Twennytoo Five Hundo

In future year AD2022 I apparently logged 500 video games (mostly just played, not finished - can you even imagine). Am I proud of it? Of course not, brother, pride is a sin. Here they are in their entirety in order of play:

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX
Was free on PS+ so I grabbed it. Looks great but plays exactly like the Master System version, i.e. horribly. Can see no point in it.
Choujin Sentai Jetman
Choujin Sentai Jetman
Okay NES platformer, only really playing it for the license.
Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode II
Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode II
Just okay. By this point I'd definitely cemented that I preferred Cave to Psikyo.
Panzer Bandit
Panzer Bandit
Better than Guardian Heroes, although I didn't finish it at the time. I remember thinking the combo system was actually pretty good. Will get back to it.
Blade Master
Blade Master
Has that high-quality Irem look but I remember it feeling really slow.
Raiden DX
Raiden DX
Okay, by this point I'd played a bunch that were better so it didn't do that much for me.
Out Zone
Out Zone
Kind of cool, but just a little too annoying for me.
Gekido Advance: Kintaro's Revenge
Gekido Advance: Kintaro's Revenge
Beatemup/adventure game hybrid that isn't too great but has some real slick animation. There's one kick in this that I've absolutely seen before but I can't place where from. I think it might be a KOF2002 animation.
Strikers 1945 II
Strikers 1945 II
More of the same. The cover art for these is really cool though, right?
Cutthroat Island
Cutthroat Island
It's no Skull & Crossbones.
Cho Ren Sha 68K
Cho Ren Sha 68K
Didn't get anywhere near finishing it, but it did seem really cool. I need to play it more.
Browning
Browning
Did not feel good at all to control, so I dropped it pretty early on.
Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 9: Gain Ground
Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 9: Gain Ground
Well, this is no good. Solid remix of the main theme though.
Super Air Zonk: Rockabilly-Paradise
Super Air Zonk: Rockabilly-Paradise
When you're sufficiently powered up in this one, anything flying up close behind you gets annihilated by engine wash. I think more shmups should do this.
Wulverblade
Wulverblade
Just looked and felt low-rent, like a Flash game you would have played in the early 2000s. The whole ancient warriors fuck yeah thing isn't really for me either.
Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling '94: Battlefield in Tokyo Dome
Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling '94: Battlefield in Tokyo Dome
Pretty bad, but I at least appreciate any game that has Hiroshi Hase in it.
Bucky O'Hare
Bucky O'Hare
Replay. Loved Bucky O'Hare as a kid, played the arcade machine and had no idea what I was doing and kept walking into stage hazards. Didn't blow me away playing today but it's okay by Konami standards.
Hachoo!
Hachoo!
Not good!
Code of Princess
Code of Princess
Another Guardian Heroes-alike. I don't think I'm into these, sorry!
Crows: The Battle Action For Sega Saturn
Crows: The Battle Action For Sega Saturn
Looks great, plays bad. Tale as old as time.
Twin Hawk
Twin Hawk
Just not that engaging after playing a bunch of games that were the same thing but better.
Gradius Gaiden
Gradius Gaiden
Another one that I think I need to go through again to really click with.
Shinobi 3D
Shinobi 3D
There's something I can never quite put my finger on about 3DS platformers. They always feel like they have pretty similar physics to them, and I don't think those feel particularly good. Didn't jive with this but you could probably do worse.
U.F.O. Kamen Yakisoban: Kettler no Kuroi Inbou
U.F.O. Kamen Yakisoban: Kettler no Kuroi Inbou
Licensed game for an instant noodles brand. I would like this to be good but it's extremely basic.
Cybattler
Cybattler
Never let something like a license stop you from making the Gundam game you want. This is pretty cool but it's also a shooter where you're bumped back to a checkpoint whenever you die, which is infuriating when you're as bad as me.
Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl
Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl
I'm not really sure who this is for.
Raiden Fighters Jet
Raiden Fighters Jet
Can't really remember anything of it, but I feel like I should.
Conquest of the Crystal Palace
Conquest of the Crystal Palace
Another NES platformer that wasn't very good. Think I was playing these because they had translations.
The Ninja Warriors
The Ninja Warriors
Replay. Superseded by the remakes but this is still okay. Obviously the music rules.
Dragon Blaze
Dragon Blaze
Okay I don't remember this one.
Rastan
Rastan
Didn't think this was really all that good but I do like the Conan-rip aesthetic.
Mirai Ninja
Mirai Ninja
Probably wouldn't have played this if it wasn't attached to an Amemiya movie. Very frustrating at points!
Nightshade
Nightshade
The first PS2 game iterated on slightly, i.e. very good. You should play these!
Gun Force II
Gun Force II
Metal Slug-ish, but before Metal Slug, by the folk who would make Metal Slug. Covering a wider arc because of your dual guns is cool!
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3
Not sure what's going on here. Gunvolt is a furry character now? And you don't actually play as him outside of a super mode? And Copen is gone? Hmm. Think I'll go back to 2.
Bebe's Kids
Bebe's Kids
Completely terrible. There ought to be a law against shit like this.
Down Load 2
Down Load 2
Pretty standard shmup but with all kinds of weird cyberspace environments and enemies, it's really cool. The cutscenes where the main character enters cyberspace are the good stuff. The final boss of this game is Cyber-Hitler's skull, which has skeletal spider legs.
The Crystal of Kings
The Crystal of Kings
Not ringing many bells. I think it was another digitised one?
Ultraman: Kaijuu Teikoku no Gyakushuu
Ultraman: Kaijuu Teikoku no Gyakushuu
This was utter guff and there was no reason for me to finish it, but here we are.
R-Type Final 2
R-Type Final 2
Didn't blow me away but it's fine. I'll play it a bit more at some point.
Rolling
Rolling
For no reason I can discern the song It Came From Japan by the Von Bondies popped into my head, and I had to remember why I even know that song, and I remembered it's because it was in this game so I had to go play it. THPS it is not.
Enderal: Forgotten Stories
Enderal: Forgotten Stories
Replay. I'd started this aaaages ago and gave it another bash this year. It's very impressive, but there really is only so much you can do with Skyrim. It's a great effort but it's just not built on a good base.
Shadow Dancer
Shadow Dancer
Liked this more than the first game, but the difficulty is still absolutely sadistic.
Jim Lee's Wild C.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams
Jim Lee's Wild C.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams
Not good. I think the only notable thing about this to me is that Grifter isn't in it. Is he not this comic's only popular character?
Tempest 2000
Tempest 2000
This is Video Games.
Metal Black
Metal Black
Darius Gaiden's little brother. Great atmosphere and boss designs makes up for slightly subpar gameplay.
Knights of Valour
Knights of Valour
Another Three Kingdoms one. That's all I've got.
Skull & Crossbones
Skull & Crossbones
Weird. In order to jump across gaps, climb ladders, etc. you have to stand on little X marks and watch the animation play out like it's a film set or something. Pretty janky.
Raging Justice
Raging Justice
Why does THIS game look like this? Who put THEM up to it?
Dangun Feveron
Dangun Feveron
Unique presentation although I didn't think it was an especially great game. Great title though.
Turbo Force
Turbo Force
Not much to say about this one beyond flying cars being cool.
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill: Slaps and Beans
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill: Slaps and Beans
It's really fun that a game devoted to a mainstay Italian cinema duo exists, and it looks really good, but the gameplay could never be accused of being deep. Whole bunch of beatemups like this.
Dancing Sword: Senkou
Dancing Sword: Senkou
Don't remember much of this beyond there being some long button combinations you had to do for specific sections.
P.O.W.: Prisoners of War
P.O.W.: Prisoners of War
Not terrible, but the SNK stuff always feels like it's behind the curve even at this relatively early stage.
Stone Protectors
Stone Protectors
This is a Troll game. As in the little pencil toppers with the hair. That's all I remember about it.
Violent Storm
Violent Storm
Konami's best effort by a country mile, probably because it's just a Final Fight remake in all but name. Super punchy and satisfying to play, absolutely awesome soundtrack accompanies the carnage. Buy me Violent Storm or go to hell!
Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga Episode III
Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga Episode III
Fairly standard beatemup but the Conan aesthetic is very strong here. Has that one great track that's in Taiko as well.
Shinobi Legions
Shinobi Legions
Adding in live-action FMVs are fun but otherwise this is an immediate step down from 3.
Seigi no Mikata
Seigi no Mikata
If I had a list of games I desperately wish would get translated, this is on it. An endearingly silly love letter to tokusatsu hero shows. When you create your hero you enter their name and it comes up as a big logo! Anything you put in! Wow!
The Adventures of Bayou Billy
The Adventures of Bayou Billy
Replay. Fucking hell, man. Just one of the most tedious games ever made.
Dynasty Wars
Dynasty Wars
Wanted to like this more than I did (due to it being a few characters removed from being called Dynasty Warriors).
Kingdom Grand Prix
Kingdom Grand Prix
It took me a bit to realise how you actually speed up, and then when I did I found I was either trying to win the race or trying to shoot stuff but trying to do both wasn't really working out. Interesting experiment but I'm not in a hurry to replay it.
Driven
Driven
Played this after watching the absolute garbo movie. Not particularly good, not sure why you'd want to play it over any of the more famous PS2 racing games outside of being a really big Stallone fan.
Chinatown Detective Agency
Chinatown Detective Agency
Fun point-and-click that has a bunch of sections where you'll have to do some googling about real-world locations and history. I like when games do that kind of thing!
Gun & Frontier
Gun & Frontier
Every ship just being a flying gun is incredible, but I didn't much like it beyond that, partner.
How to shoot a criminal
How to shoot a criminal
Uses the Her Story framework to show us FMVs of I assume the developers and their mates filming in their grandparents' clothes. The video is endearingly amateurish but the actual playing had me eventually just getting lucky with random keywords more than following the threads to their conclusion. Maybe it's easier in French.
Lacuna
Lacuna
Barely out of the tutorial. Need to get back to it.
Denjin Makai
Denjin Makai
Thought this looked cool but was otherwise unremarkable. Outdone by the sequel.
RollerGames
RollerGames
Interesting idea, but that's all.
Toxic Crusaders
Toxic Crusaders
Horrendous. Avoid.
Dead Island Retro Revenge
Dead Island Retro Revenge
An interesting deviation from the standard belt scroller formula, but not very engaging beyond that.
Brute Force
Brute Force
Think this is the one that's really zoomed out and a lot the environment is destructible? Cool concept but it didn't feel very good to play.
D. D. Crew
D. D. Crew
Looks and sounds pretty good but is just doodoo otherwise. It's embarrassing that stuff like this was getting released by this stage.
9 Monkeys of Shaolin
9 Monkeys of Shaolin
Another free PS+ game. Serviceable beatemup, it's way longer than it needs to be but the combat is decent and I had replayed Sifu a few days before so I was in the mood for more kung fu.
Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action
Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action
You walk along a perfectly straight level and then you fight a boss. Way too long for how simplistic it is, but you do have way more moves than I would expect.
Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter
Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter
A friend and I make a point of occasionally playing through games in what we affectionately call the Dumbass genre (see: much of the Xbox 360 catalogue). This is one of the ones we didn't feel like finishing.
Alchemia
Alchemia
A game you need a pencil and paper for. Or a pen. Just something that writes, really.
Xuan-Yuan Sword VII
Xuan-Yuan Sword VII
Haven't played any of the other games in this series but I didn't expect this to be as linear as it is. I guess it's okay but I can't say I was too impressed.
Danmaku Unlimited 3
Danmaku Unlimited 3
Decent enough indie shmup, although it doesn't really have much visual personality.
Dolphin Blue
Dolphin Blue
Metal Slug-ish. Not as good as any of those but still okay!
Samurai Warriors 5
Samurai Warriors 5
Started this in 2021 but got around to finishing it in 2022. I like the new cel-shaded look but I'd rather play SW4-II. A little too light on character variety. Shikanosuke Yamanaka is very dreamy!
Elemental Master
Elemental Master
This is what I wish wizards in movies and stuff were like. Just firing huge amounts of magic shit at everyone constantly. Doing a highest level Dragon's Dogma spell 50 times a minute. ZAP
Jitsu Squad
Jitsu Squad
Not really into the style of it but it plays pretty well! Was surprised at this one.
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon
Forgot I played this. Not very good.
River City: Tokyo Rumble
River City: Tokyo Rumble
More Kunio-kun that I cannot abide.
Kung Fu Kid
Kung Fu Kid
The only thing I can remember about this is that I didn't like it.
Batman Forever: The Arcade Game
Batman Forever: The Arcade Game
Obviously very funny to look at but it plays like ass.
Sherlock Holmes: The Silver Earring
Sherlock Holmes: The Silver Earring
Started this whilst I was on a bit of a Holmes kick from watching some of the Jeremy Brett series. I cooled off but I'll get back to it eventually!
64th Street: A Detective Story
64th Street: A Detective Story
Pretty run-of-the-mill stuff other than the gimmick of being able to smash enemies into the background and break it, which does not get old.
Mutation Nation
Mutation Nation
A little sluggish for the time, but full of cool monster designs for you to punch. Also has a fun title to say.
CB Chara Wars: Ushinawareta Gag
CB Chara Wars: Ushinawareta Gag
It's cool that an SD Go Nagai World game exists but that's all I can really say.
Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders
Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders
Gave this a go because I've been interested in seeing the Tsui Hark film. Not really all that much to it and environments felt quite drab to me. Worse ways to spend the time though.
American Hero
American Hero
The bad kind of FMV game and also barely functional. The cheek of them to act like this is some unearthed classic of the genre.
Cosmo Police Galivan II: Arrow of Justice
Cosmo Police Galivan II: Arrow of Justice
Another clunky SNES brawler. I remember being completely incensed that this has an obvious Metal Heroes ripoff name but does not share anything of the supreme Metal Heroes aesthetic.
Tokkyuu Shirei Solbrain
Tokkyuu Shirei Solbrain
What came out in the West as Shatterhand. Movement is a bit weird but you punch everything, including bullets, and that is cool. Good music too!
Water Margin: The Tales of Clouds and Winds
Water Margin: The Tales of Clouds and Winds
Interesting in that it's an unlicensed game but otherwise not much going on here. I've just noticed the title font on here is in SSF4 Abuket font, fuck me. I thought we'd escaped that.
The Revenge of Shinobi
The Revenge of Shinobi
Sadly nowhere near as good as the original Revenge.
Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown
Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown
Replay. This isn't a good release, but the core gameplay of VF5FS is great, so if you have no other access to FS you should get this. Can't say enough good things about Veef.
Illvelo: Illmatic Envelope
Illvelo: Illmatic Envelope
Very weird e-mail themed shmup? Not really that great but worth a look for the unique theme.
After the War
After the War
I think the C64 might not be the best system for this genre.

4 Comments


1 year ago

I adore the dedication to adding notes to everything, even if they're just like two words. Hachoo sweep.

Bayou Billy is one of the most unfun NES games I ever played, goddamn what a slog-filled and mean-spirited game.

1 year ago

Damn this is impressive

1 year ago

Did you complete Ring Fit?!

1 year ago

@Vee this took me days lol
@Dalaamclouds that's not the word I'd use but thank you!
@letshugbro good lord no. new years resolution though!


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