1 - Disney Infinity 2.0 - The Avenger's Playset
Wii U
Enjoyable enough for the most part. The open world is extremely barren and I can't help but wish it were smaller or entirely excluded - good luck getting around if you want to use a character that can't fly! Plus the final boss was complete nonsense. I feel like they wanted you to grind up a bunch of figures but we managed to squeak by just barely without. Overall kinda meh, but the variety of characters is fun to play with if you have the figures.
2 - Disney Infinity 2.0 - Guardians of the Galaxy Playset
Wii U
Better than the Avengers by a good amount. The hub world was worlds better, feeling closer to something from Mario or Sly Cooper than the sparse "open world" of the Avengers. The addition of platforming and minor puzzle solving makes things less repetitious, and the characters I used seemed to be more varied as well. Rocket, for instance, plays completely differently from any of the other figures I used in GotG or Avengers. Decent fun and a marked improvement!
3 - Disney Infinity 3.0 - Twilight of the Republic Playset
Wii U
Frankly this is what the playsets always should have been - a decently deep combat system while still being simple enough for children, a variety of missions (mostly combat, but also platforming and pod racing and space missions), and the ability to get tokens so you can play as any of the other Star Wars characters and not just the playset's main ones. Not to mention the locales are fun to explore and plentiful with locations from the movies, which is a blast. It could have stood to be longer, but there are enough side missions to keep us interested and the climactic final boss felt really,
really good. Oh, and the frame rate issues from 2.0 have been improved drastically! Good on them.
4 - The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
3DS
I got this game with the express intention of playing with a group of friends online, but when one of them lost their copy I ended up starting with randoms... and I had a
lot of fun! Yes, there are points of frustration, but I feel like this game is best experienced with randoms - the sheer triumph of taking out a hard boss or getting through a tricky dungeon with random people who may or may not know what they are doing simply can't be beaten. It helps that the dungeons here are extremely well-designed. This game is truly a good follow up to Link Between Worlds, and frankly I think it got a bad rap from people who fundamentally misunderstand what it is supposed to be. Nintendo knows what it's doing when it comes to online-specific play, and this game demonstrates this wonderfully.
5 - Disney Infinity 3.0 - Rise Against the Empire Playset
Wii U
While still fun, this is definitely a step down from the action-heavy Twilight playset. The combat is slower and less precise, with gunplay that is basically identical to that of the Marvel sets in 2.0, and the characters overall are slower. This hurts in the equally-large hub worlds, but the idea is that you are supposed to use vehicles. Luckily, the vehicles are improved from before - they feel tighter, and feature mostly in Star Fox-esque rail shooter sections that are fun, if a tad imprecise. The story is also worse, since instead of being an original piece of content it seeks to follow episodes IV-VI, except minimized and adapted for the 4-character party. Overall still fun, but not nearly as good as Twilight.
6 - The Bridge
PC
An interesting puzzle platformer. Or... puzzle sidescroller? You can't jump, in any case. Still, reminds me a lot of Braid in presentation and storytelling, for better or for worse, but the level design isn't quite as solid. It's fun, definitely, but I had to grab a guide for the last puzzle (wtf was that last puzzle???) and the fact that you never really feel in control of your character hurts its overall feel. Still, a lot of solid puzzles and an interesting visual style; I'm glad I played it. If I'm really feeling into turning things in circles, maybe I'll come back to the "mirrored" remix levels some day. Maybe.
7 - Hatoful Boyfriend
PC
I've never really played a dating sim before, so I'm unsure what the "standard" is, but I was disappointed with the many structural issues of Hatoful. With no particular mechanics in place to assist, getting each of the endings requires a lot of seeing the same text. The stat system is arbitrary and only serves to create a few odd "true ending" gates where a final scene is locked unless you fulfilled specific requirements. The music is good, but is hurt by the fact that the majority of the game uses one tune that is always restarting, so the same few notes begin to wear on your nerves as you replay. And yet, despite all this, I adored Hatoful Boyfriend. Why? Because its writing is absolutely brilliant, especially in the "final" ending and how the game leads up to it. I would love to see a version of this game that has the gameplay aspect of it more polished, but damn if I didn't still enjoy what I got. Nageki best boyfriend.
8 - Mark of the Ninja
PC
As someone who usually has trouble enjoying stealth games, I really liked this one! The way it's set up emphasizes the puzzle element of stealth - you see all the parameters and it's up to you to parse them and find the solution. This combined with a very solid control scheme and lovingly-crafted animations makes for a quite pleasant game. My only strong criticism is that the overall story never really gave me a reason to
care about the characters or situation, so it's a shame that some of the later twists fell a little flat on me for that reason.
9 - Counterfeit Monkey
PC
Absolutely fantastic game. I'm so glad I found it - it's a terrible shame that it seems to have had so little recognition on the internet at large. It takes a super neat concept and world builds the hell out of it, making both a fascinating place to learn about and a fun gameplay mechanic to play with. My only real criticisms have to do with some glitches with the death mechanic. Really, really great!
10 - Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star
PC
Unfortunately not quite as good as the first, but still quite solid and fun. I wish it had been more of a sequel to the first rather than a side story of sorts. I also wish it hadn't toned down the amount of gameplay so drastically - it's kinda the epitome of "visual novel" now. Still well written, though!
11 - Shank
PC
Downright solid! I enjoyed it most when it made it abundantly clear that it wasn't to be taken seriously. The platforming bits were pretty bad at times, but the core gameplay was fun enough to keep me coming back.
12 - Pony Island
PC
Way more adorable than I expected!
13 - Shovel Knight (Custom Knight)
Wii U
I was pretty amazed at how much Custom Knight was a new character of sorts. He's fun to play around with, too! There are a lot of little things in that customization aspect that I will probably come back to poke around with more later - the diagonal shovel dive in particular I can only imagine being very interesting to play with. I only wish there had been a special bonus at level 50 - since the upgrades are random, it was a bit of a letdown that there wasn't anything more once you maxed the amiibo out.
14 - INK
PC
Please imagine Super Meat Boy except instead of coloring the stage with blood you are coloring it in rainbow ink. And the stage is invisible. INK is a very fun puzzle/precision platformer that it's practically criminal that I didn't hear about it sooner. I only wish it had gone on longer... my playthrough only took a little over an hour and there aren't bonuses to convince you to go back and get the bandages - er, hearts. Still, frankly a sublime game and easily worth the five dollar buy-in.
15 - the static speaks my name
PC
Recommended by Extra Credits. Not sure what to think about this one. Interesting, to say the least.
16 - Kirby: Triple Deluxe
3DS
Second playthrough! Started because I just wanted something fun to play on the go and remembered this gem, and finished due to hype from the sequel's announcement. Still one of the best Kirby games there is, filled with charm, polish, and generally great design! Planning on taking down the Arenas and such as well, but this marks me finishing the main story.
17 - Disney Infinity 3.0 - The Force Awakens Playset
Wii U
Unfortunately very much the worst of the three Star Wars sets. It starts out solid, but ends up being repetitious, annoyingly fetch quest-y, and having a weirdly genericized version of TFA's story.
18 - Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Wii U
On the plus sides, it's absolutely adorable with some of the most pleasant art direction I've seen in gaming. On the minus side, the core gameplay... doesn't seem as good as its predecessor. Something about the controls and how the rainbow ropes works feels awfully sticky and slow in comparison to the more physics and momentum-based Canvas Curse. It also hurts for reusing its bosses... still, it isn't bad, and the little minigame-ish sections helped break up the game well for decent pacing. I just wish this clay had had a little more glaze.
19 - Kirby's Return to Dream Land
Wii
Finished up a second run of Extra mode! Still pretty darn solid, though not quite as tight as Triple Deluxe. I feel like the level design suffers for having to accommodate for multiple players - but on the plus side it's a really fun co-op experience!
20 - Kirby and the Amazing Mirror
3DS (Ambassador program VC)
Part four of my semi-impromptu Kirby marathon! While I still personally prefer the traditional level-based Kirby games, this as an adventure game is quite interesting. I'd like to see them do it again with the Super Star-style ability structure and maybe even switching abilities on the fly ala Milky Way Wishes. Playing this again I was surprised at exactly how short it was - without using a guide or particularly remembering much of where stuff was, I got through the final boss (and 77% collectables) in only about 6.5 hours. Which I guess is why they've stuck to the level formula! That plus the rather eclectic structure, since I found myself fighting the final "normal" boss second, which is weird.
21 - The Talos Principle
PC
Fantastic. Excellent storytelling and worldbuilding, with moments that absolutely floored me. The climax is probably one of the best in gaming and is set up brilliantly. I cannot recommend this game enough - the only flaw I can think of off the top of my head is that I personally hated the sigil puzzles, but that's such a minor complaint it feels petty.
22 - Hyrule Warriors Legends
(new) 3DS
This marks me beating the Legends Mode, but of course there are still literal hundreds of hours to pour into Adventure... and so far this is seeming like a clearly definitive version! I'm really impressed with how well the game scaled down to the 3DS, even if there are some unfortunate compromises in the visual and sound design. The new content is rad and the game is overall so, so good.
23 - LIMBO
PC
A replay! Forgot how messed up and gory this game is - I'm kinda appalled that the ESRB gave is a T. "Mild violence" my ass. In any case... still a fantastic game, with some of the best puzzle platformer level designs of the industry. I feel like the mid-to-late game switch from forest to mechanical levels and finally sci-fi shenanigans hurt the overall tone, though... the first levels and the interactions therein are much more emotionally impactful than the later ones.
24 - The Wolf Among Us
PC
My first full playthrough of a post-TWD Telltale game, and I enjoyed it immensely! I adore this world so much, and the format shone remarkably well - it definitely makes me want to go back to The Walking Dead, which I started a few years back but didn't get too far into. My only concern is if I decide to replay it - whether to finish up the Book of Fables or just for fun - I imagine the illusion of choice will be somewhat broken. But at least for my first playthrough things felt natural and like my choices really mattered through to the end!
25 - Neko Atsume
Mobile - iOS
Neko Atsume may not have a winstate, but I am totally counting "get a photo of every cat" as my personal credits roll. This marks that achievement - as of the March 24 update (which added the sweets-themed content), at least. Neko Atsume is a really interesting game - there's not much to the interaction, but it is a good vessel for interesting pictures and communication between friends. Also it's adorable, and is free! I honestly
wish it had more f2p elements so I could throw some money at it without just buying gold fish. Definitely a neat example of a mobile game using the platform to its advantage!
26 - Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores
Mobile - iOS
Monument Valley is a gem - a lovely, gorgeous game that is just a joy to play through. Since I got into the game late and got it for free, I felt a duty to throw the devs some cash for their little DLC level pack, the Forgotten Shores, and I was
not disappointed. Forgotten Shores is every bit as great as the main game, and actually manages to be even more beautiful and include ever more lovingly-crafted puzzles. There were a few screens that just had me in awe, and a few others that had me sitting for several minutes just trying to figure out how the movement made sense in some vaguely-Euclidean way. Forgotten Shores is a treat.
27 - Gunman Clive 2
3DS
In some ways an improvement over the first and in some ways a downgrade. While the new environments and variety of gameplay is a huge plus, as well as the obviously-longer campaign, it suffers from some obtrusive gimmicks and having too many moving parts that make the platforming worse and less precise. Of note is that I only played as Clive, but may come back later to try the other characters.
28 - Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
3DS
I enjoyed Risky's Revenge enough, but parts of it felt off to me. This game seems to have solved that problem! It feels better polished, better structures, and just overall a lot of fun! I enjoyed the Zelda-ish overworld-to-dungeon format quite a bit.
29 - Xenoblade Chronicles 3D
new 3DS
A game of high highs and low lows. I adored the plot, characters, and world - though all suffered from time to time. On the other hand, the quest structure is really poor and the map system needs a lot of work, making the time that I needed to spend grinding awfully painful. Still, I'm glad I stuck through it - despite feeling that the game needed to end about 10 hours earlier than it did, I generally adored the ending. I'd really like to see a polished up Xenoblade Chronicles 2! And X doesn't count due to shifting its focus so drastically.
30 - Mushroom 11
PC
An interesting take on the puzzle platformer to be sure. Just moving through the world is very satisfying, but on the other hand it falls into a common problem a lot of one-note puzzle platformers do - they end up becoming too difficult for their own controls and becoming frustrating near the end. In here it's especially difficult as your movement is inherently randomized to some extent, thus making certain "standard platformer challenges" incredibly frustrating as the RNG rolls against your favor. Still, definitely a neat little play! Excellent visual design too, to be sure.
31 - Disco Zoo
Mobile - iOS
Another mobile game without a proper winstate, Disco Zoo is a surprisingly decent idle game! The actual way of getting animals through 5x5 battleship-style puzzles is fun, and the animals themselves are cute and whimsical. It could definitely stand to have some kind of upgrade system or something to keep gameplay varied, though, as the actual idling portion is pretty boring. Its spot on this list marks me getting every animal type from every biome, making me more or less done with the game until future updates.
32 - Dropsy
PC
While I'm not generally a big fan of open-world game design, Dropsy was still a joy to play. The lovely game concept of just wanting to make everyone happy combined with highly pleasant visuals and lovable characters make for a very fun experience, and the way the game communicates with you purely through visuals is very interesting and serves to make the game feel like no other. Definitely a recommendation to anyone who likes point-and-click adventures!
33 - Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix
PS3, via 2.5 HD Remix
KH2 was already my favorite game in the series, but playing through it while now having a better idea of how the combat actually works thanks to watching speed runs makes it just that much better! A lovely ARPG with an excellent system, fun story, and just all around one of the best games on the PS2.
34 - Kirby: Planet Robobot
(new) 3DS
While I feel like this suffered from having a little bit too much reused from Triple Deluxe and Return to Dream Land, and the 3D making the frame rate suffer sucks, this is still a great game! The Robobot armor is fun, and the game design overall is every bit as good as Triple Deluxe. It's hard to say which I like better, and which is thusly my favorite Kirby game...
35 - Rhythm Heaven Megamix
3DS
Delightful! As a big fan of the Rhythm Heaven series, this is certainly a great bang for my buck! The combination of old games being remastered and new games makes for an experience that is much longer than your average Rhythm Heaven, and the story mode is fun and silly and just pleasant. A must-have for any fan of rhythm games!
36 - Affordable Space Adventures
Wii U
Remarkably fun co-op game! I played with one other person and had a blast. Would definitely recommend, and I'm super glad I got a chance to try it with the Indie Bundle.
37 - 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
DS
Almost as good as I remembered! Still a very compelling story, but the fact that it demonizes a mental condition so hard near the end is pretty hard to ignore on further analysis. The puzzles are still great, and the gameplay still suffers from repetition due to the game's multiple ending setup. As a fun fact, I didn't know prosopagnosia was a thing until I played this for the first time, and after I learned about it a lot of things in my life started to make more sense.
38 - Axiom Verge
PC
Bloody fantastic. Easily one of the best Metroidvanias I've ever played, and quite possibly
the best 2D Metroidvania I've played. It's like a modern take on Super Metroid, where traversing the mazelike environment feels incredibly rewarding and just fun to do. Happy to say I didn't have to pick up a guide once for the main story - though I got close near the end. On the inverse side, though, it does desperately need some better hint system for powerups - I would have loved something ala Prime 3 where it puts dots on your map to help you out near the end.
39 - Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Final Mix
PS3, via 2.5 HD Remix
A lot better than I remembered! While it's still not quite as tight an experience as KH2, the command deck is a lot of fun and the different abilities you get are really interesting and unique. It's only really held down by some oddities as far as level progression - I had to grind for 2/3 of the final bosses - the weirdness/randomness of how skills work, and the sometimes lackluster world design that feels like it was made for a larger movement repertoire ala DDD. Still, overall probably the 2nd best KH game.
40 - Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
3DS
While the characters of VLR still don't hold a candle to 999's excellent cast, playing through this a second time makes me appreciate even more the excellent gameplay/story integration throughout. Additionally, the fact that VLR is less of a standalone story hurts less now that ZTD is officially released. And now it's time to finish this trilogy, and I am incredibly excited...
~
Continued in
part two.