Topic: Project "Backlog Eradication" - Clearin' out the pile o' shame

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Edit: Wow, I totally forgot this thread was here. I have been slowly working through it this whole time and have cleared a good amount of the old list, but now that the summer has begun, I thought I'd start back up with the regular updates. Suffice to say, I'm not making this easy for myself. Anyway, I'm going to refresh this list and then have a good crack at it. (12/06/2012)

Much to my chagrin, I have built up quite a backlog. A lot of them are at varying degrees of completion, and (sadly) there are even a few that I haven't started yet. It's been bugging me for a long time, all the way back to the Gamecube era when this started being a problem, but evidently, the rate at which I buy has been greater than the rate at which I finish. Not any more. This summer, the backlog is going down.

The following is a list of the games in question. The plan is to use this thread as a dumping ground for my thoughts on each game as I move through them. Bear in mind that the list is likely to get intermittently shorter and longer as I potentially buy more games. Anyway, here goes. Wish me luck, and feel free to throw in your own comments.

Key
Green = Completed
Orange = Work in progress
Red = Not started
Line = Not completed, but for all intents and purposes, I am done with it

The List of Doom
Advance Wars: Dark Conflict
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Bastion
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise
Bioshock
Botanicula
Company of Heroes (plus expansion packs Tales of Valour and Opposing Fronts)
Cthullu Saves the World
Dead Space
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble
From Dust
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Half-Life 2 (plus expansion packs Episode One and Episode Two)
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Kirby Mass Attack
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Limbo
NBA Jam
NightSky
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Psychonauts
Pullblox
Quantum Conundrum
Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure
Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
Second Sight
Shinobi [3DS]
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
Tales of Monkey Island (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
Terraria
The Binding of Isaac
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition
Toki Tori
Trauma Centre: New Blood

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

VVVVVV

The game that receives the honour of being the first to jump off the pile is this neat little indie game. The concept is incredibly simple: move left, move right, press button to switch gravity. Everything you need for a super challenging retro-style 2D platformer. VVVVVV remains fresh and interesting as you move from area to area, and although the PC arrow key control sometimes feels too slippery for purpose, the fact that respawn after death occurs in half a second makes the trial-and-error nature less painless.

By the way. Soundtrack. Is. Awesome. Go download it.

Other than the often insidious difficulty, which I'm not going to hold against it, I have one minor gripe. The game is structured as a non-linear open world, with obstacle course levels spread across it. While I'm not necessarily opposed to this, there are a few too many useless screens, either with blank space or platforms that serve no purpose. Considering that it moves screen by screen, this can be quite disorientating.

That said, with the current asking price for this title being very reasonable, you can't go wrong with VVVVVV.

[Ceric]

Half Life 2... The game isn't bad your just going to have to grin and bear the vehicle levels which it has way to many of and I'll tell you now the last level is a I've been working to this.. type of deal.  After your done their...
Play Portal 2 and go hey this is a much better game.
LoZ: LA DX is a good game but it will have you scratching your head with some of the choices they made and how it could have been done much more elegantly.
Battalion Wars 2 is fun.
KotOR I have never finished myself.  Its like all the Bioware style RPGs its good to a point and then I'm just tired of it.
Can't really say much on the rest of that list.

[BeautifulShy]

Can we suggest which game you go after next or are you just going to do that yourself?

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Can we suggest which game you go after next or are you just going to do that yourself?

Well, I was just going to tackle the list randomly, but sure, if you've got suggestions, go ahead. At the minute, I've got Batman: Arkham Asylum installing on my computer at snail's pace.

[Ceric]

I played the demo of that it looks fantastic.

[BeautifulShy]

I'd personally would go after the shorter games first Killer_Man_Jaro.So things like the downloadable games first and then later get into the bigger console or PCs games last. And yet it moves and Braid I'd start after you are done with Batman: Arkham Asylum.

[Ceric]

Personally I mix them up but, I also have a portable and non-portable going at the same time.

[NWR_insanolord]

Only 36 games in your backlog? Pfft...amateur.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Only 36 games in your backlog? Pfft...amateur.

Is that right? To be honest, if the log had much more than that, I don't think I could even entertain the possibility that I'd ever clear it. But then you might argue that it's good to have a little bit of a backlog, as back-up for when there's not much coming out.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Pikmin 2

Status update: The primary goal of wiping the 10,000 Poko debt has been met, but there's still a lot of game left. Now into the final area, Wistful Wild, which is a somewhat unsettling place to be.

As for my thoughts, all I'll say now is that it makes some neat little additions to the template established by the first Pikmin. One might argue that the ability to multi-task better with Olimar and Louie is ironically less important now that the day limit is gone, but my moderate OCD demands efficient and productive days, so this is a godsend. The underground caves are starting to become even more prevalent, though - we'll see how that goes. My opinion of the caves varies on a case-by-case basis.

[BeautifulShy]

Do you think that the Purple Pikmin are over powered in the game? I think most people tend to use the Red Pikmin less since Purple Pikmin tend to overshadow them in power.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Not overpowered per se. The Purples certainly do more damage than the Reds, but their plodding run speed and short range mean that they're best for up close and personal assaults. If you need to stay on the move while attacking, as is the case with some of the boss creatures, Reds tend to handle it more successfully, as they can keep up with Olimar and can be thrown from further afar.

[UltimatePartyBear]

I'm terrified to even attempt to count the games in my backlog, but I wish you luck on your endeavor.

I occasionally load up VVVVVV just to play time trials and hear the music again.  I even got a couple of V rankings, too, but I don't expect to beat any more challenges.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Battalion Wars 2

Funny that I would also be playing this game at the same time as Pikmin 2, because although I don't recall the comparison being made at the time, the two share a few common threads - certainly, BWII is closer to Pikmin than other real-time strategy titles. Obviously, the key difference is that, as well as issuing commands, the character under your control is also very much involved in the combat, at which point it is more like a third-person shooter. Handily, there is a lock-on ability, but rather than locking your fire onto the enemy, it just centres the view on said enemy and allows free aiming with the cursor, which can be extremely useful.

However, whereas with Pikmin 2 I was able to assimilate myself back into it despite the lengthy hiatus, I'm having more trouble adapting to BWII. To dole out orders, you must cycle through squadrons of units on the bar at the bottom of the screen and then select what you want them to do. The army can be commanded at any level, ranging from macro to micro. Managing all of this while running around and shooting, though, is an often overwhelming mental exercise; maybe I ought to replay the tutorial missions before I carry on.

[Ymeegod]

Damn you have AAA titles in your backlog.  Screw those indie games and get on top of these ones first:
HL2, Portal 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Bioshock, and Dead Space.  Hell that's roughly 50-60 hours worth of gaming which if you play 4 hours/day will last a couple of weeks.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

I'll get onto them. Right now, I'm knee-deep in the final caves of Pikmin 2. Once that's done, Portal 2 takes priority because I am near the end on that one. Next up, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Bioshock, which are suddenly more relevant again, what with the sequels to both coming soon.

However, I'm afraid to announce that the backlog has increased. Due to my inability to resist good deals, even when it's not practical, I ordered three DS titles online - Mario vs Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem, Advance Wars: Dark Conflict and Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. Then, after listening to the newest RFN episode, I downloaded Donkey Kong '94. What kind of moron acquires 4 games in 1 day?

[NWR_insanolord]

Good call. Pikmin 2 is much more important than anything else on that list. And after that I strongly recommend Donkey Kong '94. I'm currently playing it for the first time thanks to the 3DS VC, and it's one of the best games I've ever played.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Pikmin 2

The beast is done! I'd estimate at least 30 hours in total from start to finish - a significant increase over its predecessor, which could probably just about reach the 10 hour mark.

Firstly, to clarify, this was the New Play Control version of the game. The controls translate very well to the Wii Remote & Nunchuck, and is very comfortable to use. It didn't occur to me originally, but having both movement and cursor control on one analog stick on the Gamecube was quite finicky, especially in instances where you need to throw a Pikmin onto a precise spot. The pointer adds a handful of little conveniences, even for things like being able to recall idle Pikmin from really far away. Shame that this edition will apparently never make it to America, for whatever reason.

To elaborate on my earlier thoughts, Pikmin 2 is progressive is nearly all the right ways. The new Pikmin types, Purple and White, are balanced and well worth taking advantage of, as are the Ultra-Spicy and Ultra-Bitter sprays, although the unconventional method of producing the new Pikmin and sprays can sometimes be a nuisance. Environmental puzzles continue to be the star of the show, with cool new elements like using Pikmin as weights to elevate and lower platforms.

I think the Pikmin games really nail it with their atmosphere. It might seem like a weird term when talking about something this whimsical and quirky, but the miniaturised perspective is so cohesive that you really do feel like an insignificant speck in this world, fighting against all odds. Adding to that, enemy encounters are almost always tense. While on that topic, Pikmin 2 expands a lot on the roster of enemies, which is really fleshed out in the superbly localised Piklopedia. When you complete the game, you unlock all these entries in the Piklopedia where Louie talks about how to best prepare each creature as a meal. Totally pointless stuff, but very amusing to read nonetheless.

Before I wrap up, the Marmite aspect of this game must be addressed. What do I think of the underground caves? To be honest, I have no general opinion of them - as I said in my previous post, they vary in quality. Some are fun to explore, particularly one that has the aesthetic of a toy box. For the most part, I like hunting the treasures (again, this is enhanced by the Treasure Hoard encyclopaedia). Unfortunately, there are a few that suddenly smack you in the face and remind you that these levels are being randomly generated because the arrangement of certain floors just doesn't make sense. They also occasionally go on for too long, the last caves being the prime offenders.

In conclusion, now that I've finally gotten through this, I'm more sure than ever that the debate over which is the better Pikmin game is an unnecessary argument. They deserve to stand side by side and be appreciated for their differences.

[Ceric]

Grats. 34 more to go.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Bit.Trip FLUX

Of every game in my backlog, this may be the one that gets crossed off the list without me actually completing it. The final stage is so, so, so bloody difficult, perhaps it is beyond my abilities. I'll probably go back to the game some time down the road - it could work out like BEAT, which I eventually finished a year and a half after I first obtained it.

FLUX is pretty fun, but it doesn't have the originality of the others. RUNNER and VOID are still my favourites in the series. The fact that they are the easiest (though by no means easy) likely has something to do with that, but I also just really love how those two play.

[Oblivion]

Whhhaaat? Flux is BY FAR the easiest. In fact, I beat it the same day I bought it. Void is the only other one I ever beat, and it took me a year to do that.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. The thing about BEAT and FLUX is that, in the final level of both, the beats start flying in erratic ways, and because the beats mostly look the same, it's almost impossible to anticipate how they will move, even after you've blocked them. For example, I'm returning a wave of beats, then at some point during that wave, the beats start bouncing repeatedly against the paddle. All the other beats flew back where they came from when I blocked them, but these ones, which look identical, did not, and it completely catches me off guard.

Essentially, I feel like the rules in RUNNER and VOID are more consistent, so I am able to react better to the patterns thrown at me.

[Mop it up]

Nice idea, I may have to join in on this one as we share a lot of the same unfinished games.

For some reason I didn't play very far into Battalion Wars II despite how much I enjoyed the previous title. I might have bought another game at the time which distracted me from it. In any case, if you ever would like to try out the online co-op mode, then feel free to shoot me a message. From what I can tell the game is region-free, but there's only one way to find out. There are only four missions, but you're still given a grade like in the campaign and achieving an S rank is no easy task. I haven't gotten a one, though I've played for only a few hours.

[oohhboy]

L4D2's "Meat" is in the multiplayer (with mics) especially in verses. However you are more than likely get a subpar experience if you only play with pubs. It's almost like hazing period until you get enough people on your friends list to play with. Once you find enough, it is easily some of the most fun you can have and become magic when the teamwork comes togeather.

I have a backlog myself, but it doesn't compare to this.