Taco Master was my second platinum ever.

While I like achievements and trophies I have never been much of a completionist. I don't have a ton of time to play the games I want to, and while I very much enjoy playing through most games the first time, the idea of going back to play through again for points just doesn't really appeal. Neither does spoiling parts of the game to avoid missing trophies or achievements. While I've completed a few XBLA games and PSN games with easy cheevos, the only platinum I ever bothered to pick up was in Transistor, and that was because the game was so beautiful and fun to play (not to mention short) that I wanted to keep playing it even after I beat it, and getting the platinum gave me a reason. I was perfectly happy having only one platinum in a game I truly loved.

Until this weekend. This weekend, instead of playing Quantum Break like I'd planned, or one of the many current betas, I drained the batteries on my Vita getting a platinum in Taco Master. Taco Master came to my attention via Greg Miller's mention during the P.S. I Love You podcast, and is best described as a bare bones version of Cook, Serve, Delicious (though Taco Master came out before CSD as far as I can tell.) It cost me $1.50 and it was clearly a cell phone game before it was on Vita. Why does it have a platinum trophy when many much more substantial games don't? No clue. Sony's weird.

Is it a good game? It's okay. Having played Cook, Serve, Delicious it's kind of hard to see Taco Master as anything but a pale imitation. There's only one thing to cook (tacos) there's no equipment to buy or menu to manage, and none of the humor or aesthetic charm that CSD brings. You use touch controls to make and serve tacos under time pressure. That's it. Why did I platinum it? Not sure. For one thing it's a pretty easy plat. For another the game is easy to play in short bursts, and eventually you find yourself within striking distance of the plat and, well, why not? I realize those two things are pretty much the same thing. The last few gold medals on tropical fury were a pretty significant challenge, though, and if I'd known how much effort I'd have had to put in I might never have started.

There's no great significance to Taco Master being my second platinum, except that I enjoy the symmetry. Transistor, one of the most beautiful games ever with one of the coolest combat systems, and Taco Master, a bland, simple, mobile port.

Anyway, I saw that Taco Master had no forum posts on the site and decided to add this just to give it a bit of recognition. Thank you Taco Master, for being my second Platinum trophy. You were okay until you got too hard, and then you were annoying. But for $1.50 I have definitely played worse. Also for some reason there is no need to play the zombie campaign (one of your four campaigns) to win the platinum. That seemed weird to me. But thanks for that too. Three campaigns of Taco Master was enough.

I'm glad Cook, Serve, Delicious 2 is coming to the PS4, though. And I'd love if it came to the Vita. It'd make a great third platinum trophy to shoot for!