33. Crash Bandicoot
I never grew up with Crash Bandicoot and as an avid gamer I wanted to check out this franchise that so many people grew up with on the PlayStation. Honestly, it's not bad, but it's not exactly up there with classics in gaming history. I like that they switch the levels up regularly and it looks like a fun time which probably wowed during its original launch. The difficulty ramps up considerably by the end, but it's nothing that can't be conquered. I'm happy I got to play through this, but it's just not something I would rank alongside Mario and Sonic to be honest.
7/10
34. Bomb Chicken
Nitrome pride themselves on making small games with an interesting (and quite original) gimmick, and Bomb Chicken is no exception. Trying to work out how to tackle the levels is very fun when your only way to propel yourself upwards is to lay a tower of bombs under you, and they do so many interesting things with that concept. The pixel art is also really good. I enjoyed this one a ton.
8/10
35. Owlboy
Holy fucking cheeseballs this game looks incredible. As a fan of pixel art, this has to be one of the best-looking games I have ever seen, with the most incredible pixel art ever. It's simply a joy to take it all in. But alongside that is a cute story with interesting mechanics and fun puzzles based around that, and a lovely soundtrack. The only things I would say is that the bosses weren't as fun as they probably could have been, and some of the plot elements are a little weak, but other than that, I loved this one.
8.5/10
36. Enter the Gungeon
Guns guns guns guns. This game really runs the gun theme to the ground doesn't it? It's a fun, challenging roguelike with a lot of unlocks. The thing I enjoyed the most are the different playable characters and how their stories finish; unique end bosses and a look into their motives for entering the Gungeon made it quite satisfying. If I had to say something bad about this, it's that some of the pixel art is pretty amateur in spots, but it's not enough to mar the experience. Caution: As of writing this, the Switch version had a ton of bugs which caused some very frustrating deaths and straight-up crashes. I actually didn't get the true ending because the game crashed during the final form of the final boss, and I was so salty I didn't attempt it ever again.
7.5/10
37. Dead Cells
To begin with, this roguelike platformer is something special. It looks good, has a great soundtrack, and the combat is very snappy and satisfying. It feels very fun to play around with, and the different weapons you can unlock (and the randomised properties of each) gives this a looong shelf life. However, there is a big problem I had with this game; the bosses are just not fun. There are only four, and two are a complete joke, one is a damage sponge, and the final boss is so unbelievably frustrating and challenging unless you have a very specific loadout - a problem so severe that it undermines a lot of Dead Cells' roguelike qualities and saps the fun out of it. I reeally wanted to loves this overall, but that final boss sucks so badly.
6/10
38. Azure Striker Gunvolt
I blazed my way through this one, and I'm struggling to think of much to say about it to be honest. I think I was expecting something more akin to Mega Man X, but it didn't satisfy me in the ways I wanted to. I give them full marks for trying something different with the main character's method of attack, but it really feels like it doesn't make the game satisfying to play, and different for different's sake just doesn't cut it. The plot is also lame and I hated every character; mercifully, you can switch off the in-game dialogue. Overall, I think I won't come back to play this one again.
6/10
39. Azure Striker Gunvolt 2
One thing I admire about Inti Creates is their unyielding ability to improve on their own sequels, and to pinpoint problem areas in the previous game(s) to make the next one a better experience. While I wouldn't say I think this makes Gunvolt 2 a classic, I did like it much more than the first game. Levels are designed a little better, characters aren't as annoying, and the optional character you can play as, who has different fighting mechanics to Gunvolt, feels much more to my liking. I feel like they could have done a MegaMan Zero with the franchise and ended up with something amazing bu the third or fourth games, but I guess this will do for now.
7.5/10
40. Earth Defence Force 4.1
Soldiers killing swarms of insects. It's not clever but it is fun to just mow down streams and streams of insects, robots, flying saucers and the like. The game runs like shit even on PS4 and it's not a glamourous title to say the least, but if you just want some good, no-nonsense cathartic insect slaughtering action, this works. It did the job for me.
7/10
41. Gauntlet Slayer Edition
It's kind of a dumb Diablo-ripoff now, which I guess makes sense since Gauntlet was kind of the forefather to games like Diablo to begin with. There really isn't a lot to say about this one; it's by-the-numbers standard affair. I had fun with it, I might even go back to play it again someday. Just nothing amazing, really.
7/10
42. The Messenger
This was a game full of surprises. It plays like a kind of Ninja Gaiden-like game complete with set levels and retro style art and music, then dramatically switches around halfway through to a completely different genre, throwing in a whole new mechanic that changes everything (I won't spoil it, it's too fun to have it spoiled like that) I liked it, though the game isn't without its problems. The writing isn't great, at points bordering on cringeworthy, and for how fun "the twist" is, it does make the game a little too long for my liking. I think some of the travelling around could also have been streamlined a bit better too. But I did like this one, it was a surprisingly good one.
8/10
43. Mega Man 3
This is an absolute classic, one of the very best Mega Man games out there. I've beaten it countless times, but I felt like giving it another go again. The levels are so fun and they throw in lots of new toys and gimmicks in this one compared to 2. Classic tunes, great visuals, a very well-rounded game. Surprisingly though, I found it much easier than I remember it being and though I'm not exactly a speedrunning master at these games, I finished it much quicker than I expected. I loved it all the way, of course. A great game that still holds up strong to this day.
9/10
44. Taz-Mania
I think I must have had a nostalgia weekend sometime this year, probably the same one I beat Mega Man 3 on, because I desperately wanted to play this again. Full disclaimer; this game is awwwwful, but I knew it was before I played it again, it's just one of those itches you might have to play a game of your childhood again. Miraculously, it's aged even worse than I remember, with some of the worst sound I've ever heard from a Mega Drive game, bland visuals, some REALLY awful bosses you can cheese easily and frequently. Also, aside from two SUPER UNFAIR stages in the middle of the game, the whole thing is a cinch to just blaze through. Hopefully I don't have the idea to play this one again anytime soon, but it's nice to remind yourself that truly bad games are out there so you can be reminded how good games usually are.
3/10
45. Thunder Force 4
This is heralded as an absolute classic on the Mega Drive, and I can see why. It's fast, full of action, looks great, has a cool soundtrack and fun powerups. I wouldn't say it's the best sidescrolling shooter ever (Lords of Thunder takes that for me) but I am very thankful I got to play through this one, it was a treat.
8/10
46. Minit
One of the most unique ideas for a game I've come across in a while - an adventure game where you have to accomplish as much in one minute as you can before you "die" and reset back to the starting point. You can move your starting point to other designated areas around the map, so it's not as limiting as it may at first seem. It has a cute artstyle and it does some very fun things with the timer (like having one NPC tell you important things but r e a l l y slowly so you have to dedicate a lot of time to hear him out) I enjoyed this one a lot. I need to go and work out how to find some of the hidden items in it someday soon.
8/10
47. Gradius (NES)
I came to this one at a very late date, and I feel like I'm reviewing it unfairly just because of that and having played lots of other, more advanced shooters that proceeded it. I liked to check out the origin of the Gradius franchise, so it was good for that, but Gradius has never really been a great franchise to me. It's quite a typical NES shooter now. I thought it was only okay after all that.
6/10
48. Probotector (GB)
Unlike Gradius on the NES above, this is a game I came to much, much later and I still throught it was great. Having accepted the limitations of the Game Boy (and how this bitesized entry in the franchise has only 5 levels) I enjoyed my time with it a ton. It looks great for the system, and it's nice that it has so many different levels compared to the other Contra games, rather than just trying to convert as much of the bigger brother counterparts as it could. It's a shame it's only one player, but I would definitely recommend this one if you're into this sort of thing.
9/10
49. R-Type (GB)
Speaking of trying to convert bigger console versions of games into handheld form, we've got R-Type on the Game Boy, an attempt to make the original R-Type work on this limited hardware. The end result is quite a sluggish, overly finnicky and butchered attempt at the classic original. It's not really a good conversion, and I didn't enjoy my time with it much.
5/10
50. R-Type 2 (GB)
This has all the same problems as R-Type on the Game Boy above, except it's trying to convert parts of the SNES game Super R-Type too. Strangely enough, where the first Game Boy game erred on the challenging side all too much, this game is a joke, even before the infinite continues are taken into account. So many of the bosses can be killed before they even make their full first appearance on the screen or start to fight properly! It's bizarre that they did that with this game.
5/10
51. Blue's Journey
I only picked this game up because the game's antagonist was a meme on an old forum I used to go to - it has absolutely no value to anyone else other than that. It controls like arse with atrocious graphics, some terrible translation issues and the most forgettable level designs imaginable. Attacking things just doesn't feel right at all, and every boss is shit. Avoid this one at all costs.
2/10
52. Mega Man 11
I had my reservations about this one going in, but after finishing through the game a few times now, I think I'm (mostly) satisfied with it. It's a fun throwback to classic Mega Man with some fun level designs and themes and a good variety of silly enemies, bosses and challenging platforming to make it a good time. It doesn't quite hold up to the best of the franchise due to a few problems I have with it; the Double Gear system makes the game all too easy if exploited as intended (so I just ignored it for most of the game) and the Wily Castle stages just give up with the level designs halfway through. I also find the music the most forgettable of the series. Gripes aside, though, I enjoyed it, and I'm happy Capcom are making Mega Man games again.
7/10
53. Gone Home
I heard a lot about this walking simulator back during its release and it became a firm favourite especially among the LGBTQ crowd, so I guess I knew the "twist" well in advance. However, I really enjoyed going through this house and finding the whole story out in such a natural, fun manner. The main girl seemed so nice and relatable and I felt for her plight as well as her friends and family (even through her taste in music was shit) and by the end I was both happy and sad. There's a lot of emotion put into the narrative and it was so well written and presented fun, and they even managed to get some good jokes and mystery in there. This is the gold standard to which all narrative games need to learn by.
9/10
54. Dark Souls: Remastered
I'm definitely a Soulsborne gamer and played through Dark Souls more than a few times already - but having a Switch version on the go was just irresistable. I think the base game is brilliant and I still do, so I'm just going to review it based on how I think the Switch version fares. And honestly, it's pretty impressive. There are some graphical effects missing, and on New Game + I noticed some really odd sound issues, but other than that (and still only being 30fps) it's a very solid port, and having it on the go with me was simply a delight. Recommended.
8/10
55. Ren & Stimpy: Veediots!
Yet another game from my childhood that I wanted to play purely for nostalgic reasons and not for any valuable gameplay. To be honest, though, this Ren and Stimpy game isn't as bad as I remember it being. There's lots of variety to the levels and it controls okayish, plus there's a ton of visuals and audio cues straight from the show which was fun. The developers had a lot of fun with this, even though it could've done with a ton more polish.
5/10
56. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (Game Boy)
I had a Turok game on Game Boy that was sadly stolen from me years ago, and I thought I had bought it again to finish what I never could back then. Unfortunately I messed up and bought this game instead, something which holds no nostalgia for me. I should be okay with this game because dinosaurs, but other than (snore) raptors and the occasional dinosaur-themed boss, there's not a lot of that to be found in Turok 2. The game also starts off with a really terrible first level akin to finding aliens in Bart Versus the Space Mutants which involves a lot of running around (without a gun yet, just to add!) and backtracking. Past there, it's pretty bog standard affair. The only thing that stood out to me with this game was the music was actually really good; Alberto Gonzalez strikes again.
5/10
57. On The Ball/Cameltry
Someone took that maze rolling bonus game from Sonic 1 and turned it into a whole game. It's pretty simple and over far, far too quickly. If this game had about triple the levels and more unique ideas then it could have been something good, but ah well. Not much else to say about this one to be honest.
5/10
58. Deltarune (Chapter 1)
Toby Fox's newest story being woven came right the hell out of nowhere and it's just as captivating as Undertale was. The guy knows how to tell a story with heart and with a hearty laugh. Even though many of the new characters in this have very similar parallels to Undertale, there's enough differences to make them their own characters whom you go through a lot of emotions and eventually fall for. It's also got an absolutely FANTASTIC soundtrack, something else Toby Fox should be praised for. It's a bit short, but it does set things up for the rest of the Deltarune story. I loved it!
9/10
59. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
In my plight to consume everything Castlevania-related I seeked out this PS2 entry. I beat Lament of Innocence years prior and thought it was good but not great, so I was hoping this one would be a big improvement. In the end, it's just... fine. There's a bit of Pokemon in there with monsters you can train and have fight alongside you, and some cool music and throwbacks to other Castlevania games. What hurts this game for me though are the level designs; they're so boring it was a chore to make my way anywhere - even the fast travel in place wasn't much of a relief. Also for a game based on a series known for its challenging platforming, having a game with almost no platforming whatsoever was an... interesting choice, to say the least. Definitely not one of my favourites of the franchise.
7/10
60. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
I "finished" this game in much the same way you "finish" other games in the series, in that you beat a specific monster and see credits, but you honestly know you're not even close to being done with the game and its content. God this game as a lot of monsters. Some of them I haven't even fought once yet. It's pretty much a Monster Hunter! There's not much to say. If I had played World more I probably would've had trouble going back to this game and lacking the QoL changes World had made, but as of now I'm enjoying how much c o n t e n t this game has compared to the others. It kept me going for a long time, and will do for a long time more.
8/10
61. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (World of Light)
[WARNING: SPOILER TALK] Smash Bros. Ultimate is brilliant and I love it! But for this I'm just going to talk about World of Light, the single player campaign this game has. Comparisons to Subspace don't help, as for all its faults Subspace did have a plot and more varied stage designs and different enemies to fight - World of Light is just a series of several hundred Special Smashes meant to represent non-fighter characters, represented in the game as "Spirits". They do some very fun and cool interpretations of a lot of these, to be sure. But the biggest problem I had with this mode is that there it just goes on for far. far. FARRRRRR too long. I felt exhausted by the time I got to fighting who I thought was the end boss, only to find I wasn't even halfway done. It's absolutely a case of quantity over quality, and it still has some of Subspace's issues like repeated bossfights. I was so done with this by the time I reached the end; I hope the next Smash Bros. gives us something short and sweet, like Melee's Adventure Mode instead.
6/10 (World of Light)
9/10 (Main game)
62. GRIS
What a beautiful, beautiful game. The artstyle is so confident here that you can't ignore it, and it persists from the first cutscene right up to the end credits. Stunning handdrawn animations, and scenery with splashes of colour everywhere, it's just a delight. The game itself is very fun too; with no death scenarios removing stress and puzzle sections which, while not childishly simple, aren't heavy enough to slow down gameplay or frustrate. It's a great experience and I enjoyed every minute of it.
9/10
63. Fatal Frame 5: Maiden of Black Water
Oy, this game has its problems. Fatal Frame has always been a very scary series with some incredible set pieces and a permanent air of misery and woe that guarantees to suck laughter out from everyone playing. This game has a lot of those elements to it, plus introducing us to multiple new things to the series (including modern scenery, multiple characters and the water-based system). The trouble is that a lot of it feels wasted. The water mechanic, where you become weaker and induce more scares the wetter you become, not only seems like just an excuse to see your female protagonists soaking wet and showing undergarments through translucent clothing, but also ruins the scares on hand (since they happen so much more often - especially the "reach out to grab something and a ghostly hand grabs you" sections - they quickly stop being scary and just end up being annoying). The game also makes you go through the same areas of the game way, way, way too many times, and without any good puzzles and a lot of the same ghosts appearing in the same areas each time the game becomes repetitive. It also has one of the worst, most teeth-gnashingly awful chase sequences I've seen yet in a Fatal Frame game. I will probably never return to this game again, unless someone forces me to.
4/10
TOP THREE GAMES I PLAYED OF 2018:
1. Hollow Knight
2. Deltarune
3. GRIS
WORST GAMES I PLAYED IN 2018:
1. Blue's Journey
2. Taz-Mania (Mega Drive)
3. Ultraman: To The Future
