2016 Game Clear Thread

[Claytone]

I'm not sure I'll really spend much more time with V now that I'm done with the story. It's a shame, because I'm sure there's some fun stuff to be done, but now that I'm at an age/income status where I'm buying games faster than I can beat them, playing around in a sandbox world has harshly diminishing returns.

I definitely know where you're coming from there. It's a little sad that we feel a stronger urge to beat more games than to just have more fun in games. For me it's a little bit of trying to justify value "I've bought so many games I need to focus on beating them before even more games come out!"

Mhmm. Exactly. Every now and then, I'll play around in and really get immersed in a game like I did when I was little. Not too often, though. Always feel like I've got to knock some quota of things off my backlog before the next big release date rolls around.

[Kong Wen]

I'm not sure I'll really spend much more time with V now that I'm done with the story. It's a shame, because I'm sure there's some fun stuff to be done, but now that I'm at an age/income status where I'm buying games faster than I can beat them, playing around in a sandbox world has harshly diminishing returns.

I definitely know where you're coming from there. It's a little sad that we feel a stronger urge to beat more games than to just have more fun in games. For me it's a little bit of trying to justify value "I've bought so many games I need to focus on beating them before even more games come out!"

*has been playing the same AAA game with the same group of 4 IRL friends for 2 years*

But you're right, we do tend to see game completion as a milestone or a metric, something to count up. I think it's part of an adult mindset, but I don't consider it sad. For me, I just like to try a lot of different games, so I'm always happy to buy a big variety that I can dip in and play whenever I feel the urge, whether I complete them or not. Then, having so many games lying around in various states of completion then tends to make it feel rewarding when I do complete one.

[Sharecrow]

The Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse HD (PSN) - beaten January 3rd
The Shadow of the Colossus HD (PS3) - beaten January 19th
Jungle Hunt (Atari 2600 via Flashback 6) - beaten January 21st
Mega Man V (NES via PSN) - beaten January 30th
Shadow of the Colossus HD - hard mode (PS3) - beaten January 31st
Mega Man (NES via PSN) - beaten February 1st
Mega Man VI (NES via PSN) - beaten February 4th
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Part II (PSN) - beaten on February 9th
Mega Man II (NES via PSN) - beaten February 18th
Journey (PSN) - beaten February 19th
Mega Man IV (NES via PSN) - beaten February 20th
Duck Tales: Remastered (PSN) - beaten February 22nd
God of War HD - hard mode (PS3) - beaten February 24th
Giana Sisters: Wicked Dreams - Director's Cut (PSN) - beaten March 6th
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus HD (PS3) - beaten March 21st
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time HD (PS3) - beaten March 23rd
Machinarium (PSN) - beaten April 20th
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - hard mode (Vita) - beaten May 5th
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - crushing mode (Vita) - beaten May 14th
Assassin's Creed (PS3) - beaten on July 16th
Jurassic Park: The Game (PSN) - beaten on July 26th
Back to the Future: The Game (PSN) - beaten on August 7th
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - hard mode (PS3) - beaten on September 4th
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS3) - beaten on September 11th
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - crushing mode (PS3) - beaten on September 20th

New one:
+ The Simpsons - Expert individual quarters mode, Japan ROM (Arcade via PSN) - beaten on October 1st

2016 total games beaten = 26 (15 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

[Jordan]

I'm still more about really delving into a game than trying to play a lot of games, but admittedly I'm moving in the direction of the latter too. There's a bunch of games which I bought on Steam over the summer which I still haven't even touched. I also have a bunch of stuff on my backlog which I'm not sure I'll get to.

To me it kind of depends upon the individual game. Some games feel incredibly rewarding to invest a lot of time into, like Monster Hunter. Sometimes games have post-game content though which I just don't care about, and once I get to a certain point in the game I'm just done.

Every now and then I'll get a nostalgia itch and revisit old games.

Related to this thread, I recently unlocked all the tracks of Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai and completed them all on normal difficulty (almost all on hard except one). I'm still playing the game though for better score rankings or casual fun.

[The Shoemaker]

Beat
(Feb 7) - Shovel Knight (3DS)
(Feb 16) - Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (3DS)
(Mar 25) - The Legend of Zelda Triforce Heroes (3DS)
(April) - Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS)
(May 17) - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attourney (3DS remake)
(May 18) - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS4)
(May 18) - Star Fox Zero (Wii U)
(May 24) - Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (3DS)
(Jun 1) - Mega Man (Mega Man Legacy Collection 3DS)
(Jun 2) - Mega Man 2 (Mega Man Legacy Collection 3DS)
(Jun 2) - Picross e6 (3DS)
(Jun 3) - Mighty Gunvolt (3DS)
(Jun 3) - Azure Striker Gunvolt (3DS)
(Jun 5) - Mega Man 3 (Mega Man Legacy Collection)
(Jun 9) - LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4)
(Jun 15) - Kirby Planet Robobot (3DS)
(Jun 16) - Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe (3DS)
(Jun 20) - Epic Mickey (Wii)
(Jun 21) - InFamous Second Son (PS4)
(Jun 23) - Mega Man 4 (Mega Man Legacy Collection)
(Jun 23) - Gone Home (PS4)
(July 6) - Dark Souls 3 (PS4)
(July 10) - NSMBU (Wii U)
(Aug 4) Fallout 4 (PS4)
(Aug 22) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
(Aug 29) Mario and Luigi Paper Jam (3DS)
(Sep 11) Mutant Mudds Deluxe (3DS)
(Sep 16) Mutant Mudds Super Challenge (3DS)
(Sep 19) My Nintendo Picross The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (3DS)

Complete
(Jan 10) - SteamWorld Heist (3DS)
(Mar 22) - The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)
(Jun 23) - InFamous Second Son (PS4)
(Jun 26) - Mega Man 5 (Mega Man Legacy Collection 3DS)
(Jun 27) - Mega Man 6 (Mega Man Legacy Collection 3DS)
(Sep 12) - Mutant Mudds Deluxe (3DS)
(Oct 2) - Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Finished all levels in SM3DL with both Mario and Luigi, reached the top of every flag pole, collected every star coin and gathered 1000 lives (or whatever the max is). This is my second time doing this actually, was a nice one to revisit.

[Sharecrow]

The Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse HD (PSN) - beaten January 3rd
The Shadow of the Colossus HD (PS3) - beaten January 19th
Jungle Hunt (Atari 2600 via Flashback 6) - beaten January 21st
Mega Man V (NES via PSN) - beaten January 30th
Shadow of the Colossus HD - hard mode (PS3) - beaten January 31st
Mega Man (NES via PSN) - beaten February 1st
Mega Man VI (NES via PSN) - beaten February 4th
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Part II (PSN) - beaten on February 9th
Mega Man II (NES via PSN) - beaten February 18th
Journey (PSN) - beaten February 19th
Mega Man IV (NES via PSN) - beaten February 20th
Duck Tales: Remastered (PSN) - beaten February 22nd
God of War HD - hard mode (PS3) - beaten February 24th
Giana Sisters: Wicked Dreams - Director's Cut (PSN) - beaten March 6th
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus HD (PS3) - beaten March 21st
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time HD (PS3) - beaten March 23rd
Machinarium (PSN) - beaten April 20th
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - hard mode (Vita) - beaten May 5th
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - crushing mode (Vita) - beaten May 14th
Assassin's Creed (PS3) - beaten on July 16th
Jurassic Park: The Game (PSN) - beaten on July 26th
Back to the Future: The Game (PSN) - beaten on August 7th
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - hard mode (PS3) - beaten on September 4th
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS3) - beaten on September 11th
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - crushing mode (PS3) - beaten on September 20th
The Simpsons - Expert individual quarters mode, Japan ROM (Arcade via PSN) - beaten on October 1st

New one:
+ Tales of Xillia (PS3)- beaten on October 2nd

2016 total games beaten = 27 (15 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]

The Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse HD (PSN) - beaten January 3rd
The Shadow of the Colossus HD (PS3) - beaten January 19th
Jungle Hunt (Atari 2600 via Flashback 6) - beaten January 21st
Mega Man V (NES via PSN) - beaten January 30th
Shadow of the Colossus HD - hard mode (PS3) - beaten January 31st
Mega Man (NES via PSN) - beaten February 1st
Mega Man VI (NES via PSN) - beaten February 4th
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Part II (PSN) - beaten on February 9th
Mega Man II (NES via PSN) - beaten February 18th
Journey (PSN) - beaten February 19th
Mega Man IV (NES via PSN) - beaten February 20th
Duck Tales: Remastered (PSN) - beaten February 22nd
God of War HD - hard mode (PS3) - beaten February 24th
Giana Sisters: Wicked Dreams - Director's Cut (PSN) - beaten March 6th
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus HD (PS3) - beaten March 21st
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time HD (PS3) - beaten March 23rd
Machinarium (PSN) - beaten April 20th
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - hard mode (Vita) - beaten May 5th
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - crushing mode (Vita) - beaten May 14th
Assassin's Creed (PS3) - beaten on July 16th
Jurassic Park: The Game (PSN) - beaten on July 26th
Back to the Future: The Game (PSN) - beaten on August 7th
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - hard mode (PS3) - beaten on September 4th
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS3) - beaten on September 11th
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - crushing mode (PS3) - beaten on September 20th
The Simpsons - Expert individual quarters mode, Japan ROM (Arcade via PSN) - beaten on October 1st
Tales of Xillia (PS3) - beaten on October 2nd

New ones:
+ Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - Tower of Doom (arcade via PSN) - beaten on October 7th
+ Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - Shadow Over Mystara (arcade via PSN) - beaten on October 8th

2016 total games beaten = 29 (15 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]

The Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse HD (PSN) - beaten January 3rd
The Shadow of the Colossus HD (PS3) - beaten January 19th
Jungle Hunt (Atari 2600 via Flashback 6) - beaten January 21st
Mega Man V (NES via PSN) - beaten January 30th
Shadow of the Colossus HD - hard mode (PS3) - beaten January 31st
Mega Man (NES via PSN) - beaten February 1st
Mega Man VI (NES via PSN) - beaten February 4th
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Part II (PSN) - beaten on February 9th
Mega Man II (NES via PSN) - beaten February 18th
Journey (PSN) - beaten February 19th
Mega Man IV (NES via PSN) - beaten February 20th
Duck Tales: Remastered (PSN) - beaten February 22nd
God of War HD - hard mode (PS3) - beaten February 24th
Giana Sisters: Wicked Dreams - Director's Cut (PSN) - beaten March 6th
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus HD (PS3) - beaten March 21st
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time HD (PS3) - beaten March 23rd
Machinarium (PSN) - beaten April 20th
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - hard mode (Vita) - beaten May 5th
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - crushing mode (Vita) - beaten May 14th
Assassin's Creed (PS3) - beaten on July 16th
Jurassic Park: The Game (PSN) - beaten on July 26th
Back to the Future: The Game (PSN) - beaten on August 7th
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - hard mode (PS3) - beaten on September 4th
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS3) - beaten on September 11th
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - crushing mode (PS3) - beaten on September 20th
The Simpsons - Expert individual quarters mode, Japan ROM (Arcade via PSN) - beaten on October 1st
Tales of Xillia (PS3) - beaten on October 2nd
Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - Tower of Doom (arcade via PSN) - beaten on October 7th
Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - Shadow Over Mystara (arcade via PSN) - beaten on October 8th

New one:
+ Black Tiger (arcade via PSN) - beaten on October 15th

2016 total games beaten = 30 (16 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

[Claytone]

Beaten:
1/17 - Mortal Kombat X (Xbone)
1/31 - Blast Corps (Xbone [N64])
3/6 - Pokémon Edición Azul (3DS [VC])
3/23 - Shovel Knight (Wii U)
4/18 - LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (360)
4/23 - Star Fox Zero (Wii U)
5/18 - Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
6/25 - Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)
7/5 - Halo 3: ODST (Xbone [360])
7/19 - DOOM (XBLA [MS-DOS])
7/25 - LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Xbone)
7/30 - Gunstar Heroes (XBLA [Genesis])
8/6 - The Wolf Among Us (Xbone)
8/28 - Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge (GBA)
9/17 - Grand Theft Auto V (Xbone)
10/4 - Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings (Xbone)
10/8 - Dead Rising 2: Off the Record (Xbone)
10/22 - Bayonetta (360)

Big wave! Work has been kind of hellish, so I've been squeezing in my hours of escapism where I can. I'll cover each of these games, all of which I enjoyed a great deal.

Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings was one of this month's Xbox Live Games with Gold, and it definitely delivers on fun. I'd never heard of it, but apparently it came out a couple years ago to reasonable but quiet acclaim. It's a lightweight arcade-style baseball sim (no MLB license), and I think I like it about as much as any I've ever played (although I really ought to give Baseball Stars 2 another shot one of these days). I played through a season and won the championship, so I consider that beaten. I enjoyed the fact that the game counts quitting/exiting a game as a loss. When I used to play the old NCAA football games, I'd always quit out and start over when a loss was looking certain (of course, in my defense, a single regular season loss in NCAAFB can mean you've lost your shot at the national championship, which is the primary draw of playing season mode in the first place). In any case, the lack of that luxury forced me to dig deep to earn some late-inning rallies and elimination game wins. Rewarding stuff. I look forward to the gameplay-style contrast when I finally try The Show on my new PS4 Pro next month.

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record was a missing gap in the Dead Rising series for me. In advance of this holiday's DR4 release, Capcom was kind enough to rerelease it and the other last-gen entries on Xbox One, with improved frame-rate to boot. I considered purchasing and replaying the first one (which I love and still own on 360) for the nostalgia and extra achievement set, but I figured it made more sense to play the one I'd missed before. OTR follows Capcom's bizarre adoration of Frank West into a "what if" scenario of the 2nd game, wherein he replaces the protagonist. It features enough plot tweaks to be interesting, but mainly, I just love the main game loop of saving survivors, defeating psychopaths, and fending off the hordes with improvised weaponry. Really clicks with me. The piss poor representation of women in this game didn't sit too well with my social sensitivities, which have certainly heightened since the series's debut in 2006 (when I was 13). Didn't keep me from enjoying the game, but it stuck out to me in the same way any other lazy or poorly executed element of a game might. Fortunately, this wasn't nearly so much of a problem in DR3, so I expect it won't be in 4 either, which I anxiously await. One thing's for damn sure: I need a recap of the silly-ass series plot.

Bayonetta is a game I started 3 years ago but didn't finish for whatever reason. When I saw the game was added to the list of Xbox One backwards compatible titles a little while ago, it served as a much needed reminder to give the game the second try I knew it deserved. Don't know what was missing last time, but it completely clicked this time. I can say with confidence that I've never played a better action game, and I've played a short list of better games period. The controls are tight, the Witch Time mechanism feels great, and the story is ludicrous. All that aside, the game is as stylish as any I've ever played. I loved Bayonetta as a character. She's as cool as they come. I could go on. The controls! Perfect! Not a hitch. I always felt in perfect control of Bayonetta and my combos, and I always felt like I was getting better. Really, I could rave more about this game, but I'll stop here. Didn't know how much I'd end up appreciating it at the time of its release, but now I couldn't be more excited to grab Bayonetta 2 and give the Wii U one last hurrah.

Completed:
8/28 - Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge (GBA)

Rebeaten:
3/28 - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS3 [PS2]) (2x)

2012 Beaten: 24 Completed: 0
2013 Beaten: 41 Completed: 4
2014 Beaten: 34 Completed: 5
2015 Beaten: 22 Completed: 1
2016 Beaten: 18 Completed: 1

[The Shoemaker]

Beat
(Feb 7) - Shovel Knight (3DS)
(Feb 16) - Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (3DS)
(Mar 25) - The Legend of Zelda Triforce Heroes (3DS)
(April) - Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS)
(May 17) - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attourney (3DS remake)
(May 18) - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS4)
(May 18) - Star Fox Zero (Wii U)
(May 24) - Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (3DS)
(Jun 1) - Mega Man (Mega Man Legacy Collection 3DS)
(Jun 2) - Mega Man 2 (Mega Man Legacy Collection 3DS)
(Jun 2) - Picross e6 (3DS)
(Jun 3) - Mighty Gunvolt (3DS)
(Jun 3) - Azure Striker Gunvolt (3DS)
(Jun 5) - Mega Man 3 (Mega Man Legacy Collection)
(Jun 9) - LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4)
(Jun 15) - Kirby Planet Robobot (3DS)
(Jun 16) - Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe (3DS)
(Jun 20) - Epic Mickey (Wii)
(Jun 21) - InFamous Second Son (PS4)
(Jun 23) - Mega Man 4 (Mega Man Legacy Collection)
(Jun 23) - Gone Home (PS4)
(July 6) - Dark Souls 3 (PS4)
(July 10) - NSMBU (Wii U)
(Aug 4) Fallout 4 (PS4)
(Aug 22) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
(Aug 29) Mario and Luigi Paper Jam (3DS)
(Sep 11) Mutant Mudds Deluxe (3DS)
(Sep 16) Mutant Mudds Super Challenge (3DS)
(Sep 19) My Nintendo Picross The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (3DS)
(Oct. 31) The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (3DS)

Complete
(Jan 10) - SteamWorld Heist (3DS)
(Mar 22) - The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)
(Jun 23) - InFamous Second Son (PS4)
(Jun 26) - Mega Man 5 (Mega Man Legacy Collection 3DS)
(Jun 27) - Mega Man 6 (Mega Man Legacy Collection 3DS)
(Sep 12) - Mutant Mudds Deluxe (3DS)
(Oct 2) - Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Finally after 5 years I beat Link's Awakening! I would go months at a time without playing so I would often forget what I was doing and where I was going. All done now. I'm surprised how much of a full Zelda experience it was, must have been pretty neat when it actually came out to play that on the Game Boy.