Console Glory 2012 Year In Review!!

Year in review time!  This time around I thought I'd take a look back at all the games I played this year, rank them, and offer my thoughts on a few of the standouts.  People love lists, ya know!  I'm going to split them up and rank the games that were released this year separately from games that were released in the past.  Sound good?  I'll start with the games released in 2012.

1. Resident Evil 6 - B+ (PS3)
2. Sakura Samurai - B+ (3DS)
3. Journey - B (PSN)
4. Kid Icarus: Uprising - B (3DS)
5. Double Dragon Neon - B- (PSN)
6. Resident Evil: Revelations - C+ (3DS)

That's it?!  I only played six games that were released this year?!  Yep, it's true.  I told you I'm always late to the party.  Fuck it.

1. Resident Evil 6

With a 'B+', Resident Evil 6 is indeed my game of the year.  I know that a lot of people hated on RE6, and it truly is far from perfect, but I still say that it's a solid game and I have spent a lot of time playing it since it was released in early October.  I don't think that it will hold my attention for years on end the way that RE5's multiplayer did, but yeah, RE6 is Console Glory's game of the year.  Suck it, haters!

2. Sakura Samurai

Sakura Samurai might seem like too slight a title to receive runner-up honors, but I think it's right where it belongs.  The precise gameplay, steep challenge, and perfect pacing made this downloadable 3DS title one of my top picks.  It doesn't overreach, and it doesn't try to be something that it's not...a bit of a rarity in console titles these days.

3. Journey

Journey is a game that was at the top of many people's best of 2012 lists.  I enjoyed it quite a bit myself, but I wasn't as blown away by it as some people were.  As striking as its design and visuals were, it felt a little shallow overall.  Walk toward a shining light in the distance... so deep!

4. Kid Icarus: Uprising

Kid Icarus: Uprising was an ambitious title that I'd have to put into the category of "almost awesome".  Unlike Sakura Samurai, Kid Icarus throws so much at you that I was surprised at how well it all held together.  Some aspects (weapons, characters) worked better than others (vehicles, controls), but overall Kid Icarus: Uprising is an exciting update to a long dormant franchise.

5. Double Dragon: Neon

I must admit that as of this writing, I still haven't finished Double Dragon: Neon.  I almost got through it, but I started playing it around the time that I got Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and as brawlers go, that title is much more engaging.  Still, I enjoyed Double Dragon.  If you have nostalgia for the old games and can get it for less than $10 then you should snatch it up.

6. Resident Evil: Revelations

I wasn't so positive in my review of Resident Evil: Revelations and time has done little to change my opinion.  It's a well made game, but I just found it kind of boring.  It almost felt like a tech demo to me.  Old school RE fans...what's so fuckin' great about "survival horror"?  It's always just a bunch of wandering around, looking for keys and shit.  Old REs, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame...boring.  I understand the importance of vibe and atmosphere, but I don't really play games for the vibe itself, and that's what playing survival horror games always feels like to me.

Alright, now on to the older games.

1. Super Mario 3D Land - A

Great game.  It's the only 'A' grade that I awarded all year, and it's easily the best 3DS game I've played yet.  If you liked Super Mario Galaxy then this one is a no-brainer.

2. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - B+

I hated the movie so I wasn't sure what to expect from the game, but Scott Pilgrim is a tight little brawler with loads of charm.  If you ever got into Double Dragon, Final Fight, or River City Ransom this game is worth a look.  Pick it up.

3. Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin - B+

4. Catherine - B+

This intriguing puzzler really made an impact on me.  I keep thinking about it months after finishing it.  I wonder why?

5. Pushmo - B+

6. Intelligent Qube - B+

7. Pokemon Soulsilver - B+

I might have graded his one a little high.  I know that people love their Pokemon, but this game didn't hold my attention after I wrote my review.

8. Resident Evil 4 HD -  B+

9. Kirby Mass Attack - B+

10. Quantum Conundrum - B

11. Samurai Champloo - B

12. Alex Kidd in Miracle World - B

13. Rochard - B

14. Ico - B-

15. VVVVV - B-

Somehow I managed to make my way through this bitch of a game.  It's tough, but worth it!  I probably should have given it a slightly better grade.

16. Bit.trip Saga - B-

17. Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy - B-

18. Bust-A-Move Universe - C+

19. Choplifter HD - C+

20. Outland - C+

21. Mario Kart 7 - C+

I might have scored this one a bit low.  It didn't grab me, but it's probably better than a 'C+'.

22. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - C+

23. Kid Icarus 3D Classics - C

24. Sonic the Hedgehog - C

25. Lollipop Chainsaw - C-

Fuck this game, and fuck Suda 51.

So there we are.  I just thought that it might be cool to take a look back and put everything into some kind of context.

In the new year I plan to continue on as I have been, writing my thoughts about the games I play and the gaming news that catches my attention.  I hope to post more frequently, write a few more in-depth articles, and introduce some new (semi) regular features such as "Games I'm NOT Playing".  Huge thanks to all of my readers!  Hope everyone had a good 2012.  Here's to another year of Console Glory!

P.S. Listen to my PODCAST! It's pretty alright...

My Month in Games: March 2012

Pokemon SoulSilver - DS


Ever late to the party, I'm just now getting around to playing a Pokemon game for the first time. That's right, I admit it, I had never actually played a Pokemon game before this month. I decided to pick this one up on a whim while I was purchasing Kid Icarus: Uprising. For those who don't know, the Pokemon series of games are RPGs in which your character must travel around capturing and training the (often times adorable) titular creatures so that they can do battle with other trainers' Pokemon. It's a bit like a video game version of cockfighting, only instead of roosters, the combatants are lizards that shoot fireballs and pigeons that conjure tornadoes. Strange as that may sound, these games are actually pretty straightforward. Basically, you catch as many different kinds of Pokemon as possible (there are 50 in the game), train them to develop their skills, and take your best against the bosses. The more Pokemon you collect and train, the more powerful you become. As a fan of classic grind fests like Phantasy Star and Dragon Warrior, this game scratched an itch I've had lately for a solid, old-school style RPG, but it also has a twist that's really quite ingenious. The twist is that the Pokemon are really fun to collect. Since each one brings their own unique attacks and skills into battle, you get to choose what kind of team you want to roll with. Discovering new Pokemon, trying them out, and finding the right balance between powerful fighters and support type characters keeps the game interesting and helps take your mind off the grind. I enjoyed this game and I see why the series is popular. Pokemon games are straightforward and easy to pick up, but they also offer a level of strategy and enjoyability that surprised me. I don't know how many more of these games I'll be playing after this one (they've made over a dozen of them already), but I'm impressed with Pokemon Soulsilver.

Typhlosion the exploding cat does battle with Jynx...the transvestite bedsheet? Pretty normal for Pokemon.

Grade: B+

VVVVVV - 3DS

Designed by a fellow named Terry Cavanaugh, this indie platformer (pronounced as "The Letter V Six Times" or "V's") was originally built in Adobe Flash and released in January, 2010 for Windows and OSX. I first came across it about a year later when I played a shorter, freeware version online, and I was instantly drawn in by the blocky, Commodore-64 inspired graphics and the incredible chiptune soundtrack. When I saw that it had become available through the 3DS eShop I downloaded it and dove right in, eager to see what the full version had to offer. So now, dear readers, I will tell you what this game has to offer...nostalgia and PAIN!

First the nostalgia. Anyone who was gaming in the early to mid-eighties remembers games that looked and played like this. The pixelated graphics recall a time that was post-Atari, pre-Nintendo; a time when men wore wore mustaches un-ironically, and Russia was still the enemy. There's not much to look at, yet the starkness of the presentation actually underscores a strong sense of isolation present in this tale about a spaceship captain who is thrust into an alternate dimension and must search for his lost crew. The music of VVVVVV is also worth mentioning. The chiptune soundtrack by Magnus Pålsson is loaded with memorable themes, from upbeat and heroic to plodding and mysterious. If you like 8-bit music, you have to hear these songs, even if you don't get much out of the game.

Now on to the PAIN! Many reviewers have made a point to mention this game's difficulty and for good reason, this game is pretty fucking hard. I mentioned that this game was a platformer, but unlike many of the games in this genre, your character can't jump. Instead, he has the ability to reverse gravity. In order to make your way through the the game's many obstacles, you have to continually switch from walking on the 'ground' to walking on the 'ceiling'. Now this mechanic is employed well, and it's pretty easy to get the hang of it, but there's a big caveat: you can only see one 'screen' at a time. That is, the level doesn't scroll along with you as you walk (or fall) to the edge of the screen. This results in some unbelievably MADDENING sequences where you must remember the layout of the room ahead in order to land safely on a non-spiked surface. Sometimes the game strings together four or five rooms this way and punishes you with death after death. Death, in fact, is a near constant in this game. To its credit, VVVVVV does provide you with infinite lives and plentiful checkpoints, but I still found myself getting frustrated at some of the 'trial and error' aspects of the gameplay. Check it out though, this is a game that deserves some attention, but be warned that its challenges may exceed your tolerance for punishment. Click either image to play a free demo version online.

Grade: B-

Kid Icarus: Uprising - 3DS

I've mentioned before that it's rare for me to purchase a game on its release day, I usually only do it once or twice a year. Yet driven by my nostalgia for the NES and Game Boy titles, I picked this up on day one. I'll beak this one down quick-like. Where the original games were side-scrolling platformers, this one is a rail shooter in the vein of Space Harrier. In terms of gameplay that makes it pretty different from its predecessors, but it works well. Honestly, I haven't enjoyed a shooter this much in quite awhile. The controls are an aspect of this game that seems to be very polarizing. Basically you have to control your character, fire your weapon, and hold the 3DS with your left hand, while holding the stylus and using the touch screen to aim with your right. It's cumbersome and uncomfortable at first, but over time it becomes...marginally less cumbersome and uncomfortable. It might be better if the game supported the Circle Pad Pro and you could use another analog stick for aiming, but alas, it doesn't and you can't. Actually, I don't even think that another stick would necessarily help in this case. The fast pace of this game would have probably been better suited to the Wii's nunchuck controller. Still, I DID eventually sorta get used to the controls and the game is so awesome that I just dealt with it. With a dizzying array of weapons, skills, and other shit to collect, this game keeps you coming back for more. I dug it, despite its control issues.

Grade: B