Topic: Games You Recently Beat?

Yeah, I don't remember them well enough to be much use, @Tyranexx .... Once you get to Memories of Celceta, I can probably help if needed, though

I dug out Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow recently, a game I haven't played since I was like 15/16 (14/13 years ago) and actually finished it for the first time. Now I'm just finishing it off again in Julius Mode after getting the three different endings for Soma.

I've really come around to the playstyle. Didn't get it at first and was getting right up to the border of quitting, then something just clicked.

Just finished Katamari Damacy : Encore/Reroll/The Switch Port.

Really enjoyed by time with it overall. Very simple concept, but done with such dedication and verve. I feel it would be a difficult pitch in 〜today’s gaming landscape〜 so I’m glad the remaster gave me a chance to play it.

It kind of made me want to try out Chibi-Robo. Mechanically very different games, but being a small cute thing in a big quirky house is definitely a vibe.

Still lots to go back and do in the game, but I’m glad I could at least finish the base game. Jolly good fun.

on my way to finishing botw on my first ever playthrough, I beat all the shrines and i want to do it in the wild armor, but I need honey, acorns to upgrade it, you know any locations that have lots of these? dragon parts are fairly difficult too but I already have austin john plays guide for that

@X-Slayer tysm!

Beat the last dungeon in Katanakami. Since that nets you max money I will count this as beaten. I’ll still do a run or two but now that I am out of story (granted I don’t know dojima’s big secret ) I’m less inclined to keep playing.

I beat Cyber Shadow. In terms of retro 8 bit retro indie games, it is not Shovel Knight, but it is still very good.

Funny thing is, I tried to beat the final boss and failed for maybe like an hour. That's a lot of deaths for the record. Then I took a break from it for a while, and beat it my 2nd serious try. (in that my first few tries was getting used to playing it again, since if I couldn't beat the first part of it without getting hit, I intentionally died and started over)

@kkslider5552000 that final boss was a real pain from what i remember. I spent a couple days myself trying to beat it. I played it back at launch and I recall having to restart the fight if I took any damage during the first or second phase. It was a decent game, but nowhere near the game shovel knight is as you stated.

I just cleared Steredenn: Binary Stars for the first time. Probably doesn't count as you can actually run through the game three times with increasingly leveled-up bosses, but for me it'll do. It's the first time I've ever even seen the Mothership!

For the fans out there, I was playing with the Fortress, using Ninjabot and Gunbot with all the relevant upgrades. In my opinion these two bots together are the best combination you can have in the game.

High score was 85 million and change, which is approximately 80 million more than my previous high score!!!

Been playing this game for about two years now, with 60 hours logged on this Switch and about 150 on my old OG Switch.

It may not mean much to anyone else out there, but I feel like I just won gold in (insert hardcore Olympic sport).

Just cleared the main story in Tales of Arise (Steam)!

The final boss wasn't that tough since I over levelled a bit clearing out optional bosses first, but man was it a fantastic game. I don't think it'll win you over if you're not already into JRPGs, but if you are this is an absolutely great time & a big step up for the series.

Finished The Order 1886. It was a boring cutscene-filled slow-walking mess. I will forget about this game after a day or two. That's how memorable and tiring this game was. Sony sold this for $60; wow.

That seemed like one of those games where they'd put out a good (or at least notably better) sequel that felt like an actual complete game. That never happened.

@MsJubilee @kkslider5552000 Oh man, I watched LHudson's critique of the game (nearly 2 hours long) and he is brutal to it, honestly don't know what the developers were thinking putting the game out. The review is interesting, but it's longer than the actual game so watch at your own expense.

Personally I try to beat two games per month. Though some of the time RPG's tend to take up my gaming slot of the entire month. The most recent game I beat was Metroid for the NES. This is both the first Metroid and NES game I've ever beaten. I have to say I'm fairly surprised how intriguing it was to go through all the corridors and fight the aliens on that planet. Very impressed by what was pulled off through the limitations of that console. Now on to Metroid: Samus Returns!

I beat the Great Ace Attorney. Well the first one out of the two you get. I always underestimate how long the final cases go on and end up playing longer than usual at the end (except for Apollo Justice lol).

Also, by sheer coincidence, the only two long games I beat this year had me far more invested in the very end than the rest of the game.

Anyway, it is an Ace Attorney game than isn't the first Edgeworth game or the spinoff so the fact that it was great is the least surprising thing in the world. Ace Attorney is great, and has remained mostly consistently great (even those two games I just mentioned are merely just "good") for a long time now. Nintendo levels of consistency, but with less hit or miss attempts at innovation. So the only interesting things to even bring up are what made this one different from other games.

I would say the surprisingly different pacing of the cases compared to past games (which only work at times) is the big negative compared to usual and the big positive is that its almost certainly the best looking game in the series, particularly for how it uses its animation. Especially since it lacks the awkward attempts the mainline 3DS games had of trying to bring the original characters into 3D. But the pacing wouldn't be much of a problem if it wasn't clear that this just doesn't feel as much like a complete story like past games. Like it gets most of the way there, but it ultimately does feel like the first half of a bigger story. Which is fine since the other game is right there to play, but I don't want to play both games back to back and ignore my other games anymore.

I will say, I'm not sure if I've gotten better at this or if this game is easier or more predictable somehow (I don't think it is?) but I did get more "omg this is what happened!" realizations than I normally do in these games. Like I'd realize something even before I have to bring it up, and all of them were really cool twists to figure out, is what I mean specifically (since figuring out plot twists is already part of this game's gameplay essentially :V).

I finished Castlevania: Dracula X. I did enjoy it, but it feels a lot like an NES Castlevania that just happens to be on SNES. And that makes it really awkward. Based on it being a port of another Castlevania, that might explain a lot. And at times it feels like too much of the annoying parts of the NES Castlevanias (well 1 and 3, it has not much to do with 2) and less of the best parts. But its still there, its still close enough to those games that I had a good time. But I'm also glad it was an extra among other games. Being a lesser Castlevania 1/3 (or to be more exact, a lesser Rondo of Blood) is still plenty compared to the majority of actual NES games.

I did use save states, but half the time it was because I just wanted to take my score all the way to the end. But it did also help me at points (especially stage 6) not wasting my time between the actual challenging parts. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered beating it (at least not any time soon). There's also at least one alternate route apparently, so I might try that at some point.

I've still been slacking on this thread, but my schedule has been insane lately. In reverse order:

Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope (Switch)
I picked this up on sale relatively recently. I realize Treasure Trove would've been a better buy, but I've really only ever been interested in the main/base game and didn't really want to play through all the campaigns. I also have no interest in Shovel Knight Showdown.

I recognize it for what it is: a very good game. Fun mechanics, clever writing, an interesting story even if we've seen it before, really neat pixel art, amazing music, and some unique, fun characters. It's also a very challenging game. Most of the time, the challenge level felt fair, but there were more than a few times where it felt like the game intentionally trolls the player with some enemy placement or within a scenario. I particularly hated the scrolling in Tinker Knight's stage.... There are insta-deaths via spikes and falling into pits. The player loses some gold, and there's a way to lower that amount, but if one dies over a pit....Yeah, you usually aren't getting that gold back. Said gold is used to purchase armor and equipment upgrades, health and magic upgrades, and relics that give Shovel Knight more abilities. There are checkpoints scattered throughout each level, but unfortunately the game doesn't save until you actually clear or leave a stage or point of interest. This system isn't entirely portable-friendly.

This one is easy to recommend for those who love and/or are nostalgic for challenging, charming platformers. Just be aware of what you're getting into before buying.

Luigi's Mansion 3
The latest in the Luigi's Mansion franchise, and my primary Halloween game for this year. This title features Luigi, Mario, Princess Peach, and three Toads being invited to the Last Resort, a 17-floor hotel nestled in a mountainous region. It turns out this is a ploy by King Boo to capture everyone and frame them in portraits (Seriously, what is up with Nintendo villains and paintings?). Luigi narrowly escapes this fate and works to free everyone else...as well as Professor E. Gadd, who was lured there under similar circumstances.

As with previous installments, Luigi must work to vacuum up ghosts and explore the environment he's in using the Poltergust G-00. There are plenty of puzzles in place to solve in order to acquire cash and, occasionally, gems. New to this game, players can also slam around ghosts for some extra damage as well as utilize Gooigi (Luigi's Flubber-like clone, who returns from the Luigi's Mansion 3DS port) to explore otherwise unreachable areas and solve some puzzles. The game is absolutely gorgeous in HD, both during normal gameplay and the cinematics. Most of the hotel floors follow a theme, and each adds something unique to the game. Most of the boss fights are fun, and there are plenty of gems and Boos to collect on each floor for added game longevity. There are plenty of fun moments and some catchy music to boot.

This is a low-key game oozing with the franchise's (and thus, Nintendo's) charm. It's easy to recommend for all ages as a nice way to unwind before bed...at any time of the year.

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
A spinoff of the Dragon Quest franchise, this DS action title is probably one of the best spinoffs I've played. The player controls Rocket (or whatever they want to name him), the only slime remaining after the Plob (Platypunk + mob) kidnaps all the other residents of his kingdom, Slimenia. The plot doesn't take itself seriously and is a fun romp throughout, full of great writing, punny names (per Dragon Quest charm), and hilarious moments. The gameplay mechanics are fun, from collecting items (and monsters) out in the field for use back in town to trade for gold or use as tank ammo, to participating in tank battles. Tank battles are the meat of the game and take some strategy; you have to manually load your ammo and try to time your rounds to deflect those of the enemy, hit the enemy tank, and cause various effects. The game gives the player ways to upgrade their tank's HP and ammo, as well as customize the crew that helps you. The game is also graphically charming. It references previous DQ titles, particularly Dragon Quest VIII, but it isn't necessary to play any previous games to enjoy this title.

This one is easy to recommend for Dragon Quest fans, those looking for something unique for their DS collection, or those who just want a short, fun action title (~15 hours) to keep them busy on a trip. Be warned that this title was only released in Japan and North America, so those in other regions may need to rely on importing.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The penultimate game in my Soulsborne marathon, Sekiro was the first one that felt like a major departure from established setting and gameplay design. Gone are the vaguely medieval fantasy settings, and it took the stamina bar and dodge rolling with it. Instead Sekiro is set in civil war ridden Sengoku period Japan (although it incorporates supernatural elements for good measure) where sword duals ruled the land, and if you don't learn the deflect mechanic then you won't travel very far I'm afraid.

Combat is the focus in Sekiro, almost to a fault. There's no leveling, no equipment, no schools of magic. As a journeyman Souls-player this flummoxed me. How come I keent destroy the baddies what with the only weapon I've ben given? Why is my dodge as ineffective as a "no means no" at a Cosby mixer? Why does everybody keep getting sick when I die? Better get used to that folks, because (true to the Fromsoft tradition) the game retrains you via choke-chain to learn the ins-and-outs. At one point I'd made up my mind to quit before I invested too much time in something that I wasn't enjoying. Then, miraculously, the third boss fight Genichiro Ashina was where it fell into place for me. He forces you to interact with him via deflect like no boss prior. This made the boss fight go from "i don't know how to do this" to "kind of easy". And the satisfaction you feel from that, well.....it's the reason to play these types of games. Once you learn how to defend yourself, you'll begin trying out your various shinobi tools to see what's most effective at creating an opening with your opponent, breaking their posture, and landing the deathblow.

However, while I love the clashing of steel it isn't all a shower of lovely sakura petals - the game reuses bosses of both the mini and standard variety entirely too often for my liking. I haven't checked but i'm pretty sure it's the lowest unique boss count for a Souls game. To compound this, some of the areas are revisited too (and not in a voluntary "back-tracking for loot" kinda way). Fortunately the improved mobility imparted by stealth, grappling, swimming, and a proper darn jump made traversal engaging almost all the time for me.

The story is functional. It gave me enough motivation to contemplate flavor text and NPC dialogue but it's not a lore pit to dive deep into. That's not to say the characters are poorly done. Matter-of-fact one of my favorite things was finding different types of sake to share and have a conversation over. It's such a little detail that doesnt really earn you anything, but it's those things that engender caring for a character (it helps that I like sake a bit too). Minor spoiler: there are a few different endings and how you interact with characters influences the pathways to those endings.

I didn't think it was gonna turn out this way but Sekiro ends up being one of my favorite Souls games. It's one of the few I immediately considered replaying. It has some obvious superficial flaws. And the first 5 hours or so will be hard whether you've played Souls games or not (although after that I found it to be easier than the average Souls game). But it's a great change of pace for Fromsoft. It's different enough but not so much so that it feels alienating. By cutting the extensive skills and equipment the game can focus on the intensity and fun of combat.

post summary info:
-hardest boss for me was Demon of Hatred. Felt like a Bloodborne boss.
-it felt shorter than its ilk.
-areas where very pretty.
-There's no co-op or summons in this one, so if you're struggling there's no way to make this one easier.

I beat Metroid Dread. I'm not gonna say its the greatest Metrroid/Metroidvania game ever, but it is pretty much what I expected when MercurySteam no longer were chained down by having to have their game be the 2nd best remake of Metroid 2. It's a really great return to form, and I like how they handled most things in the game. I loved the difficulty and the weird ways they cut back and forth between areas throughout the game, in terms of things that made this game stand out. I thought the EMMI sections were done really well, even if the 2nd to last one was maybe a bit of a cheap way to make them feel deadly again. But even when I knew what to do, they never lost the sense that I needed to be careful and/or quick.

So its an awesome game, but I do have a couple of issues. I wasn't as into the story as I would've hoped, even if some of what happens (particularly late game) is pretty cool and even a bold direction to go (especially if Metroid 6 comes out in less than 19 years). But while they did their best to do more subtle storytelling, which I appreciated, I didn't always love how they did it. That also is part of my issue that it felt like ALBW to me. In that it tried to take this classic, simple style of gaming and mix it with modern gaming sensibilities, and in both cases, there are just points where the mix of old and new just ends up feeling more meh than the rest of the game. I'm also still not hugely into the graphics. Like its fairly high quality for a Switch game, and its not bad, but outside of a few moments and enemies, nothing about it makes it live up to the GBA games tbh. It's hard for me to explain why to be fair, because a lot of it is technically well done and far more impressive than those older games could even hope for. It's not like Pokemon where I'm begging for sprites to come back or NSMB where its art style is nothing. But despite their best efforts, I just got more out of Super and the GBA games in terms of how they look, on average.

But otherwise, great stuff. I mean, Shadow Complex had a far more boring art style, and that was basically a great Metroid game on its own, so this is plenty.

Doki Doki Literature Club (PC) - This visual novel...is very hard to talk about without spoiling anything. Normally, I'm not into dating sims at all, but word of mouth piqued my interest. Suffice it to say that this game is much more than it appears. Please, PLEASE do heed the content warning. Specifically "This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed."

If you, dear reader, have the slightest bit of interest in this game, just dive in and play!