What games are you playing?

I played Q-Bert a lot last night, got further than I have previously. He drank a lot of Mello Yello.

Saints Row 2. Actually a pretty decent GTA clone.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Playstation 3) - Unfortunately, the whole PS3 debacle resulted in me losing all my progress in Skyrim....And any other game I had started since owning the PS3. In the case of Skyrim, I'm not too terribly upset, as there's so much to do that it would be very unlikely that I'd have the exact same experience by starting over...And I was right. This game grows on me each time I play it, though initially, I wasn't as pleased with the game as I was hoping I would be.

Pokemon: Black Version (Nintendo DS) - I made the mistake of attempting to play one of the new Pokemon games...I say it's a mistake, 'cause the dang game is addicting. It's more of the same, but with all new Pokemon, and several, new additions to the gameplay. If my enjoyment of the game continues to the end, I may play through Pokemon: White Version immediately afterward. I suppose we'll see.

WWE '12 (Playstation 3) - I'm a wrestling nut. This could end up being the absolute worst game ever made...And I'd still play and enjoy it because it's a wrestling game. I haven't technically started to play it yet, but I will be playing it tomorrow night after work, as it should arrive at that time via the mail. It's really the only thing that'll interrupt the playing of Skyrim for a while.

Anno 1404. A good city buildng, economic simulation game.
Trying to get all the achievements right now.

Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion (Nintendo 3DS 2011) - My first 3DS game! A Smash Bros. knock off (Black wands with yellow stars at the end? Check), and a solid one at that. It's not as good as Super Smash Bros. of course, but it's fun and features good level design and varied characters (my favorite level is the one inside the whale's mouth where I use Numbuh One to knock enemies outside just before the mouth closes and they drown). I've unlocked all the levels by beating Story mode and all the characters by winning seventy-five fights in Battle mode, so I'd say I'm pretty darn finished with the game. I assume this one was released before the console version because the latter was set to trump this one and render it less desirable with its much greater selection of characters and better gameplay. Still, I'm glad handheld devices are being utilized by developers to host SSB-esque fighters alongside the more complete console versions, as is the case with Punch Time Explosion and is set to be the case with the new Smash Bros. game.

I'm really getting into the 3DS system. All the features are great, and I'm so happy you can download DSiWare games on it! I didn't think the DSiWare store would be accessible from the virtual 3DS shop.

Epic Mickey (Nintendo Wii 2010) - What a great celebration of Disney history! Since Disney got back the rights for the character, I want them to create new cartoon shorts and series with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in them. Oswald, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow... The only thing missing is Minnie - the only trace I experienced of hers was a vague mention by one of the Bog Easy Wastelanders, asking Mickey if there is a female mouse in his life. And now that I've finished going over the fan service aspect, let's get to the gameplay. I love the concept, but the camera's so unreliable and the motion controls aren't exact enough (that last isn't really their fault; I feel as if the motion controls on the Wii would've been better with cooperative receptors on the left, right, and bottom of the screen in addition to the top - I hope they do this for the Wii U). In addition to these basic gameplay elements, I wasn't a fan of the linearity and especially the inability to revisit many sections of the game and complete the quests therein. I beat it on a somewhat-hero/somewhat-scrapper run and got most of the stuff done; I don't know when I'll get to playing it again, but I'm sure I'll use a guide next time and get as many collectables as possible.

See a more complete review HERE.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (Nintendo DS) - I love this game. It's got the classic gameplay of the SNES Shin Megami Tensei, but with some new gameplay additions to put it on par with similar games in the genre today. It can be very difficult at times, however, and sometimes doing some level grinding is a necessity...But I've never been one to mind doing that.

Samurai Warriors Chronicles (Nintendo 3DS) - A 3D brawler, this game can be fun...But it can also get pretty repetitive as well. With objectives popping up constantly on the battlefield, it helps to break up the feeling of repetition a little, but in the end, you're still just mowing down hundreds of enemies in battles from Japan in the 1500's...And it can and does get old after a while. This is definitely one of those "good in moderation" games.

Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition (Nintendo DS 2008) - This one's pretty similar to the original, so I just drew the same character as my hero. To make things interesting, I drew all my bad guy carcasses as different kinds of fruit. Really, I've found that playing these games I see the drawing more as a hindrance to the platforming. And this game isn't as good for platforming as the last one, as you only gain temporary power-ups that provide an extra offensive or alter the jumping until the very end when you start to get really cool ones. I just felt like there wasn't enough progression for my character, and I hated the standard short range of attack when not powered-up. I haven't beaten the extra world yet, but I'm thinking I'll come back to it. It seems as if Freakyforms has taken this general idea and executed it a bit more successfully.

I finally found the weirdest game of all time.

It's a little gem for the PSone called LSD. The acronym stands for Lovely Sweet Dream. There are no levels or enemies. You just wander around a vast dreamworld full of strange dream things and every time you touch anything, you are transported to a new dimension. The programmer was supposedly inspired by a different kind of LSD, and the game is supposed to be like one huge simulation of his dreams and his trip on acid. Totally, utterly, fantastically bizarre.

I bought some titles from Steam´s christmas sale. Dead Space 1 & 2 + AC:Brotherhood. Havent got the time yet to try either Dead Space games. They probably will release the third installment before i touch on that series. Anyways been playing lots of Fifa 12 with PS3. I tried to convert myself to playing MMORPG for the first time after i bought The Old Republic. Didnt fancy that so now im again playing Call of Duty. Weak soul.

I finally found the weirdest game of all time.

It's a little gem for the PSone called LSD. The acronym stands for Lovely Sweet Dream. There are no levels or enemies. You just wander around a vast dreamworld full of strange dream things and every time you touch anything, you are transported to a new dimension. The programmer was supposedly inspired by a different kind of LSD, and the game is supposed to be like one huge simulation of his dreams and his trip on acid. Totally, utterly, fantastically bizarre.

I looked this one up on YouTube when you first posted this. It's truly bizarre. And there seems to be some fun (read: creepy!) Easter eggs if you walk around enough. Thanks for letting us know about this one.

Only in Japan, as they say.

Suikoden: Tierkreis (Nintendo DS) - I bought this when it came out...Had it reserved, actually...But I haven't played it until now. I'm only about an hour in, but so far I think it's a decent game. I'm hoping it's like Suikoden V where it starts out slow, but gets really, really good as the game progresses. And for the record, the voice acting in this game is terrible. I've heard worse before, but this is still quite terrible.

Dementium: The Ward (Nintendo DS) - A first-person survival horror game on the DS. I really enjoy the concept, but I'm not a very big fan of the controls so far...Maybe they'll grow on me as I go on, but for now I'm not impressed. I'm also not a big fan of combat in general...I can attack an enemy the exact same way two different times and one time I'll leave without a scratch and the next time, half of my attacks don't connect for some reason or another. But anyway, I like the idea behind this, but so far I'm not too impressed with the execution.

Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions (Nintendo 3DS) - A decent compilation. The new, exclusive games for the compilation are the weak links, though. They feature motion controls, and quite frankly, while the motion control technology is a neat novelty, it's rarely done in a way where the novelty doesn't wear off after a few minutes. But, with Pac-Man, Galaga, Pac-Man Championship Edition, and Galaga Legions all in the cartridge, it's still well worth a purchase.

Banjo-Kazooie (N64 1998) - While very rooted in the Super Mario 64 formula, the game does a significant amount to make its own place in the history of 3D platforming. I love collecting stuff, I really do, so this was lots of fun for me. I guess I'll have to see if Donkey Kong 64 goes too far in this aspect for even my taste. While Banjo seems to be a perfectly pleasant little bear, Kazooie really steals the spotlight - her and Grunty. I didn't like Grunty's Furnace Fun at first because I had to go back through the hub and talk to her sister to get the game file-unique answers to personal questions about her, but I guess it was worth it for questions like "What’s my amazing party trick?" for which I found out the answer was "To blow up balloons with my butt".

See a more complete review HERE.

These 3D platformers don't go by as quickly as Metroidvanias, so I haven't been putting out reviews as constantly. However, I've been posting my more recent (and, arguably, better than the ones before them) reviews from Metroidvanias in Review inbetween the new ones of 3D platformers.

Sonic Jam (Saturn 1997) - I loved playing as Sonic in true 3D in Sonic World, though I had conflicting feelings in that A) I was on edge that the console was going to turn off automatically (I need to get the box replaced), and B) I wanted it to last longer because it's the closest thing we have to classic-style 3D Sonic gameplay. As long as I can get a reliable Saturn box that won't bug up on a whim, I can see myself using Sonic Jam to play the Genesis quadrilogy very happily - I mean, why unplug one system and plug another one in? Of the features added, I like the Spin Dash in the original Sonic the Hedgehog and the ability to practice the Special Stages outside of the games the most. While the ones for Sonic 3 and & Knuckles (*snicker*) are quite easy, getting the Chaos Emeralds for Sonic 1 and, to a much greater extent, Sonic 2 can be hard. Overall, a good compilation with plenty extra to keep one busy. I have no objections to what came immediately afterward, either, but that's another post altogether.

See a more complete review HERE.

FFVIII and FFVII :)

The Broken Steel DLC for Fallout 3.

Those Super Mutant Overlords suck! They're even tougher and harder to kill than Deathclaws. And the fact that they can carry Gatling Lasers or throw grenades at you doesn't help. Well, good thing I carry lots of stimpaks.

Play New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii and it falls under that FFF for me. Fucking Frustratingly Fun! It's a good game but I'll be damn if I haven't created new swears for this one.

Assassin's Creed 2 on ps3.
I haven't played the first one, is it less confusing when you play that one or is it still trippy? Or maybe I'm just thrown off by conspiracy theories haha. Any way it's amazing, great game, wish I had played it sooner.

Pokemon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color 1998) - This game is engrossing. I enjoy deck-building and strategizing, and even though this game only has 226 cards and is rather short it's pretty satisfying. I happen to prefer card games where you play as a character who walks around and talks to people in a top-down world, as in early ones like this, Monster Rancher Battle Card GB, and SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter's Clash. I wish Hudson Soft would do a newer version with the many card packs that have followed, a larger world, and a more involved adventure, as unlikely as that is. Yu-Gi-Oh!'s kind of taken over the card battle video game market (not that I don't appreciate the abundance of games in that series).

See a more complete review HERE.

I'm sticking with handhelds for now, as my television is being taken over by my new obsession of transferring my VHS tapes to DVD....Which if I continue until I'm done, will probably take about a year. Thankfully, the Playstation Vita is out in a few weeks...And despite low sales in Japan, the launch lineup of games in North America looks pretty strong. I'm really, really looking forward to it coming out. Anyway, onto the games I'm currently working on...

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Nintendo DS) - Dawn of Sorrow is a game I played a bit of, and as per my gaming habits, eventually put down so I could play something else. My goal right now is to complete it. That being said, I really dislike the touch screen controls from what I've played...But it's still a very solid entry in the Castlevania franchise, so I can't complain too much.

New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS) - Picking up where I left off when the game came out; the beginning of the final level. Like Mario Kart DS (which I beat yesterday), for some reason, I played up to the end and just plain didn't beat it. But anyway, I hope to remedy that sometime in the near future.

I've been playing Q-Bert a lot lately.

Are you planning on reviewing Dawn of Sorrow, ape? I'd love to see your thoughts in more depth.

Can't get an accurate copy to blockquote your comment on this dag nub ipod, Mr. Pumpkinate, but the answer is maybe. If I play through to the end, then probably...If I get side-tracked and move onto something else, then I'll probably wait on reviewing it until completing it.

I'm currently playing Resident Evil Revelations (3DS) which I've just finished and I'm going to play a bit of Raid Mode online.

I'm playing Night Trap on the SegaCD, well on the 32X, well on my PC! Love Dana Plato. I have a physical copy well, I have the box, some kid at school begged me to borrow it back in the day. He neglected to tell me he was moving to the otherside of the country the next day. Lousy bugger.

Still playing the previous games mentioned, but I'm a busy lad, so also toss in....

Pokemon: White Version (Nintendo DS) - I beat Black a few months ago. Since a few months have passed, I felt like enough time had passed where I wouldn't mind another stroll in Unova. So far, I'm not really seeing any noticeable differences between the two yet, aside from the fact that the main character will end up with a different Pokemon dragon at the end. The chance percentages of Pokemon popping up in certain regions might be different, but it's not noticeable in any way yet...Likewise, I haven't come across any pokemon exclusive to the White version thus far, either. But, it doesn't really matter. Black was fun enough to play through, I should have a similar experience here.

Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo 3DS) - I've already beaten this game, but to kill a few minutes, a quick race is always a good time. I almost want to say that I enjoy Mario Kart DS to this as my portable Mario Kart game of choice...But I'll spend more time with this one before I make that claim one way or the other.

Puppies 3D (Nintendo 3DS) - Don't play it. Get Nintendogs. The dogs in Nintendogs have personality and are about as fun to play with as you can get without having a real dog. The dogs in Puppies 3D have little to no personality...They're like puppy zombies. There's absolutely no reason to buy or play this game so long as Nintendogs games are readily available. However, I continue to play it just to confirm that things do not get better as time rolls on and that it stays awful consistently as you play.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D (Nintendo 3DS) - A decent sports title for the 3D handheld. It's not a perfect soccer game by any means, but it's more than passable and a good purchase for sports nuts that want a portable soccer game. I prefer hockey when it comes to "shoot object into goal" sports because it's faster and I enjoy crunching folks into plexiglass...But sometimes the slower, more strategic style of soccer is a nice break from the carnage in hockey.

Been playing Pokemon Black to start an new team for online.

Revengers of Vengeance on the Sega CD. weird underdeveloped 2-D Fighter/RPG. Great name, I had fun but there are major problems. It is a great idea but it seems like they gave up 5% into development, and just kind of wrapped it up and put it on the market. I'd like to see a game like this from SNK. Imagine the whole Fatal Fury saga in a RPG backdrop. Random battles are 2D fights but you level up and learn new skills, buy equipment,
interact with npcs trying to find clues, going on missions and the like.

Finally finishing up Chrono Trigger.

I was just playing a Super Nintendo Ranma 1/2 RPG translated enjoying it but the thing froze right as I was saving my state so I'm gonna stay away from it for a month or so. I'm thinking of playing a Sailor Moon one soon or maybe a Sega CD Lunar.

I'm now playing Chrono Cross.

Fable III

Monster Rancher Battle Card GB (Game Boy Color 1999) - While Pokemon Trading Card Game was more condensed in its progression and had longer battles, Tecmo stretches out their card battle genre iteration with vast dungeons while offering fast-paced duels that take a fraction of the time as those in Pokemon TCG. This tradeoff doesn't necessarily make for a better or worse product, but the awkward translation and boring randomly-generated dungeons don't help. It's a shame too, because the battles are incredibly addictive - even with a game that I like more, I'm not kneeling in over in my seat wanting to battle more, more, more all that often. Some aspects of the game may be a little sloppy, but I had fun with it; and plus, holding the absence of a proper introduction and the use of abbreviations for action selections, the card matches are flawless, and that's the most important part right there.

See a more complete review HERE.

Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS) - I'll be getting the Playstation Vita in the mail next week, and plan on using it to play through Chrono Cross for the first time in a while (I had to have beaten it at least 15-20 times over the years), but before that happens, I thought I should play through the original again, as I've only beaten Chrono Trigger once before. Me only playing through once is showing as I barely remember most of this game...But I'm enjoying my time with it all the same.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit (Game Boy Advance) - Sticking with my handheld mood, and as a result of me enjoying my time with Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7, I decided to play through a game I remember beating while sitting on the toilet in college (along with WarioLand 4 and Metroid Fusion), Mario Kart: Super Circuit. I'm glad that this 16-bit kart racer still holds up about ten years later.

Ikenie no Yoru (Nintendo Wii) - I got this Japanese survival horror on YesAsia.com but it cost a pretty penny. Despite having a price tag that would scare all but collectors away, it's actually a fairly new game, and I'm stoked to play it. According to my Sonomama Nintendo DS Kanji Dictionary, (awesome by the way), Ikenie no Yoru roughly translates as Night of the Sacrificed. It took some massaging to get my Wii to agree to play it (since the game is Japanese) and region locked, but it is finally going and it looks great. You can actually use the Wii Fit board to move around in the game, which is going to take me some getting used to since I'm used to having my cheeks firmly planted on a cushion. I can't think of another horror game that uses anything like the Wii board. All together, $75 for the game and $40 for the used Wii Board, this is my biggest game buy to date, just barely topping the UK version of Deep Fear on the Sega Saturn I bought last year. Hey, I let myself have at least one serious game purchase per year. Lol, I just read what I typed and I sound like a fat chick walking out of a pilates studio: "Hey, let's get a sundae, girls! We deserve it!" Lol, I'm a totally a fat chick.

New to this site but love it. Anyway I am currently playing Dragon Warrior 2. I had the first one growing up and for some reason never got around to playing any of the other ones. Alot of fun so far but starting to get really challenging. The overworld map now that I have a boat is really big and zoomed in so I can't see shit. I have had to go to a map online to keep track of myself and their is little direction where i'm at but so far I am digging it.

New to this site but love it. Anyway I am currently playing Dragon Warrior 2. I had the first one growing up and for some reason never got around to playing any of the other ones. Alot of fun so far but starting to get really challenging. The overworld map now that I have a boat is really big and zoomed in so I can't see shit. I have had to go to a map online to keep track of myself and their is little direction where i'm at but so far I am digging it.

Oh man, I have fond memories of DW2. The opening bit where Hargon's demons come and kill the King in front of his daughter and the dirge they play...immortal!

Little Deviants (Playstation Vita) - It comes packed in with the Playstation Vita First Edition bundle...And if it didn't, I would urge folks to avoid it unless they found it for $10 or less. It's alright as far as showing how the Vita's features can be used, but it'd be better if they made it fun. Now and then you'll hit a fun part, but most of the game consists of boring, dull demonstrations of what the Vita can do.

Super Stardust Delta (Playstation Vita - PSN) - Already beat it, but still playing and enjoying it. If you like games like Geometry Wars, then you'll probably like this shooter as well. If you get a Vita, this is a great first download from the Playstation Store.

Disgaea 4, OMG THIS HAS SO MUCH CONTENT

ModNation Racers: Road Trip (Playstation Vita) - Some snobby reviewers on two fairly popular websites decided that a lack of online play warranted giving this game a 3 out of 10. That's just ridiculous. I'm really enjoying my time here, and I'm sure just about anyone else who likes kart racing games would enjoy their time with it as well. Sure, online mode would've been a nice plus, but this game is plenty fun without it.

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (Playstation Vita) - Hooked. I forgot how addicting golf games can be. A boring sport can be transformed into an entertaining game when done right. The latest entry in the Hot Shot Golf series is definitely done right.

I been playing GTA San Andreas, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, and Pokemon Black lately.

Kingdoms of Amalur and Skyrim. Mostly Amalur these days because it's generally more satisfying when I only do short playing sessions. The combat is fun and being able to respec and see all content in one play-through is very appealing.

SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash (Neo Geo Pocket Color 1999) - I played all of the Capcom version and a little of the SNK version, to get a sense of how the two versions differ. I received a new copy of Capcom Version, and the packaging and the manual were nice. I must acknowledge that the game is very much in the Pokemon Trading Card Game tradition, but it's pretty fun and I always got a good feeling when I received a particularly good card after a duel. The Neo Geo Pocket Color should have been more successful and more of its library should have been made available in English, but at least we got what we got and I haven't exhausted what the system has to offer yet!

See a more complete review HERE.

I'd like to have that game, mainly the SNK version. I only have the SNK vs Capcom fighter, Fatal Fury and Puyo Pop for NGPC but I love the system.

MotorStorm

Touch My Katamari (Playstation Vita) - I love this franchise, and this game was everything I expected it to be...And maybe a little more as I expected the touch controls to be terrible, but they actually add a new and neat little element to the gameplay. They also made the King of the Cosmos look a tad more realistic, which results in him almost looking like he'd be more at home in a game like Silent Hill than Katamari Damacy. But anyway, I'll likely be enjoying this one for a while.

Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater (Nintendo 3DS) - Haven't technically played it yet (charging the 3DS, which was neglected the past two weeks while I devoted my time to the Vita), but I likely will within the hour. I loved Snake Eater on the PS2, so as long as MGS 3D plays relatively close to that game, I'm sure I'll love it...And, like all MGS games, I'll likely make my way through the game multiple times. Buuuut, we'll see. I'll post my thoughts on the game in the 3DS list I've got, and when I beat it, more thoughts will pop up in the games beaten list....There we go. I plugged some of my lists....First and last time for the year. :)

Flower for PSN
Love it!

I'd like to have that game, mainly the SNK version. I only have the SNK vs Capcom fighter, Fatal Fury and Puyo Pop for NGPC but I love the system.

The Neo Geo Pocket Color is a really great system, due to its strong albeit small library. I wish we could have gotten the sequel to Card Fighters' Clash and Bio Motor Unitron 2, and whichever other gems we're missing, in English.

Hey ape, I *almost* bought a Vita on impulse just to play the Katamari game. When I get a Vita eventually, it'll definitely be the first played. Oh, and speaking of Silent Hill on the Vita, I hear Book of Memories is going to be an online game more or less. I wonder how it's going to turn out.

Hey ape, I *almost* bought a Vita on impulse just to play the Katamari game. When I get a Vita eventually, it'll definitely be the first played. Oh, and speaking of Silent Hill on the Vita, I hear Book of Memories is going to be an online game more or less. I wonder how it's going to turn out.

It's more or less the same as all the other Katamari games...But that's not really a bad thing, in my opinion. A friend of mine actually bought a Vita just for the Katamari game, so it wouldn't surprise me that others might do the same. And for what it's worth, Touch My Katamari was the game I was most looking forward to when the launch titles of the Vita were announced.

I read the same thing about Book of Memories...Which is kind of disappointing for me, as I'm not much of an online multiplayer sort of guy, but I'll still probably get it eventually.

Suppose I should list the new stuff I'm playing now...

Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater (Nintendo 3DS) - On course to battle The Fear. I'm pretty much used to the controls by now, but I'll admit, if I get careless and get spotted by the enemy, I tend to get a little flustered and have big time troubles trying to hide and/or aim and fire at enemies as I fumble with the controls in a panic. But during my first few boss fights, I was surprised that they went as well as they did...But I highly doubt I'd be able to get used to the controls enough to successfully complete the game on the hardest difficulty, as the fancy moves I execute easily on the console version of the game aren't quite as easy to execute here.

WWF Wrestlefest (Arcade) - I adore this game, and every few months, I get the urge to play it. It plays so wonderfully that it's amazing that console wrestling games never copied this formula. It's easy for anyone to pick up and play, which makes it fun to get newcomers to join in on the action. One day I'd love to own the game cabinet so I don't have to visit the local pizza joint in order to compete in a Royal Rumble or team up with a friend to go after Legion of Doom and the tag team titles.

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (Playstation Vita) - Back to playing this (along with Touch My Katamari) as it's a good game to play for quick periods of time while on break or lunch at work....Plus, I'm enjoying how I'm slowly unlocking everything. Unlocking stuff almost always increases the replayability of a game for me, and this game is no exception to that rule.