Tales Of Backloggery: Update 1

I have continued grinding through my gaming past and have reached a point where I wanted to put up another update to my progress.  Check the whole thing out below.  And sorry, but since the text color doesn't copy to the new post, I'm too lazy to keep doing it.  At least there's still pictures.

To explain the grades, green means I rated it higher now than before, red means worse, and blue means no change.  I am approaching each of them as someone who has experienced games both before them and after, in many cases evaluating how they hold up.  S means among the best of all time, A-F should be self explanatory.

Update 1: I've completed up to game #43: Jak II (PS2)!

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1. Super Mario World (SNES) ... S

• + I love that the "cheats" are secret levels rather than codes.
• - Coins and lives do not save between sessions.
• + Still fun and challenging in parts.

2. Super Ghouls And Ghosts (SNES) ... D

• = Unfortunately, the cartridge no longer works. (-,_ -)

3. ActRaiser (SNES) ... B

• - Platforming and action not as refined as I'd like.
• + City building and godhood works fantastic.
• - Menus can be a bit unfriendly.
• + My pick for franchise most deserving of a revival.

4. Paperboy 2 (SNES) ... D

• - High scores don't save
• - No depth
• + Still challenging and funny.

5. Home Alone (SNES) ... F

• - Too short, too easy
• - Little to nothing in common with film
• - No bonus for getting all items

6. The Lost Vikings (SNES) ... C

• + Think Trine, except fun and humorous.
• - When one of the three dies, forces you to continue to the end of the stage though you auto fail on exit.

7. Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES) ... B

• + Still really challenging....
• - ...almost too much sometimes. Certainly too much other times.

8. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES) ... S

• = Devastatingly, the cartridge no longer works. (-,_ -)

9. Super Mario Kart (SNES) .. C

• - Rubber band AI
• - Repetitive and predictable AI finishes each race
• + Fun, tricky tracks

10. Super Star Wars (SNES) ... D

• - Killed enemies respawn immediately
• - Vehicle controls cause rage quits

11. Star Fox (SNES) ... D

• - Can be difficult to see around ship
• - Lots of slowdown in heavy action

12. Super Mario All Stars (SNES) ... A

• + All games are still a blast to play
• - Downgraded because it's a collection.  I waver on whether those qualify for top honors, and right now they don't.

13. Street Fighter II: Turbo (SNES) ... C

• = Sadly, the cartridge no longer works. (-,_ -)

14. Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES) ... S

• + Still the greatest game of all time.

15. Super Metroid (SNES) ... C

• + Good challenge
• - Awkward platforming

16. Super Punch Out!! (SNES) ... C

• = First two circuits were way too easy.  Never used to think so...
• - Huge difficulty spike at Mad Clown.

17. Earthworm Jim (SNES) ... C

• - Awkward platforming
• + Still fun

18. Donkey Kong Country (SNES) ... A

• + Still fun and challenging

19. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES) ... B

• = Disappointingly, the cartridge no longer works. (-,_ -)

20. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest (SNES) ... A

• + Much improved over the first
• + Dixie Kong

21. Star Fox 64 (N64) ... C

• = Disappointingly, the cartridge no longer works. (-,_ -)

22. Goldeneye 007 (N64) ... D

• - Terrible controls; impossible to aim and awkward to move.

23. Metal Gear Solid (PS1) ... A

• + Still excellent story
• - I really miss CQC and analog sticks and aiming.

24. Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) ... S

• + Still great despite its terrible camera
• - Save game loads at inconvenient places outside of dungeons.
• - Have I mentioned the terrible camera?

25. Mario Party (N64) ... D

• + Love the board game premise and mini-games can be fun...
• - Often the controls in mini-games are rage-quit-worthy.
• = Mini games don't last long enough to warrant rage quits.

26. Super Smash Bros. (N64) ... B

• - Small roster
• - Awkward jumping physics/controls
• + Still a lot of fun

27. All Star Baseball 2001 (N64) ... C

• + Controller is actually good for baseball
• = Was able to replace the New York Yankees roster with players from "Who's On First".  Nobody is playing Right Field.

28. Mario Tennis (N64) ... C

•  + simple controls
• - frustrating power shot timing

29. Legend Of Zelda: Majora'a Mask (N64) ... S

• + Better story than Ocarina; most characters have purpose
• - frustrating camera at times
•  - Wizrobe is used too often as a mini-boss

30. Zone of the Enders (PS2) ... C

• - Conversations can drag on
• - bad camera controls when not locked onto a target
• + Excellent story presentation

31. NHL Hitz 20-02 (PS2) ... C

• + Funny commentary
• + Still love the fires and fights
• + Love the trivia questions for bonus unlock credits
• - No real season or franchise modes; no player stats

32. Halo (Xbox) ... A

• - Mostly bland story
• + fun weapons
• - Terrible vehicle controls

33. Jak & Daxter: Precursor Legacy (PS2) ... B

• + Funny
• + Solid platforming
• - Some bad camera angles

34. Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox) ... C

• + Fun concept
• - Awkward physics
• - Repetitive soundtrack

35. Red Faction II (PS2) ... B

• + Fun destruction
• + fun cheats; good sense of humor
• + True arena multiplayer

36. Deathrow (Xbox) ... C

• - Very awkward controls
• - Odd season structure and no stats
• - No way to downplay violence if you want more sport in gameplay
• + fun despite its serious flaws

37. Splinter Cell (Xbox) ... B

• + Michael Ironside
• + Nice approach to stealth gameplay
• - Inconsistent AI
• - Shadows do not always render as light or dark as indicator shows

38. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (Xbox) ... C

• - Objectives tend to be very vague
• + The shooting is awkward enough to befit Star Wars

39. War of the Monsters (PS2) ... C

• + Great concept
• - Controls and camera can be difficult to deal with

40. Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (PS2) ... B

• + Good opening and final chapters
• - Controls, while improved over MGS1, are still a bit awkward
• - Plotholes (ironically, the major ones can eventually be explained but the minor ones like Snake and Otacon knowing what Raiden says to the Colonel on his private codec cannot)

41. Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner (PS2) ... B

• + Improved over the first one in virtually every way
• - Not a fan of the anime art style or dialogue

42. Freedom Fighters (PS2) ... C

• - Perhaps the worst aiming controls I've ever used in a game outside of motion controls
• + Action/strategy combo

43. Jak II (PS2) ... A

• + Fun action and platforming
• - Can't aim weapons
• + Great story and humor

44. WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain (PS2) ...

45. Deus Ex: The Invisible War (Xbox)

46. Beyond Good & Evil (PS2)

47. Counter-Strike (Xbox)

48. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Acadamy (Xbox)

49. The Suffering (Xbox)

50. Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (Xbox)

51. Psi-Ops: Mindgate Conspiracy (PS2)

52. Killzone (PS2)

53. Jak 3 (PS2)

54. Halo 2 (Xbox)

55. Mercenaries (PS2)

56. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (Xbox)

57. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (Xbox)

58. Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict (Xbox)

59. Psychonauts (PS2)

60. Destroy All Humans! (PS2)

61. Madden NFL 06 (PS2)

62. Stubbs The Zombie (Xbox)

63. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)

64. Jak X: Combat Racing (PS2)

65. Star Wars Battlefront II (PS2)

66. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)

67. Hitman: Blood Money (PS2)

68. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (PS2)

69. Bully (PS2)

70. Rogue Galaxy (PS2)

71. Rugby 08 (PS2)

72. NHL 2K8 (PS3)

73. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3)

74. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)

75. Unreal Tournament III (PS3)

76. The Orange Box (PS3)

77. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

78. Dead Space (PS3)

79. Bioshock (PS3)

80. Fallout 3 (PS3)

81. Mirror's Edge (PS3)

82. Killzone 2 (PS3)

83. inFamous (PS3)

84. Batman Arkham Asylum (PS3)

85. Brutal Legend (PS3)

86. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

87. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time (PS3)

88. Assassins Creed II (PS3)

89. Heavy Rain (PS3)

90. God Of War Saga (PS3)

91. Just Cause 2 (PS3)

92. Red Dead Redemption (PS3)

93. Fallout: New Vegas (PS3)

94. LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)

95. Dead Space 2 (PS3)

96. Killzone 3 (PS3)

97. Mortal Kombat (PS3)

98. Portal 2 (PS3)

99. L.A. Noire (PS3)

100. inFamous 2 (PS3)

101. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3)

102. Resistance 3 (PS3)

103. Batman: Arkham City (PS3)

104. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3)

105. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PS3)

106. Elder Scrolls V: Skrym (PS3)

107. Saints Row The Third (PS3)

108. Mass Effect Trilogy (PS3)

109. Borderlands 2 (PS3)

110. Hitman: Absolution (PS3)

111. Far Cry 3 (PS3)

112. Playstation All Stars Battle Royale (PS3)

113. Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch (PS3)

114. Dead Space 3 (PS3)

115. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3)

116. Tomb Raider (PS3)

117. Bioshock: Infinite (PS3)

118. The Last Of Us (PS3)

119. Splinter Cell: Blacklist (PS3)

120. Grand Theft Auto V (PS3)

121. South Park: The Stick Of Truth (PS3)

122. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag (PS4)

123. Killzone: Shadow Fall (PS4)

124. Infamous: Second Son (PS4)

125. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4)

126. Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor (PS4)

127. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PS4)

128. Far Cry 4 (PS4)

129. Dying Light (PS4)

130. The Order 1886 (PS4)

131. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4)

132. Mortal Kombat X (PS4)

133. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4)

134. Fallout 4 (PS4)

135. Star Wars: Battlefront (PS4)

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 Today In Music (May 10th)

Stay Hungry by Twisted Sister released on May 10th, 1984.   Also released on this day:

• Weezer (Blue)  by Weezer (1994)
• Make Believe by Weezer (2005)
• "Miss You" [single] by The Rolling Stones (1978)