PS5)
A fun little adventure platformer. Not quite what I expected though, having only really seen the early trailers. I think I almost would've preferred that it didn't have any action scenes at all, and just be about a cat wandering around.
 
- Injustice 2 (PS5)
Fighting games aren't really my thing to begin with, but meh, Injustice 2 really didn't grab me. I remember liking the story mode in the first game, but this one was just kinda average.
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1 hour ago, Link, the Hero of Dreams said:

 

It could be worse. 

 

You could have played the NES TMNT game. Damn Dam level and all. 

That's what I'm playing now. I actually have no issue with the dam level. Back when I was heavy into collecting NES games I also wanted to BEAT every game I owned, and had never finished this one, so I played it. A lot. I had a few zero-damage dam runs on my NES. I could get all the way to the Technodrome without losing a SINGLE turtle, let alone using a continue.

 

...but that final hallway before Shredder with all the enemy spawns and just constant barrage of attacks, couldn't do it. Even farming sub-weapons, I couldn't get passed it. I've never done a non-assist completion of that game, and don't think I will (been using the rewind feature on the collection).

 

EDIT: Although clearly my skills have diminished over time, this was my dam run last night. Rewind was only used for the final stretch as I was determined to beat the level in one shot and time was BARELY on my side:

325576393_513695854078410_527619461283586712_n.jpg

Edited by EH_STEVE
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - NES - XBX via Cowabunga Collection
TMNT Fall of the Foot Clan - GB - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

 

Finished NES TMNT, yes I used the rewind, but actually a lot less than I anticipated. Fall of the Foot Clan, I didn't use it at all, but some stages definitely took a few tries.

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TMNT II: Back From The Sewers - GB - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT Tournament Fighters - NES - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

TMNT Tournament Fighters - GEN - XBX via Cowabunga Collection

 

Okay, so why is the second GB game significantly worse in like every way? Graphics, levels, bosses. Konami dropped what Ultra started.

TMNT Tournament Fighters, I was expecting to only count these as one, but being halfway through the SNES version now and finishing the two above, they're all soooo different from each other! Characters, moves, fighting styles. Nice to see the Smash Ball's beginnings in the NES version with the "fireball". 

Also, these fighting games are hard as BALLS! I had to use rewind quite a bit to get through. AI blocks EVERYTHING and retaliates hard, even on the easiest setting.

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