Video Games Finished in 2023

[EH_STEVE]

Stray - XBX

 

Very cute, very short.

[Link, the Hero of Dreams]

8/17- Arcade Archives Ice Climber for Nintendo Switch: 
 
Everyone knows about Popo and Nana from Ice Climber, right? And the NES/arcade game from the 80s? When I perused the Nintendo Switch shop a few days ago, I was at the beach, and thought about a nice comfy game to cool me off. I was thinking it was going to be a fun time. What do I think on it now? … It’s not really fun. 
 
Ice Climber is about a mountain climber, Popo, getting to the top of these mountains, or the summit in the game lore. He collects fruit and breaks stuff and the wildlife with his trusty hammer. There’s also 2-Player fun, and Nana joins the fun. Simple, usual arcade stuff. 
 
Okay, so the actual game is barebones. The game’s wintry mountains barely count as mountains, and only ice is covered in the usual white and light blue tint. The enemies are basic, even the polar bears. There’s this one deadly bee that has no right to be in the game. As for the music… it’s definitely better in the Super Smash Bros. games. I also hate the breezy wind effect, which sounds like it comes from a funnel. 
 
Ice Climber is about going up 48 mountains. Popo can whack enemies with his hammer, and can break ice above him. And he can jump. That’s all. It’s the enemies and obstacles that kind of make this game a chore to play. The Topi collect ice to build platforms that sometimes block Popo’s path upward. It’s annoying. Some pelicans and those bees attack from random places. It’s annoying. If Popo doesn’t scroll up after a while, a polar bear appears and makes the scroll move up. If Popo doesn’t have anything to stand on, he loses a life. It’s annoying. The walls reverse Popo’s trajectory. It’s annoying. Wind and ice blocks and platforms make Popo move a certain way. It’s annoying. Once Popo reaches beyond the eighth mile or whatever, he enters a Bonus Stage. He has about a minute or so to grab onto a pterodactyl or Mothra. It’s annoying when the moving platforms don’t go the way you wanted. Also, the moving platforms. And stalactites. They’re annoying. Then there’s the Super Bonus Levels that also makes Popo climb the top of the mountain. The platforming on those is such annoying. Each time Popo completes that, he moves on to the 25-48 levels or  1-24. The difficulty of each mountain seems so inconsistent too. It’s annoying.    
 
Ice Climber is an annoying game. I really wanted to like this game, but the controls and enemies make this game really annoying. Oh, and I actually climbed all of the summits. All 48 levels, and even the bonus ones. I made Popo even grab those pterodactyls and Mothras. The reward?! … PLAY THE GAME ALL OVER AGAIN! No credits, no super duper boss. Nothing. Sure, arcade games are supposed to be simple, but if a game like Donkey Kong, that came out years ago, teaches players that getting to the final stage, overcoming all of the obstacles, and defeating the titular ape means getting Pauline, then I have a little bit higher standards for a game that frustrated me to no end. Ice Climber is only a novelty because of Popo and Nana, but it’s one of the most unfair and most difficult platformers I’ve ever played. Players should only play this like an actual arcade game with zero expectations of actually finishing this game. I completed all 48 levels, and got nothing out of my curiosity.         
 

I don't care if i'm breaking my spoiler rule for the game above. I just didn't like this game as much as I wanted to. Which is a darn shame.  

[Eliwood8]

- DREDGE (Switch)

A solidly addictive fishing adventure, though I would've liked to see the horror elements brought out a little more.

 

- Resident Evil Village (PS5)

Because I promised to wait to play RE4 Remake with my siblings I replayed Village to get my RE fix. I do like it but I'd definitely place it under RE7 or RE2 Remake. Still wish the castle section was longer too.

 

- Disney Illusion Island (Switch)

Game is a little too easy and a little too simple, but the Mickey Mouse humor is on point and the animation is nice, so it's a good game for kids.

 

- Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery (Switch)

Cute little game with lovely artwork and animation. I do wish it was longer, or that there was just more to the gameplay.

 

- Picross S8 (Switch)

Gotta get my yearly Picross fix.

[EH_STEVE]

Texas Chain Saw Massacre - XBX

 

Not sure how one would count these as "beat" - but I have survived at least 10 matches with some full team escapes. And as Killer, I have won at least 10 matches with some full kill matches. I've also maxed at least one Skill Tree for both a Victim and a Family member.

[Shadow118]

Yesterday I finally beat Arceus 

 

Pokedex 100% and now have the Shiny Charm

 

Feels good to be finally done with the main and post game though…

 

missed a few requests that i didn’t know about since I didn’t mess with the photo stuff too much… and one balloon race and two Solitude quests to do…..

[Eliwood8]

- Soundfall (Switch)

Cool concept but it didn't totally harmonize for me.

 

- The Artful Escape (Switch)

Awesome visuals and a good story about self-expression, though I do wish there was a little more to the gameplay.

 

- Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands (Steam)

Exactly as ridiculous as I expected it to be, bravo. I hope he gets back to updating the webcomic regularly now though.

 

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

Almost forgot how much of a love letter to A Link to the Past this game is. I recognize so much stuff not necessarily because I've played A Link Between Worlds before but because I've played A Link to the Past so many times. Still a blast too.

 

- Humanity (PS5)

Great puzzle game, sort of like Lemmings. There's a good amount of variety to the mechanics without feeling overwhelming.

[Link, the Hero of Dreams]

9/15- Aladdin for Nintendo Switch (both the fixed Sega Genesis version, and the SNES version) 

 

Two different games, both have great and awkward moments. Even if both games are amazing, I can't much comment on the soundtracks, as I had to mute them for a bit.  

[Link, the Hero of Dreams]

9/17- Mortal Kombat for PC 

Spoiler

Mortal Kombat turned 30, so what is a better way to celebrate than to play the first three games! I played the first game, in honor of this occasion. Mortal Kombat was a big hit of the 1990s, because of the infamous bloody combat that contributed to the ESRB rating system games are known for today. This game, and eventually franchise, competed with the tamer Street Fighter games and franchise. Both still go on today, and there's even fan wars of which franchise ism better. 

 

Mortal Kombat has an interesting story. About a thousand years ago, the worlds of EarthRealm and Outworld competed in tournaments of blood and gore. This was Mortal Kombat. Shang Tsung, a shapeshifting priest, promised his mysterious master that he would conquer EarthRealm in order for him to return to Outworld. And, he was really close, since he won about nine of the ten tournaments needed for complete control. But, EarthRealm's protector Raiden vowed to stop him by collecting several combatants. Will Raiden and company stop Shang Tsung, or is all hope lost? I like this story's lore, because I have known what happens later on in the series' first reboot.  

 

The game's presentation might be dated, but it was revolutionary for the time. The worlds and stages and characters are nicely detailed. Speaking of characters,  most of the characters were digitalized, and that amount of work was unique for its time. As for the music... its a Klassic. But, maybe the best part of the game from the audial standpoint are the sound effects. Players yelling, and attacks connecting never felt so so good. 

 

Each character has a high and low kick, as well as their punch variation. These games also have a designated block button, which feels weird. But, two of the most interesting parts of this game mechanically are the blood and the fatalities. Blood flies over the place, and in retaliation from politicians, the rating system known as the ESRB was introduced to somewhat made sure kids didn't outright buy the game themselves. Now it was the parents' fault if they didn't think their kid could handle it. The fatalities were basically overkill. Players had a few seconds to input button commands to see characters blow up, freeze, and so on. It's cheesy now compared to the recent games, but they're a famous and grateful inclusion to fighting games at the time.

 

As for the single-player, it's a ladder to get and eventually beat Shang-Tsung. The fighters in this game are: Liu Kang, a martial artist, Johnny Cage, a famous action star that is somehow really lucky and amazing in fighting, Sonya Blade, a female Special Forces agent, Kano, an outlaw and Sonya's target, Sub-Zero, an ice ninja, Scorpion, an undead fire ninja and Sub-Zero's rival, and Raiden, the Thunder God himself. But, not only does each player have to fight each of them, but they also have to fight three matches of 1 vs. 2 handicapped fights, the four-armed freak and cheap fighter Goro, and eventually the shape-shifter Shang-Tsung. The endurance to Shang-Tsung fights were difficult, but not impossible. I basically button spammed over and over again. (There is a secret boss fight, but I didn't care enough.) 

 

The first Mortal Kombat was groundbreaking for its time, but is bare compared to recent games. Still, this is the first game, and I can't wait to see the sequels.    

 
9/19- Mortal Kombat II for PC 

  

Spoiler

So, after I defeated Mortal Kombat, I just had to play II. It featured fan favorites like Kitana, a playable Shang-Tsung, and that jerk Shao Kahn. Let's get into it. *after a few hours and fights* %$#$#% $%#%$#@ %$#@% %$@%@ %$%$%%$%$@#%$#@%$#%@$#%@$%$@#%! Who turned up the game's difficulty?! THIS ISN'T FUN! I normally talk about this in my gameplay, but this game is so BS single player wise, that I straight up got an arcade emulator and used cheats. If I had to do that, then that's a problem. Unlike most other fighters, the first three Mortal Kombats have not seen re-releases with modern hardware and modern conveniences in mind. It's just not fun otherwise.  

 

Shang Tsung is defeated by EarthRealm's warriors, and is soundly defeated. However, he pleads with his master Shao Kahn not only to spare his life for his failure, but to host another tournament in their world. Shao Kahn agrees, and even though Raiden knows it's a trap, agrees to Chao Kahn's conditions. With the tournament now in Outworld, the stakes are much more dangerous.  

 

The game is slightly better than its predecessor in every way. Because of the new realm seen in this game, there's a lot more uniqueness in the stages and characters. The music and sound effects are just as effective as before.  

 

The game has the gameplay of the first game, but now includes friendships. I think that was mostly in turn because of the parents. 

 

Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero all return, now with a playable Shang-Tsung and a playable Reptile (the secret boss of the first game.) But, with a new game comes new Kharacters. They are: Baraka, a creature of the Tarkatan race known for their stabby appendages, Kung-Lao, Liu Kang's friend who has a metal saw blade hat like Oddjob from the James' Bond movie Goldfinger, Jax, Sonya's Special Forces buddy, Kitana, a female ninja that works under Shao Khan, and Mileena, Kitana's twin sister. Sub-Zero returns, even though it's assumed he died in the events of the first game thanks to Scorpion. As to what happened to Sonya and Kano, they are held prisoner by Shao Kahn.  

 

But, that's not all. Kintaro, a tiger-like mutant from Goro's race, serves as the penultimate boss. Then, there's the ruler of Outworld Shao Kahn. Kintaro is not as bad as Goro, or memorable compared to Goro; but Shao Kahn... is worse and harder than Shang Tsung. Maybe too powerful and cheap. That's why I had to cheat. No, wait, I had to cheat by like the fourth fight, because the AI is frustratingly hard. They are not only great at countering attacks, but they can throw. THEY CAN READ INPUTS, I SWEAR. As for the secret bosses, they're Jade, Mileena's friend with a pole, Noob Saibot, the original Sub-Zero who is the current Sub-Zero's brother that now is a shadow ninja and uses shadow magic, and Smoke, a ninja that uses smoke and gas. All of these characters are welcome editions to the series.

 

I don't regret cheating if the AI does. I fought fire with fire. It might be that way for Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. 

 

9/20- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for PC- 
 

Spoiler

Alright, it’s time for the last game in the original Mortal Kombat trilogy. All I can say now is… Mortal Kombat 9 is maybe better than these games in terms of difficulty. As for this game, I went with Ultimate Morkal Kombat 3, because the original game did not have Jade, Kitana, Reptile, and… Scorpion. This game also allows players to play as Mileena, Ermac (a warrior shaman who possesses multiple souls), and the Classic Sub-Zero with codes. 
 
Shao Kahn was defeated in the last game. He remembers his wife, Sindel, was trapped in EarthRealm. (Or maybe died too.) So, he tries to invade EarthRealm to reclaim his wife. But, said action also means conquering EarthRealm. This battle is EarthRealm’s last chance, and it seems like the worlds of EarthRealm and Outworld are dangerously mixing together. Will Raiden’s warriors finally stop Shao Kahn’s madness before it’s too late? The stakes are higher than ever! 
 
This game’s presentation goes for a more contemporary style than its predecessors. There’s a subway station, the streets, a bank, and even a riverbank. But, some of the most strange phenomena of the Outworld is present, like a bell tower, a portal, and a desert. Even Hell itself is a stage. The stage theming is kind of confusing in a sense to its predecessors, which might be a bad thing, if the lore didn’t explain why the contrast takes place. The collision of both worlds make the stages’ theming chaotic by choice. The music also works with the chaotic nature too, and all three of the original trilogy soundtracks are timeless. Though, I think the streets theme might be a little bit out of place. It sounds like a mid-90s hip hop song more than something that belongs in the game itself.  
 
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 changes the gameplay a little drastically. Not only is there a run button, but a combo system changed the battle mechanics. Also, there are animalities, brutalities, and mercies, even if the friendship mechanic is sadly gone, and the requirement to use animalities (by using mercies first) is kind of ridiculous. Plus, the animalities are just lame. As for the brutalities, think of them as upgraded versions of fatalities. 
 
The roster has some new fighters, but now some of the fighters gone seem shocking. Returning from the previous two games are: Liu Kang, Jax, Sonya, Kano, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Shang Tsung, and Smoke (a previously hidden character in the second game who is a robot). The Ultimate version thankfully put back Kitana, Reptile, and Scorpion, and Jade (another hidden character from the second game who is also Kitana’s friend and bodyguard). As for new characters, there are: Cyrax, another ninja turned robot, Kabal, a former ally of Kano’s outlaw club, Nightwolf, a Native American shaman, Sektor, another ninja turned robot, Sheeva, another one of Goro’s race but not as BS, Stryker, a riot control officer that should not have been in the game, and Sindel, the wife of Shao Kahn and Queen of Edenia now resurrected. (And she is also Kitana’s mother.) Motaro, a Centaur, is the penultimate boss, and Shao Kahn returns as the final boss. Noob Saibot, the original and dead Sub-Zero, returns as a hidden boss. Okay, so there are glaring omissions in this game. Raiden? He cannot technically interfere with the invasion and is trying to save everyone he can. Baraka? Presumably killed in the last game. Johnny Cage? Presumably killed during the invasion. Heck, before the story was retconned in the Ultimate version, Kitana was executed for killing Mileena, thus making her a traitor to Outworld. This version also has Mileena and the original Sub-Zero, and Ermac, another mysterious ninja who would get better redesigns in later games. I also played the original arcade version, so I didn’t use Rain, a ninja/sorcerer versed in water magic, and the two Rainbow Ninjas.  
 
UMK3 also have a few more fighting modes, like a 2 vs 2 mode, and a 4 vs. 4 battle mode. The arcade latter also changed with difficulty options. Novice is easy… up until Shao Kahn, go figure. I again used an emulator.  
 
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is kind of a sad game to end the original trilogy on. Johnny Cage is presumed dead in this game, and who knows who else. (I didn’t care for Stryker, so I hope he’s gone.) It is canon that Liu Kang defeated Shang Tsung and Shao Khan twice. Shao Kahn is officially dead as of that timeline (so far), even though Shang Tsung lives to fight another day. As for Mortal Kombat 4 and beyond… Mortal Kombat X is a better Mortal Kombat 4, and I didn’t hear good things about the PS2 3D trilogy. Thank gosh all those events were retconned during the reboot. Speaking of which, I might play that game again for the second reboot in the series.  

   
 

Edited Thursday at 12:36 AM by Link, the Hero of Dreams

[Tyranogre]

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch): Defeated Ganondorf and viewed the ending.

[Irondog666]

Beat Dracula X Chronicles Rondo Remake the other day ago. I am working on Castlevania games. Right now it is the Metroidvania titles and hopefully I can double my overall total of games beaten by Halloween. It is a hefty goal but one I have wanted to do for years. 
 

C: 8

H: 1

PC: 1

O: 10

 

 

[EH_STEVE]

Updated progress list