Never EVER again. You hear me? So many games were off-limits in this 100 that this blog became a huge chore at times. Whole series such as Mario and Zelda became off-limits for a year whilst other games that we wanted to play or revisit have been neglected. In many ways it allowed us to focus on genres, years and platforms so that we did not suddenly get ahead of ourselves again. We are still woefully ahead on the Gamecube which makes me feel inexorably sorrowful.
For the next 50 there will be no gimmicks or anything we HAVE to play. Just good old fashioned gaming… and I believe I can hear Mass Effect 2 calling me from the near future.
Best Game I Had Not Previously Played
For the first time in a while a game I believe to be best didn’t feature at all in Jeroen’s post and that would be Braid. This innovative and original puzzle-platformer won me over from the word go. Sadly I was aware of the sting in the narrative’s tail but that did not make my playthrough any the less enjoyable. The use of time in solving puzzles was an absolute stroke of genius!
Other really enjoyable games from this? Well I have to mention Bioshock. I am not a fan of games that make me jump but the powers and the complete taking down of Ayn Rand made for one hell of a game. Also a good contender for me was Team Fortress 2 but more on that later.
Worst Game
I will have to concur with Jeroen on this one. Race Pro was an absolute stinker. I just could not get to grips with this game and it was so lacking in rewards that I don’t feel the need to ever pick it up again… no other games really stick out in comparison.
Most Surprising Game
In one way Afrika was a big surprise because it was not as crap as I expected, it still isn’t better than Pokémon Snap but it was a fun game for a Sunday afternoon.
However, the crown for me has to go to EyePet. In many ways I am cynical about obvious attempts at cuteness (on the other hand I am a huge fan of Kirby games) so I started out on this game with a bit of a negative outset… it did not last long. Apart from some trickiness with the camera and it picking up on the action card it was incredibly immersive. I still think about the pet trapped underneath the floorboards and the times we made toy cars together.
Biggest Disappointment
Without question it’s Stretch Panic. It was one of the games whose entry and picture convinced me to try this deranged assignment of a blog and it was the first game I tracked down on eBay for the purposes of the blog. It could probably never live up what I expected but… it was ridiculous. Pinching big breasted demons who use their endowment like helicopter blades? Ridiculous controls that defy reason sometimes? I don’t know what this game was but it was not that great.
Best Blast From The Past
Two games stand out here. Firstly there is Okami, which I really need to finish at some point since I finally got beyond the bits that were irritating me. It’s beauty and use of Japanese mythology have yet to be equaled in a game if you ask me. Then there is the old chestnut Grand Theft Auto 3. Seeing it again reminded me of all the joy I had playing it and how much of my life as a gamer has been influenced by it’s charms.
Games We Kept Playing
This 50 coincided with most of my NQT year of teaching which meant that there have not been many games played for too long after we did them for the blog.
With that being said there are some that did maintain interest. Machinarium and Braid were played until completion and my understanding of the games did benefit from this. I also finished Prototype and had a bit more fun with Demigod. Okay, so I know I need to pick a game from this 50 and it’s a no brainer… Team Fortress 2.
For gamers this has become a bit of a cliche to become addicted to this game but it’s like gaming catnip and reminds me a lot of Timesplitters: Future Perfect. A high complement coming from me.