Beaten in 2014

[Raedon]

Disgaea 3

[Nionel]

1. World Heroes (PS2, 1/7)
2. Ryse: Son of Rome (XBO, 1/8)
3. Mega Man X (PS2, 1/9)
4. Mega Man X2 (PS2, 1/9)
5. Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014 (Steam, 1/9)
6. Sonic Blast (GG, 1/10)
7. Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball (GG, 1/10)
8. Mega Man X3 (PS2, 1/11)
9. Mega Man X4 (PS2, 1/11)
10. Super Mario Land 2: The Six Golden Coins (GB, 1/12)
11. Mega Man X5 (PS2, 1/13)
12. World Heroes 2 (PS2, 1/14)
13. World Heroes 2 Jet (PS2, 1/15)
14. Skylanders: Giant (3DS, 1/16)
15. To the Moon (Steam, 1/17)
16. World Heroes Perfect (PS2, 1/18)
17. The Simpsons: Road Rage (PS2, 1/19)
18. Mega Man X6 (PS2, 1/21)
19. Final Fantasy VII (Steam, 1/23)
20. Digital: A Love Story (PC, 1/28)
21. Don't Take it Personally, Babe, it Just Ain't Your Story (PC, 2/4)
22. Shining Force (GEN, 2/15)

Ah, Shining Force. This series is one of my favorites on the Genesis and it was a joy to replay. I wish the game had some side quests like the sequel does, but despite the game's linearity, it was still a lot of fun to replay. It was short but pretty sweet and well worth playing for fans of strategy RPGs.

[thom_m]

2013 was not a gaming year for me. 2014, on the other hand, seems quite promising!

1 - Alien Soldier (GEN)
Amazing, AMAZING game! Beat it on "supereasy" mode; will train a little more before going for a "superhard" run.

2 - Gradius II (Famicom/NES)
One of my favorites for the system (and I'm not really into shmups); I have it on a pirated 72 pin cart (brazilian gaming market was even crazier back then), so I can play it easily on my NES. Used the Konami code (for now).

[Ro-J]

1. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (Xbox) 1/1
2. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (Xbox) 1/3
3. Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DS) 1/12
4. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GCN) 1/21
5. Kung-Fu Master (Atari 2600) 1/22
6. Kung Fu (NES) 1/23
7. Kung-Fu Master (Gameboy) 1/26
8. Vigilante (SMS) 1/31
9. Arkanoid: Doh It Again (SNES) 2/15

I went to the local arcade (Crab Towne USA) to beat the arcade cab of Kung-Fu Master....but failed horribly. I never made it past the third floor before giving up. Anyhow while there I stumbled upon an Arkanoid machine, and found a new obsession. I picked up a copy of Arkanoid (SNES) from one of the game trading sites and absolutely loved the first 30 or so (out of 99) levels. After that the game gets a little repetitive. Regardless, it's a fun version of the game and the password feature keeps you from playing the same boards over and over again. Even better, though, is the two player cooperative play. That was a blast.

[Alpha2099]

Papers, Please -- PC (Steam)

Fun and somewhat addicting puzzle/simulation game. Given the tone and atmosphere of the plot, it shouldn't be nearly as fun as it actually is. I enjoyed detaining people at the border and sending them off to the gulag. It has a few quirks and flaws that keep me from calling it great, but I would say that it is very good. And the endless puzzle mode offers some nice replayability.

[Aussie2B]

1. Battle Clash (SNES) 1/2
2. Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge (SNES) 2/17

Finally got around to beating Metal Combat last night, although I think I got the worst ending. I'll probably try for some of the other endings since it's not a particularly long game.

[thom_m]

1. Alien Soldier (GEN)
2. Gradius II (Famicom)

3. NY Nyankies (Famicom)
NY Nyankies, as you probably already know, is the japanese version of Rockin' Kats. This game is not particularly hard or long, but the playing mechanics are varied and fun. You can do A LOT once you really get the hang of it; mastering the controls will be crucial to tackle the hidden levels after the game's ending.

The special weapons and items you can buy and the mini games I've been playing it on and off for some good 15 years know, and still have one hell of a time when I fire it up. Beaten fully, hidden levels and everything.

[Captain_N77]

JAN

1) Pikmin 3(WiiU)
2) Gradius III(SNES)
3) Double Dragon(WiiU VC)
4) Sinistron(TG16)
5) Ninja Spirit(TG16)
6) Double Dragon(SMS)
7) Phalanx(SNES)

FEB
8) Thunder Spirits(SNES)
9) Golden Axe II(GEN)
10) Disney’s Aladdin(GEN)
11) G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero(NES)
12) R-Type Final(PS2)
13) Final Fight 2(SNES)

I had the urge to bash some digital faces, so who better to turn to than Final Fight? It's not my first time to finish the game, but the simple fun of Final Fight is something that I honestly never really tire of. I did this run-through with Haggar on Normal and made it all the way through without using a continue. The best part, I literally had a single sliver of health left on my last life when I finished the final boss. That made it all the more thrilling and memorable for me. What makes it even better is that I was recording the level(testing out the Elgato) and now I'll have that moment forever. It's weird to think that some day I'll be able to show my grandkids a gaming moment that happened decades before...

[thom_m]

1. Alien Soldier (Mega Drive)
2. Gradius II (Famicom)
3. NY Nyankies (Famicom)

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - The Manhattan Project (NES)
This is my favorite TMNT game for the system. There's enemies a plenty, a good selection of stages, nice graphics and spot-on controls. The new toss and special moves make the gameplay less repetitive and much more fun.

I think this game is harder than its 16bit follow ups (and that's a good thing!); the bosses' patterns are less predictable and their attacks are harder to avoid. The music is way cooler, too...I'd really like to hear these songs on a more powerful system.

[Captain_N77]

JAN

1) Pikmin 3(WiiU)
2) Gradius III(SNES)
3) Double Dragon(WiiU VC)
4) Sinistron(TG16)
5) Ninja Spirit(TG16)
6) Double Dragon(SMS)
7) Phalanx(SNES)

FEB
8) Thunder Spirits(SNES)
9) Golden Axe II(GEN)
10) Disney’s Aladdin(GEN)
11) G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero(NES)
12) R-Type Final(PS2)
13) Final Fight 2(SNES)

14) Final Fight 3(SNES)
Well, I did Final Fight 2, so why not Final Fight 3? I really enjoy the game and the variety it throws into the mix. That being said, things are quite as smooth or precise as the previous two games, but that's really not that big an issue. The last boss is definitely harder than in FF2.

[Rickstilwell1]

14. Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord - SMS

I didn't really like the tiny map navigation box as it would have been useful to see more of where you are going, but the gameplay was addictive and the fight scenes showed that the Sega Master System could have more detailed art than any NES RPG at the time.

[thom_m]

1. Alien Soldier (Mega Drive)
2. Gradius II (Famicom)
3. NY Nyankies (Famicom)
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - The Manhattan Project (NES)

5. Rockman 4 (Famicom)
My favorite Mega Man/Rockman game for the Famicom/NES - maybe because it's the first Mega Man game I ever owned and played. This is the game that brought us the charged shot, whic went to be a series staple. Skull Man's stage BGM is one of my Mega Man all-time favorites.

[Captain_N77]

JAN

1) Pikmin 3(WiiU)
2) Gradius III(SNES)
3) Double Dragon(WiiU VC)
4) Sinistron(TG16)
5) Ninja Spirit(TG16)
6) Double Dragon(SMS)
7) Phalanx(SNES)

FEB
8) Thunder Spirits(SNES)
9) Golden Axe II(GEN)
10) Disney’s Aladdin(GEN)
11) G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero(NES)
12) R-Type Final(PS2)
13) Final Fight 2(SNES)
14) Final Fight 3(SNES)

15) Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth(N64)
Well I've about finished every shmup I own that I have any reasonable chance of beating legitimately. I had never finished it on Normal difficulty before. I've said it before and I'll say it again, thank the maker for unlimited continues. It's not a bad game at all, but certainly not one of the best. The most fun part is doing the roll move that reflects enemy shots back at them. Not all of the music really grabbed me, but there were some really cool tunes in the game.

[Rickstilwell1]

15. Sonic Triple Trouble - SMS [Hack]
16. Double Dragon - Genesis
17. The Great Waldo Search - Genesis

Only actually released for the Game Gear, a member of the Sonic hacking community ported Sonic Triple Trouble to Sega Master System by fixing the color palette and expanding the screen resolution. People have gone on to make reproduction cartridges, boxes and manuals based on this hack with text and art taken from the Game Gear version of the game. Being able to see more of the area around you makes this version easier to play.

The Genesis version of Double Dragon is decent, but I would still say the Sega Master System version has better play control. The enemies in the Genesis version are also a bit more aggressive than usual.

The Genesis version of The Great Waldo Search is pretty close to the SNES version, but I believe it comes short in terms of sound and graphics. It is still as easy as ever.

[thom_m]

1. Alien Soldier (Mega Drive)
2. Gradius II (Famicom)
3. NY Nyankies (Famicom)
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - The Manhattan Project (NES)
5. Rockman 4 (Famicom)

6. Toejam & Earl (Mega Drive)
One of my all-time favorite games - one of the few I try to revisit at least once an year and play through in one sitting. Original, weird in a good way, and fun; my only complaint is that I never have a friend around to play it with me. Shall be on my "Beaten in 2015" list as well.

[Ro-J]

1. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (Xbox) 1/1
2. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (Xbox) 1/3
3. Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DS) 1/12
4. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GCN) 1/21
5. Kung-Fu Master (Atari 2600) 1/22
6. Kung Fu (NES) 1/23
7. Kung-Fu Master (Gameboy) 1/26
8. Vigilante (SMS) 1/31
9. Arkanoid: Doh It Again (SNES) 2/15
10. Contra (NES) 2/22

My seven year old is a huge fan of the Metal Slug series so I thought I'd introduce him to Contra. We used the 30 man code and focused on the fun of playing together. He enjoyed the game but was disappointed in the final boss.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Shadow of the Colosssus (ps2)
Grand Theft Auto 5 (360)
Tony Hawk Pro Skater (PS1)

Yea not much for me, so far. GTA took a long time to beat, it's real easy, its just a long game. Shadow is amazing. Tony Hawk, I've beaten idk how many times, since it was released in the late 90s. Just felt like going back one day and playing thru it again. It took me 3 hours.

[BlastProcessing402]

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Saints Row 4

[Ro-J]

6. Toejam & Earl (Mega Drive)
One of my all-time favorite games - one of the few I try to revisit at least once an year and play through in one sitting. Original, weird in a good way, and fun; my only complaint is that I never have a friend around to play it with me. Shall be on my "Beaten in 2015" list as well.

My oldest son (7) and I go throught spurts where we try to beat this game. Been doing so for about a year and a half with no success, but lots of fun. It's definitely on my list for this year.

[Nionel]

1. World Heroes (PS2, 1/7)
2. Ryse: Son of Rome (XBO, 1/8)
3. Mega Man X (PS2, 1/9)
4. Mega Man X2 (PS2, 1/9)
5. Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014 (Steam, 1/9)
6. Sonic Blast (GG, 1/10)
7. Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball (GG, 1/10)
8. Mega Man X3 (PS2, 1/11)
9. Mega Man X4 (PS2, 1/11)
10. Super Mario Land 2: The Six Golden Coins (GB, 1/12)
11. Mega Man X5 (PS2, 1/13)
12. World Heroes 2 (PS2, 1/14)
13. World Heroes 2 Jet (PS2, 1/15)
14. Skylanders: Giant (3DS, 1/16)
15. To the Moon (Steam, 1/17)
16. World Heroes Perfect (PS2, 1/18)
17. The Simpsons: Road Rage (PS2, 1/19)
18. Mega Man X6 (PS2, 1/21)
19. Final Fantasy VII (Steam, 1/23)
20. Digital: A Love Story (PC, 1/28)
21. Don't Take it Personally, Babe, it Just Ain't Your Story (PC, 2/4)
22. Shining Force (GEN, 2/15)
23. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (XBO, 3/1)

I haven't touched this series since the first one, but I really enjoyed this game. I loved the open world that they had created and I had a great time just exploring the islands and finding all the treasure and other collectables. The story was alright and the game play was good, but the exploration aspect is what really hooked me. I may come back to this one in the future, because it is certainly the most I've enjoyed a modern AAA title in a long time.