It's time for another update on my progress. I'm still working on my 6th generation games, but I've just now noticed an issue with my PS3 controller. The right analog stick is occasionally jolting to the left, meaning that in shooters like Killzone I've noticed difficulty aiming while in a platformer like Jak 3 I noticed some additional camera issues because of it. I've cleaned the controller, but I can't see to fix it, so hopefully it doesn't get any worse.
To explain the grades, I am approaching each of them as someone who has experienced these 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 game #43: Jak II (PS2)
Update 2: I've completed game #54: Halo 2 (Xbox)
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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) ... C
- + Very deep create a wrestler & controls
- - Takes WAY too long to obtain enough attribute points for them
45. Deus Ex: The Invisible War (Xbox) ... C
- - Inventory management was uncomfortable
- - shooting/melee not as precise or responsive as I'd like
46. Beyond Good & Evil (PS2) ... A
- - Some camera issues
- + Excellent story and presentation
- + Love the photography stuff
47. Counter-Strike (Xbox) ... C
- + great gameplay, decent bots
- - Can't customize map size outside of bot difficulty
- - no meat beyond random matches
48. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Acadamy (Xbox) ... B
- + Interesting setup
- - Aiming guns is a bit awkward/ lightsaber not as fluid as it should be
- = Subtitles say "Artoo" instead of "R2"
49. The Suffering (Xbox) ... B
- + great story and monsters
- - Third person can be difficult to aim
- + The Shining influences
50. Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (Xbox) ... B
- + Better level design and improved lighting/shadows
- + Michael Ironside
- - Thermals can be difficult to see tripwires
51. Psi-Ops: Mindgate Conspiracy (PS2) ... B
- + Psy powers are insanely fun
- - Shooting is weak and inaccurate
- - Not so great AI
52. Killzone (PS2) ... C
- - Can be VERY inaccurate
- + fun guns
- + custom controls and botzone
- - blah campaign
53. Jak 3 (PS2) ... A
- + Better guns, better jetboard, and better use of collectibles
- - Driving on sand
- - Story not as good as Jak II
- + Haven City war zones
54. Halo 2 (Xbox) ... B
- + Dual wielding
- + Fun new weapons
- - Dull story
55. Mercenaries (PS2) ...
- In progress...
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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Quote Of The Day
"Busting games, busting asses, and busting fires. Anything that gets in your way will feel PAIN!!"
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Today In Music (May 23rd)
Tommy by The Who released on May 23rd, 1969. Also released on this day:
- Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part 1 by Helloween (1987)
- Carolous Rex by Sabaton (2012)
- Tales From The Punchbowl by Primus (1995)
- "Buffalo Soldier" single by Bob Marley & The Wailers (1983)
- "Any Way You Want It" single by Journey (1980)
- Sparkle And Fade by Everclear (1995)
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E3 Group Chat
Remember folks, E3 begins with press conferences on June 12th. We'll be doing our group chats on Skype as usual, so make sure you have added DOJNDO as a friend on Skype so I can add you to it.
