A lot of classic game collections became available in the past year or two, and I figured this is a good year to catch up on some of the old-ass games I've missed in the past. So in 2017, I am going to play through:
200 games might seem like a daunting task, but I think its doable. My definition of "play through" is a little loose, so for a lot of these Atari games I'll just poke at them for 3 minutes before I give up and move on. Also, I still don't have a NES Mini, but I figure it'll have to become available sometime in the next few months... Right?
EDIT: Well, Nintendo discontinued the NES mini which screws up my whole stupid plan. I'm really unreasonably angry about this... I guess I won't play a full 200 games. I'll probably just buy the Disney Afternoon Collection and call it a day.
EDIT: Adding the Namco Museum onto the pile. Ten more games, 181 total.
EDIT: Turns out, I had a friend with a NES and SNES in his basement! *wink* So I added 19 games to bring it up to an even 200. Its early November right now, and I'm in the home stretch... I have thirteen games I bounced off of already, which I'll at least revisit briefly. And three bonafide classics from my youth that I'll replay for funsies.
Showing 1-10 of 111 items
I'm not gonna list out all the Atari games below, just the ones I really like will get their own entry. As of 12/30/2016, I've tried out 28 of these games that looked kind of shitty. And having played them, they're just as shitty as they looked. 28 down, 72 to go. 1/31 -- I played four more, 68 to go. Asteroids is the only standout, some thoughts below. 3/1 -- I've checked off 50 games so far, 50 to go. None really worth talking about... 5/1 -- With Major Havoc checked off, I've got 49 games to go. 5/26 -- Four more checked off, 45 left. 7/24 -- 70 games down, 30 to go. I'll eventually write reviews for Yars Revenge, Adventure and Secret Quest for the 2600. And I'll probably review most of the arcade games. 9/21 -- OK that's it, that's all the Atari I ever want to play. I thought I would take the time to play through Adventure, but I just don't have the patience for it. I enjoyed going through the collection even though 80% of it was pure ass. Its just funny to think that people used to be actually impressed with this stuff.
What is it? -- A side-scrolling beat-em-up. When did you play it? -- Late 2016 Did you play it back in the day? -- I don't remember. How is it? Does it hold up? -- Its ok. Three stars. How long is it? -- About two hours long.
What is it? -- The most popular of the old Mega Man games. I heard Patrick say it was his 1st or 2nd favorite game ever. When did you play it? -- Started on Jan 8, finished on Jan 9. Did you play it back in the day? -- I don't think so... I remember owning MM1 and renting MM4, but I'm pretty sure my family missed out on MM2 & MM3 (the two games that matter). How is it? Does it hold up? -- Mega Man 2 is pretty damn good! I can see why this is considered a Top Five NES game. This was a passion project for the devs, and you can see the passion right there in the game. It has heart. I found myself enjoying the Dr. Wily castle stages the most... In a way it seemed like the first eight stages were just a long open-ended tutorial for the Wily Castle stages. After I'd collected all the weapons/abilities and learned how to use them, the Wily stages really tested my skills with all of them. I wish it was longer though. Mega Man 3 is supposed to be longer and I have a hunch that I'm gonna like it more... We'll see. Five stars. How long is it? -- About four hours.
What is it? -- The best Sonic game. When did you play it? -- January 14 Did you play it back in the day? -- Yes, a lot. How is it? Does it hold up? -- Yeah, Sonic 2 is still pretty good. Not as fun as in my memory, but fun. Its harder than I remember too, I couldn't beat the last boss. Fantastic soundtrack. Four stars. Are there any good mods? -- I tried out a few different mods for this but none of them held my attention. How long is it? -- About 80 minutes.
What is it? -- A bad Genesis game, with the VF2 name slapped on it. When did you play it? -- January 14 Did you play it back in the day? -- No. How is it? Does it hold up? -- This is not worth my time.
What is it? -- The first Sonic game. When did you play it? -- January 15 Did you play it back in the day? -- Yes, quite a bit. How is it? Does it hold up? -- Its better than I remember in some ways, but... Sonic 1 is a game with issues. Playing through Green Hill Zone is platforming bliss, even in 2017. But then you hit Marble Zone which is slower-paced and has depressing music. Its not bad level design, but it doesn't give me the speed and sensory overload I want from a Sonic game. After that is Springyard Zone, which is actually cooler than I remembered. The fourth zone is Labyrinth Zone and it is truly awful. Sonic goes underwater, where he moves like he's walking through molasses and has to watch out for air bubbles or else he'll drown. It is tedious and difficult in all the wrong ways. For a game that is advertised and focused on speed, this is just bad design. It doesn't belong in a Sonic game. The last two zones are actually pretty awesome, but they're not worth suffering through Labyrinth Zone. Three stars. Are there any good mods? -- Yes, there's one in particular: Sonic 1 Reordered -- This rearranges the order of the zones, and modifies many of the levels to make the game less tedious and have a better flow. I don't know exactly what was changed, but I did seem to have an easier and more fun time playing through this version of the game. Its worth a look. There are many other mods and level sets, but none that really stood out to me. How long is it? -- I forgot to time it... About 90 minutes I think.
What is it? -- A very old Atari arcade game. When did you play it? -- Off and on, starting in January Did you play it back in the day? -- I think I played it twice before? Maybe? How is it? Does it hold up? -- I was hoping that if I put some serious time into Asteroids I'd get good at it and learn something insightful to say about why its a classic. So far, all I've learned is that Asteroids is a hard fucking game. I do like the iconic simplicity of its vector art-style, still looks kind of cool today. Four stars.
What is it? -- Walk to the right and hurt people. When did you play it? -- Jan 17. Did you play it back in the day? -- I don't think so. How is it? Does it hold up? -- Its fine? I guess? Three stars.
What is it? -- Its supposedly the 1st or 2nd best Mega Man game on the NES. When did you play it? -- Started on Jan 21, finished on Jan 23. Did you play it back in the day? -- Nope. How is it? Does it hold up? -- Its a great game, but I definitely enjoyed MM2 more. MM2 seemed more relaxed and loose, I felt like I was being encouraged to experiment and try stuff out as I learned the mechanics. I enjoyed MM2's weapons a lot more (especially the Wood Shield). MM3 is more difficult, and it felt kind of rigid somehow... In addition, it had a LOT more flickering and slow-down. This is still a really great game though. Four stars. How long is it? -- About six hours.
What is it? -- A falling-block puzzle game for the Genesis. When did you play it? -- Jan 24 Did you play it back in the day? -- Nope. How is it? Does it hold up? -- It seems fine, I just don't feel any pull to put more time into it. Seems like a 3-star game.