2023 Game Clear Thread

[Sharecrow]

Outlast II (Nightmare mode) - PS4
Life is Strange: True Colors - PS5
Raider V: Director’s Cut - PS5
Adventure - Atari 2600 via PS5
A Matter of Principle - PS5
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster - PS4

+ A Plague Tale: Requiem - PS5

2023 total games beaten = 9 (7 new)
2022 total games beaten = 35 (26 new)
2021 total games beaten = 18 (12 new)
2020 total games beaten = 26 (16 new)
2019 total games beaten = 28 (20 new)
2018 total games beaten = 29 (16 new)
2017 total games beaten = 25 (22 new)
2016 total games beaten = 38 (21 new)
2015 total games beaten = 25
2014 total games beaten = 35
2013 total games beaten = 17
2012 total games beaten = 37
2011 total games beaten = 35

[Sharecrow]

Outlast II (Nightmare mode) - PS4
Life is Strange: True Colors - PS5
Raider V: Director’s Cut - PS5
Adventure - Atari 2600 via PS5
A Matter of Principle - PS5
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster - PS4
A Plague Tale: Requiem - PS5

+ Inner Ashes - PS5

2023 total games beaten = 10 (8 new)
2022 total games beaten = 35 (26 new)
2021 total games beaten = 18 (12 new)
2020 total games beaten = 26 (16 new)
2019 total games beaten = 28 (20 new)
2018 total games beaten = 29 (16 new)
2017 total games beaten = 25 (22 new)
2016 total games beaten = 38 (21 new)
2015 total games beaten = 25
2014 total games beaten = 35
2013 total games beaten = 17
2012 total games beaten = 37
2011 total games beaten = 35

[Kong Wen]

I've been making my updates via edits in my original post and then making monthly update summaries in a new post in the thread, to remind people that I'm still playing games silently in the background.

May, June, and July have been major slow months as I've been focusing on work and vacations. I only beat 2 games—one of which was a complete dismantling of another Picross game, and one of which was the recent Final Fantasy XVI. No new Platinum trophies yet, but I'll be working on that one (it involves another complete play through the game...)

2023 PROGRESS

FINISHED:

01-15 - Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (PS5)
01-20 - Firewatch (PS4 via PS5)
01-22 - TOEM: A Photo Adventure (PS5)
01-25 - Wandersong (PS4 via PS5)
01-30 - Adventures of Pip (PS4 via PS5)
02-03 - Doki-Doki Universe (PS4 via PS5)
02-05 - Flower (PS4 via PS5)
02-10 - Pic-a-Pix Color (PS4 via PS5)
02-15 - Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS4 via PS5)
02-18 - Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PS4 via PS5)
02-21 - マリオのスーパーピクロス (SFC via Switch)
03-07 - Gris (PS5)
03-08 - A Short Hike (PS4 via PS5)
03-15 - Tembo the Badass Elephant (PS4 via PS5)
03-19 - Pokémon Blue Version (GB via Analogue Pocket)
03-22 - Super Mario Land (GB via Analogue Pocket)
03-28 - Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GB via NSO)
04-05 - Kirby's Dream Land (GB via NSO)
04-06 - Baba Is You (Switch)
05-05 - Picross S Genesis & Master System Edition (Switch)
07-14 - Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)

COMPLETE:

01-20 - Firewatch (PS5)
01-22 - TOEM: A Photo Adventure (PS5)
01-25 - Wandersong (PS4 via PS5)
01-30 - Adventures of Pip (PS4 via PS5)
02-03 - Doki-Doki Universe (PS4 via PS5)
02-05 - Flower (PS4 via PS5)
02-10 - Pic-a-Pix Color (PS4 via PS5)
02-15 - Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS4 via PS5)
02-18 - Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PS4 via PS5)
03-07 - マリオのスーパーピクロス (SFC via Switch)
03-07 - Gris (PS5)
03-08 - A Short Hike (PS4 via PS5)
03-15 - Tembo the Badass Elephant (PS4 via PS5)
03-21 - Pokémon Blue Version (GB via Analogue Pocket)
03-22 - Super Mario Land (GB via Analogue Pocket)
03-28 - Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GB via NSO)
04-05 - Kirby's Dream Land (GB via NSO)
05-17 - Picross S Genesis & Master System Edition (Switch)

MASTERED:

03-07 - マリオのスーパーピクロス (SFC via Switch)
05-17 - Picross S Genesis & Master System Edition (Switch)

PLATINUM:

01-22 - TOEM: A Photo Adventure (PS5)
02-10 - Pic-a-Pix Color (PS4 via PS5)
02-16 - Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS4 via PS5)
03-07 - Gris (PS5)
03-08 - A Short Hike (PS4 via PS5)

PROGRESS   2020   2021   2022   2023
Finished     10      2     10     21
Complete      3      1      8     18
Mastered      1      1      1      2
Platinum      2      0      2      5

PREVIOUS   2010   2011   2012   2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018   2019
Finished     36     59     57     96     58      7     14     17     17     11
Complete     12     27     27     46     28      7     10      9     11     10
Mastered      1      0      1      3      2      1      0      4      2      1
Platinum      5      3      2     13      8      3      4      5      5      4

2023-07-14 - Final Fantasy XVI (PS5) - Overall excellent game. Good story, good pacing (yep), good music, good characters, good combat.

It’s nice to finally have a good proactive protagonist with agency. Clive is an excellent, likeable, strong, and confident character with a satisfying arc and good relationships. I was pleasantly surprised the supporting cast turned out to be actual good important characters instead of annoying anime guys or combative anime mini-bosses. The main antagonist was excellent. The minor antagonists along the way were well fleshed-out too.

Going into the final act, they had two paths to a good conclusion, and one obvious/lazy/fanfic path to a bad conclusion that I was worried they were going to take. Thankfully, they picked one of the good options and we got a solid, satisfying ending.

If I had a small complaint it would be that the Hunt Board and Crafting were simplistic and linear. I kept comparing it to FF12 where Montblanc would give you a little story about each big mark, and you’d progress through clan levels and unlock bonuses for completing hunts. It wasn't offensive, but it could have been better with minimal changes.

2023-05-05 - Picross S Genesis & Master System Edition (Switch) - Odd to say I'm disappointed in a relatively by-the-numbers (lol) Picross game at this point, but my disappointment here is very slight. I was expecting some full in-game sprites as the solutions to some of these later puzzles, but instead the great majority of the game (100+ puzzles) is just cropped-in portraits of characters' faces. I guess they thought that was probably their best nostalgia-inducing detailed artwork, but I would have liked to see some coherent complete sprites. Alas. I guess they were all too big for the 15x15 grids. Anyway, other than that it's a Jupiter Picross game on Switch post-colour-blindness-friendly option implementation, so excellent.

[Sharecrow]

Outlast II (Nightmare mode) - PS4
Life is Strange: True Colors - PS5
Raider V: Director’s Cut - PS5
Adventure - Atari 2600 via PS5
A Matter of Principle - PS5
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster - PS4
A Plague Tale: Requiem - PS5
Inner Ashes - PS5

+ Castlevania: Rondo of Blood - PC Engine via PS5

2023 total games beaten = 11 (9 new)
2022 total games beaten = 35 (26 new)
2021 total games beaten = 18 (12 new)
2020 total games beaten = 26 (16 new)
2019 total games beaten = 28 (20 new)
2018 total games beaten = 29 (16 new)
2017 total games beaten = 25 (22 new)
2016 total games beaten = 38 (21 new)
2015 total games beaten = 25
2014 total games beaten = 35
2013 total games beaten = 17
2012 total games beaten = 37
2011 total games beaten = 35

[The Shoemaker]

Finished:
Jan 29. Splatoon 3
Feb 12. Mario Kart Super Circuit (NSO GBA)
Feb 12. Kirby Super Star (NSO SNES)
Feb 12. Kirby's Dream Land (NSO GB)
Mar 08. Mario Strikers: Battle League (Switch)
Mar 11. Persona 5 Royal (Switch)
Mar 12. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
Mar 13. Mario Kart DS
Mar 14. Mario Vs. Donkey Kong Mini-Land Mayhem (DS)
Mar 23. Kirby: Squeak Squad (DS)
Mar 25. Kirby: Mass Attack (DS)
Mar 27. Hogwarts Legacy (PS5)
Mar 28. Super Mario 64 DS
Mar 30. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (NSO SNES)
Apr 13. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (NSO GBA)
Apr 27. Fire Emblem Engage (Switch)
Apr 29. Cadence of Hyrule (Switch)
May 07. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii U)
Jun 24. Pikmin 1 (Switch)
July 07. Pikmin 2 (Switch)
July 30. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

TOTK was phenomenal. I really wondered how they would follow up BOTW but they did a fantastic job of it. Finished the game in 245 hours (!), enjoyed the entire ride. I finished all the shrines and major side quests. I plan to go back grab all the korok seeds (~120 left to find) and maybe some of the rest. There's a lot more things to reach 100% this time around, like beating all the mini bosses in the world. Which I'm not sure if I'm up for, but we will see!

[Claytone]

Beaten:
01/21 - Tempest 4000 (Xbone)
01/25 - Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4)
01/31 - Dadish 3 (Xbone)
02/01 - Pentiment (XSX)
02/03 - GoldenEye 007 (XSX [N64])
02/10 - Diabolical Pitch (XBLA Kinect)
02/19 - Metroid Fusion (3DS [GBA])
02/28 - Akka Arrh (XSX)
03/04 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (PS5 [Arcade])
03/08 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (PS5 [GB])
03/11 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers (PS5 [GB])
03/17 - Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS5 [PS4])
03/24 - Harold's Walk (New 3DS)
03/24 - Cannon Spike (Arcade)
03/28 - Harold Reborn (New 3DS)
04/03 - Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch [GC])
04/07 - Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness (3DS [NES])
04/20 - Art Style: PiCTOBiTS (DSiWare)
05/05 - Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS [SFC])
05/09 - The Dark Queen (PC)
05/11 - Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch [Wii])
05/28 - Sonic the Fighters (XBLA [Arcade])
06/18 - Bowser's Fury (Switch)
07/15 - Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia (Switch)
07/23 - Gunblade NY (Arcade)
07/23 - Quick & Crash (Arcade)
07/29 - Phoenix (2600)
08/05 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)

No writeups for my two most recent beats yet, but I've realized that if I only ever post in here when I'm up to date on the blog backlog, I'll never do it.

Completed:
02/07 - GoldenEye 007 (XSX [N64])
03/08 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (PS5 [GB])
03/24 - Harold's Walk (New 3DS)
04/07 - Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness (3DS [NES])
05/09 - The Dark Queen (PC)
07/23 - Quick & Crash (Arcade)

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Progress - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Finished - 0024 - 0041 - 0034 - 0022 - 0025 - 0014 - 0019 - 0025 - 0038 - 0060 - 0042 - 0028
Complete - 0000 - 0004 - 0005 - 0001 - 0002 - 0001 - 0002 - 0002 - 0006 - 0006 - 0005 - 0006
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

[The Shoemaker]

Finished:
Jan 29. Splatoon 3
Feb 12. Mario Kart Super Circuit (NSO GBA)
Feb 12. Kirby Super Star (NSO SNES)
Feb 12. Kirby's Dream Land (NSO GB)
Mar 08. Mario Strikers: Battle League (Switch)
Mar 11. Persona 5 Royal (Switch)
Mar 12. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
Mar 13. Mario Kart DS
Mar 14. Mario Vs. Donkey Kong Mini-Land Mayhem (DS)
Mar 23. Kirby: Squeak Squad (DS)
Mar 25. Kirby: Mass Attack (DS)
Mar 27. Hogwarts Legacy (PS5)
Mar 28. Super Mario 64 DS
Mar 30. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (NSO SNES)
Apr 13. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (NSO GBA)
Apr 27. Fire Emblem Engage (Switch)
Apr 29. Cadence of Hyrule (Switch)
May 07. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii U)
Jun 24. Pikmin 1 (Switch)
July 07. Pikmin 2 (Switch)
July 30. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Aug 12. Pikmin 4 (Switch)
Aug 24. Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)

Completes:
Aug 17. Pikmin 4 (Switch)

Pikmin 4 is great, a lovely follow up a decade after Pikmin 3. This was actually a much bigger evolution for the series than I was expecting. Oatchi the dog helps to make the game control a lot smoother compared to previous games in the series, and the new upgrade options adds a great sense of progression. The game is very much a sequel to Pikmin 2 actually, with its caves and treasures. The game is lot beefier as well, took me around 30 hours to complete it.

Some things I'm not huge on, like the 3 pikmin limit and how Oatchi takes the spotlight away from the pikmin a bit. Still, I think this game is the best overall Pikmin package.

[SkyPikachu]

Cluster Truck + Halloween/Holiday DLC - Really fun game. I played it for free since my partner owns it. If you can get it for $5-$10 I think it's a really fun little physics based game that gets really really hard at some points (especially the final boss)

Metroid Fusion - Loved every minute of it (as expected). Metroid really just seems to hit the right spots and the difficulty seemed perfect. I also really enjoyed the length of the game.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time - Not as good as Superstar Saga but still fun. I really disliked having to micro manage 4 characters.

Pikmin - I played this modded co-op with my partner which made the game really fun. This game has the simplest and most enjoy story/overworld but I feel the controls let it down.

Pikmin 2 - The controls in this is so much better than 1 but I really dislike the amount of caves that just make the overworld feel empty and pointless.

Divinity Original Sin II: Definitive Edition - Absolute amazing game. I'd be still playing it if it wasn't for Baldur's Gate III. The level of love in this game and the level of flexibility is amazing. Not having to own the game and my partner just being able to steam share it with me is also really really nice. However I did end up buying the game anyway.

Pikmin 4 - I think this is my favourite Pikmin game. It's really easy but I think Pikmin should be. Oatchi kind of makes it a bit too easy at times but otherwise there's so much content and the controls feel nice to me. The dialogue and early handholding is probably the only negative though most if not all dialogue is skippable.

FTL: Faster Than Light - Surprisingly addictive little space sim. It's great to just open and play a bit randomly very easy to just start and stop. Perfect right now since I'm busy with other games.

Baldur's Gate III - I love this game. It's amazing I've played 140 hours since launch and that's including about a week of not playing due to Covid. However it is still buggy at times in annoying ways it's far from perfect and I hope they fix them. I am also really annoyed with how the Gnomes look. They seem to really have been given an afterthought visually. Especially the female ones. My biggest complaint though it in Co-op there's not an option to automatically watch into dialogue so my partner and I are constantly watching dialogue 5-10 seconds behind or it bugs up and one of us misses parts of dialogue. It's just really frustrating.

2023 PROGRESS

FINISHED:
02-Jan Crypt of the NecroDancer
05-Jan Splatoon 3
15-Jan Kena: Bridge of Spirits
16-Jan Spirit of the North
17-Jan Nubarron: The adventure of an unlucky gnome
18-Jan Cuphead
19-Jan Alba - A Wildlife Adventure
24-Jan Lego Builders Journey
27-Jan Worms Blast
30-Jan Breath of Death VII
03-Feb Doom [Ultimate]
05-Feb Kao the Kangaroo Round 2
12-Feb Baba is You
13-Feb Mario Kart: Super Circuit
14-Feb Kuru Kuru Kururin
19-Feb Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage
22-Feb Cluster Truck Halloween/Holiday DLC
23-Feb Cluster Truck
29-May Metroid Fusion
07-June Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
09-June Pikmin
14-June Pikmin 2
11-July Divinity Original Sin II: Definitive Edition
25-July Pikmin 4
30-July FTL: Faster Than Light
29-Aug Baldur's Gate III


COMPLETE:

05-Jan Splatoon 3
06-Jan Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland
17-Jan Nubarron: The adventure of an unlucky gnome
19-Jan Alba - A Wildlife Adventure
24-Jan Lego Builders Journey
05-Feb Kao the Kangaroo Round 2
21-Feb Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage
04-Mar Mini Motorways
09-June Pikmin
14-June Pikmin 2


———————————————————————————————————————————
Progress - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020
———————————————————————————————————————————
Finished - 0026 - 0017 - 0028 - 0023
Complete - 0010 - 0005 - 0006 - 0006
———————————————————————————————————————————

[Sharecrow]

Outlast II (Nightmare mode) - PS4
Life is Strange: True Colors - PS5
Raider V: Director’s Cut - PS5
Adventure - Atari 2600 via PS5
A Matter of Principle - PS5
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster - PS4
A Plague Tale: Requiem - PS5
Inner Ashes - PS5
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood - PC Engine via PS5

+ Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster - PS4

2023 total games beaten = 12 (10 new)
2022 total games beaten = 35 (26 new)
2021 total games beaten = 18 (12 new)
2020 total games beaten = 26 (16 new)
2019 total games beaten = 28 (20 new)
2018 total games beaten = 29 (16 new)
2017 total games beaten = 25 (22 new)
2016 total games beaten = 38 (21 new)
2015 total games beaten = 25
2014 total games beaten = 35
2013 total games beaten = 17
2012 total games beaten = 37
2011 total games beaten = 35

[Sharecrow]

Outlast II (Nightmare mode) - PS4
Life is Strange: True Colors - PS5
Raider V: Director’s Cut - PS5
Adventure - Atari 2600 via PS5
A Matter of Principle - PS5
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster - PS4
Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster - PS4
A Plague Tale: Requiem - PS5
Inner Ashes - PS5
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood - PC Engine via PS5
Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster - PS4

+ Bare Knuckles 3 - Mega Drive via PS5
+ Streets of Rage 3 - Genesis via PS5

2023 total games beaten = 14 (11 new)
2022 total games beaten = 35 (26 new)
2021 total games beaten = 18 (12 new)
2020 total games beaten = 26 (16 new)
2019 total games beaten = 28 (20 new)
2018 total games beaten = 29 (16 new)
2017 total games beaten = 25 (22 new)
2016 total games beaten = 38 (21 new)
2015 total games beaten = 25
2014 total games beaten = 35
2013 total games beaten = 17
2012 total games beaten = 37
2011 total games beaten = 35