52 Games in a year challenge: 2018 - The Bear and Badger

Moot_Geeza

Shortish, quite long by Master System platformer standards (70 mins maybe). Would've been tricky without save states.

Moot_Geeza

Andy wrote:

Moot_Geeza wrote:

69. Alex Kidd in Miracle World 2.

So, it’s short and easy, then.

hylian_elf

70 minutes is shortish?

Moot_Geeza

I reckon I could get through Castle of Illusion and Alex Kidd in Shinobi World back to back in roughly the same amount of time. Loved the Sega stuff, but they were often short.

Wariospeedwagon

Picross S2 - Good collection of picross puzzles. Nothing too exciting but i find these games compulsive once I start.

This is my 3rd picross game played over the last year and I'm getting a bit sick of them - I'm at the skill level where most of the puzzles are tedious, but the hard ones are too tough for me to beat without cheating and make my brain hurt. Will give this series a spell. 8/10

Final Fantasy 15: A King's Tale

A streets of rage style bonus game that came out with the main game on release. A mixed bag but mostly not very good. ie

Lovely pixel sprites, but boring stages
Pretty fun combat system with a fair bit of variety vs bullet sponge enemies and levels that drag on
Then there is way too much text dialogue, but at least it is told like The Princess Bride! With young Noctis being told a bedtime story by his dear old dad.

Was sick to death of it by the end, but it's harmless really. 3/10

acemuzzy

Diluted Dante wrote:

16. Burly Men at Sea (PS4) - Ok, so this is short! I have to say, I didn't really get this one. I'd advise people not go go in blind like I did, or you'll come away disappointed I think. It's not much of a game in terms of you actually doing anything. It's essentially a choose your own adventure. here is choice, what choice do you want to make, thing happens as a result. Which as I say, would have been fine were I expecting that. I went in thinking there would be puzzles, puzzles there are not. The controls aren't greatly optimised for PS4. You move the screen rather than the characters, which you can do with the the right stick for some reason, or the triggers as I did. The left stick controls an unwieldy cursor. This would have been much better on PC, or I imagine Vita, with a touch screen to select. It's very charming, it looks lovely, and the background music is very jaunty, whilst still relaxing. I liked the dialogue, which is fortunate, and am planning to replay to see the other adventures, which hopefully now I know what I'm in for will be more enjoyable. My playthrough was about half an hour, Although I suppose other choices might be longer. So yeah, play it, just know what it is.

I've just done the same, and yeah feeling rather underwhelmed.

Not sure I cba with even playing through other bits - set off again and straight to the whale once more?

Diluted Dante

Aye, you go to the whale and then make decisions from there.

After playing the rest, its better than it was after the first run, but i wouldnt have paid for it. The other runs end up being quicker, partly because you dont need to do the beginning again.

hylian_elf

Muzzy, ever thought you should play fewer games but better ones? Just saying.

acemuzzy

Why would I want to do that?

[Deleted User]

I know you’re (half) joking, but participating in this thread has made me realise that, while I do want to concentrate more on finishing games before I move onto new ones, I have no interest in playing the things I’d need to play to get through 52 in a year. I’m sitting somewhere in the region of 80 hours on Stardew Valley, and that seems incompatible with pumping through short titles.

I dunno. For the most part I like games to be shorter, but this challenge seems to encourage completing shallow experiences for completion’s sake, like those who played through King Kong just for the easy 1000G.

Moot_Geeza

It's a weird one. I think I've looked at my trophies page maybe twice in the last two generations of Playstation as I have zero interest in checklist stuff, likewise achievements on Xbox, yet this thread does have a strange grip on me. I've definitely seen certain things out that I would've ditched without it (Dead Nation is a recent example). If there was a prize at stake it'd be a bit rich tallying up retro titles and 80 minute indie stuff, but I'm mostly listing games I've paid for that I wanted to play (the rest are PS+ titles and I've definitely scraped the Vita barrel for the sake of numbers). I think I've always played for completion's sake as I've only replayed a handful of games since the PS2 era. Love this thread, can't really explain why.

Moot_Geeza

I had to have a word with myself about it recently as I was in danger of never reading on the train again and possibly ending the year on 100+.

Webbins

HEY KING KONG WAS A GOOD GAME ITS NOT LIKE THEY GAVE YOU THE 1000G.

Avatar: The Last Airbender though, inexcusable if you've got that in your history.

*checks history*

hylian_elf

I enjoyed King Kong. It got an Edge 8 iirc.

Moot_Geeza

Some people did buy it/play it for the quick 1000G though. There was an NBA game that gave up the points after an hour or so too, I remember a mate giving me his copy so I could bump up my paltry gamerscore. On the shelf it sat.

I wanted 200G for Meat Boy, that's the only one I ever focused on, but I couldn't git gud enuff.

JonB

I did 52 last year and definitely ended up sticking with games I usually would've ditched. That's why I didn't want to try it this year, as well as wanting to take more time over longer games.

I'm now on about 20, with some stuff left abandoned or incomplete, and it's been a more enjoyable time overall.

Wariospeedwagon

Pretty sure I joined this thread to help knock over my endless backlog of unplayed Steam games.

Out of 44 games so far this year, just 6 have come from that backlog. SIX! Not sure how I fucked that up so badly.

acemuzzy

Andy wrote:

I know you’re (half) joking, but participating in this thread has made me realise that, while I do want to concentrate more on finishing games before I move onto new ones, I have no interest in playing the things I’d need to play to get through 52 in a year. I’m sitting somewhere in the region of 80 hours on Stardew Valley, and that seems incompatible with pumping through short titles. I dunno. For the most part I like games to be shorter, but this challenge seems to encourage completing shallow experiences for completion’s sake, like those who played through King Kong just for the easy 1000G.

Well for me, 80 hours equates to about four months of gaming. And given a choice between just playing Stardew Valley in that period, or playing a mix of 15 different shorter games - some indie gems, maybe a couple of stinkers, but undoubtedly some good experiences along the way - then I'm pretty happy with my choice.

And to be clear I am dropping games along the way. Long doesn't equate to good, short doesn't equate to shallow. I've played GoW and Hollow Knight, I'll likely play RotTR. They were all pretty good, and Hollow Knight was amazing. I've dabbled with Dead Cells, and FH4. And meanwhile I've given [8]s and [9]s to The End is Nigh, oO, What Became of Edith Finch, HRM, A Normal Lost Phone, etc. etc. - I defy you to argue that playing one solid AAA is worth it vs. all of them combined.

I mean at times I maybe exaggerate the short shite I play, but there are no regrets here.

[Deleted User]

I know that length doesn’t equate to quality. Some of my favourite games can be completed in one or two sittings. I’m not criticising, btw, just saying that it’s not for me.

I’d question your maths/timekeeping though. If 80 hours is four months of gaming, that’s 4½ hours per game to do 52 in a year, which is a helluva rate to clock the titles you’re refering to. One of the things I’ve also thought about this thread is how much more time you and Moot spend playing than I do; there’s no way I have the time to complete the things I see you piling through. One of the only reasons I’ve racked up as many hours in Stardew Valley is being ill and doing little else.

Moot_Geeza

I spent an obscene amount of time gaming last year in particular, almost certainly more than 2014-16 combined.

acemuzzy

I'd say that maths is about right, for console/PC gaming time - maybe I do a bit more than 5h a week, but it's that ballpark (and often lower / non-existent). A few mobile things on the bus/bog help the numbers, but more importantly there are more < 2h games than there are > 10h games, etc. Hollow Knight and GoW the exceptions.

Or maybe I'm kidding myself. I should buy a chess clock or something.

acemuzzy

(GOW was finished on May 24, released on April 20, and about the only thing I played in that period, as a data point.)

hylian_elf

10. Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4)
Just about above average. Maybe.

acemuzzy

That's 50 up for me!

Two to go, surely can't fuck it from here. Likely some loose ends, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Resi 4.

JonB

I like the idea of Resi 4 being last.

Spoiler:

Moot_Geeza

70. Donald Duck in Deep Duck Trouble.

Wariospeedwagon

45: Gunstar Heroes

This is the first time I've played Gunstar! Can see why it has its reputation.

Was playing it on PC, on a Mega Drive compilation that had a handy Rewind feature. I relied on this more than I'd like to admit. Not like I found the game unfair or anything; it's just one of those features where once you've started using it, it's hard to stop.

Would like to spend a lot more time with it. Figuring out which combination of weapons/controls is the most fun (I just stuck with the normal and homing guns, they seemed by far the easiest to use) and just enjoying learning to control the chaos on a harder difficulty and without using the Rewind. Great game.

Moot_Geeza

It does spectacular ever so well. Obviously it's hard not to mention Seven Force when praising the game, so I won't bother trying - what an thrilling segment. The dice room is great too, recently pilfered in Cuphead. Any interest in Dynamite Headdy? I prefer it, would probably sneak into my ridiculously strong Treasure top 3.

Edit: Just checking:

1. Bangai-O - Dreamcast
2. Guardian Heroes - Saturn
3. Dynamite Headdy - Megadrive.

Yup. Astro Boy GBA hot on its heels at no.4, and Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (Wii) breathing down its neck at 5.

JonB

I would fancy playing Gunstar again at some point. Only ever played it on emulation and probably just save stated through it. Perhaps I should grab that MD collection after all.

Best Treasure for me is Astro Boy, followed by Headdy and Ikaruga. S&P2 and Mischief Makers a little way behind.

Moot_Geeza

Bangai-O HD is pretty much all I'm waiting for with the Xbox One BC additions now (Trials Evo not required now Rising is on the way). I really struggled with it, but I should have given it more time. iirc I took so long to beat stage 3 I couldn't face playing any more. Obviously Dubs smashed it to bits. A bit of a shame as I loved the DC version. Plus I couldn't handle the DS game because of the slowdown, so I have a weird relationship with the series considering one of them is is an all-timer for me.

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