2015 – Grand Theft Auto V
I consider this game to be a counterpart to Grand Theft Auto IV, and I mean this in a more personal way rather than like a general sense.
What I enjoy about GTA IV is the story. I care about the characters and find genuine joy from the interactions between them. With GTA V, the story is good but I don’t feel as much for the characters. They are memorable for sure but I don’t feel that I care as much. What keeps me from going back to GTA IV are some minor gameplay elements such as always having to do activities with friends and having to maintain the mandatory girlfriend relationships during the main story. I feel, that by extension, I can come back to GTA V a little more often because there’s less maintenance with the game that feels “necessary”. Additionally, there are a lot more gameplay elements that are more refined compared to where they were in IV.
As for the game itself, it’s still an enjoyable, satirical, over-the-top take on America’s excesses and reality. Franklin’s arc involves him trying to escape the hood and finding his own path, Michael’s arc focuses on him overcoming his past and trying to find fulfillment, and then there’s Trevor… just being Trevor. They also have their own unique deuteragonist for their arcs: Lamar being Franklin’s childhood friend who routinely gets himself in trouble, Dave Norton trying to keep Michael out of trouble after helping him lay low with the latter’s new identity, and Ron just trying to keep up with his unlikely friend and business partner. Again, there are interesting dynamics at play here with how their stories end up together.
I should mention the gameplay. Friend activites are still available to the player, but these are instead prompted by the player rather than the NPCs prompting them, a godsend to those who hated trying to go back to a safehouse to save up only to get a call about “wanting to shoot some pool”. There are also places to help refine skills in the game such as shooting ranges and flight school for those who might need help with handling the game’s weapons or the plethora of planes available for use. Driving also just seems more polished compared to how it was in IV, and even then, the driving in IV is VASTLY improved from the slippery feel in the GTA III era.
So again, I’m more likely to come back to this title than IV, although when I do depends on how much I want to engage with a story that, while interesting, doesn’t resonate as well for me.
2015 – The Last of Us Remastered
This game blew me away.
When I started playing this game, I found great difficulty in trying to put the controller down. There was one point early on where my mom was asking me why I was still playing and to hurry it up because we were about to watch a movie on the TV.
I remember Sam recommending this to me and I heard rave reviews about it but I didn’t pick it up on PS3. I remember in the spring of senior year, Sam and my other suitemate Matt put together a list of games that I needed to play, and gave each one a “Kyle” ranking out of 5, with The Last of Us garnering a “2”. Boy, were they wrong on that rating.
That summer we went back to Taiwan again and my grandma told my dad that there was some lottery thing we won over something related to our bank account number or something and that some gaming thing was the prize. My dad said that we should at least look to see what it was and my brother had the honors of opening the cardboard box. Once he opened the covers and saw what was inside, his jaw dropped to the floor and he stood there in silence as his body began to shake. Right in front of him sitting in that box was another box containing a brand new PlayStation 4. We now had another console to add to our arsenal (and it kept the PS3 as the lone console we’ve actually bought, for the record).
When we began to look around for games over the next few months, my brother got Destiny and NBA 2K16 while I looked for Wolfenstein: The New Order (another FPS which I highly recommend) and the remastered version of The Last of Us based on Sam’s recommendation and I remember texting him about my purchase (he questioned the pricing, by the way). Regardless, as soon as I began to play, it began a revelation.
Never have I been so glued to a game with its immersive story and atmosphere. This game just grabs you and takes you into its universe. It’s dark, gritty, and depressing with its onset. But then as you go along, you’re given glimpses of light, hope, and most endearingly, love. This game can hit you like a ton of bricks. It’s so captivating with the characters and how the narrative can make you care for them. Joel and Ellie’s arc is an emotional roller-coaster but it’s so rewarding just to go through that experience. I really hope that anyone who doubts storytelling and presentation in video games thinking that they cannot compare to books or movies play this game. You will not be disappointed.
Then there’s the DLC content in Left Behind, which adds another layer to the story. I recommend that anyone who owns the remastered version play through the Summer and Fall chapters, and prior to engaging in the Winter chapter, go through Left Behind because it provides some additional context and adds a little something when going through that chapter in the snow.
My brother did wind up getting me a collector’s edition of The Last of Us II because of how much he knew I loved this game. But I told him that by that point, I knew of the potential downfalls with the new game and I still remain hesitant to even pick it up because of how much I’ve learned about what happens. I don’t want to get that Game of Thrones feeling (for the record, I never really watched the series and am just trying to make an analogy so that everyone understands my despair), but it’s going to be inevitable.
2016 – South Park: The Stick of Truth
This game is the perfect licensed game.
I put so much into this game that I managed to get a Platinum trophy for this on PS3, and it will likely be my only Platinum trophy. This game perfectly captures the mood, feel, and tenor of South Park that it’s a must-play for fans of the show, largely thanks to Matt Stone and Trey Parker playing a major role in the game’s development.
If you’ve played any of the first two Paper Mario games, the battle system will feel familiar and easy to adapt to. The classes are also a lot of fun to toy around with. It got to the point that based on my playstyle with each class, I developed a spreadsheet to remind myself of which perks to get and which abilities to upgrade. In that same spreadsheet, I also began to note of all the collectibles (including ones that can be missed to prevent 100% completion). I went even further by listing the order of which collectibles are collected when as well as separating them by segment (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc).
The partners in this game are also something. Butters is your loyal comrade and I always choose to side with the Humans when attacking the school to avoid fighting Butters. Kenny has his own unique niches as the princess. Jimmy wound up being the most useful when fighting Al Gore and his agents due to his ability to put enemies to sleep. Stan is an absolute bruiser who helps in the 2-on-1 boss encounters. Cartman is a fantastic glass cannon. Kyle’s Rally ability is also insanely overpowered.
Again, this game goes against the notion that licensed games are bad. Yes, most licensed games are garbage, but this one is an absolute gem. My only real complaint is that the level cap is too low. You can get to Level 15 a lot earlier than intended which can make later engagements kind of a joke. Additionally, I do think that the game’s length could have also been just slightly longer. But overall, I love this game a ton, especially as someone who loves the show.
2016 – Super Mario World: Return to Dinosaur Land
I forgot how I heard about this but this was the first real ROM hack I had played since Super Demo World by FuSoYa and Zero-G (the former being the creator of Lunar Magic, the most popular SMW level editor) and a good chunk of Anikiti’s Luigi’s Adventure (which, by the way, is total trash, just ask shovda).
As for the hack itself, I’d say it’s the hack every SMW player getting into ROM hacks play this first. It’s a great hack with fantastic level design that introduces the basic mechanics and gradually increases the difficulty. Some of the secret exits are also quite whimsical with how they’re found.
Two levels of note include Choco Peninsula 6 and Bowserland 6. The former’s second half involves hitting every ON/OFF switch to allow your platform to reach the goalpost that’s tricky but very fun to pull off. The latter, on the other hand, is a speed course where you have to dodge the rampant Bullet Bills and Banzai Bills and get to the goalpost within 100 game seconds.
Anyway, this game I think is a little more forgiving compared to the original SMW, and whichever order you play it in is up to you, but one cannot play one without the other, at least in my opinion.
Do check out my gameplay of this hack too. Here’s the link.
2016 – The Second Reality Project Reloaded
I remember seeing a TAS of this game and expressing a fair amount of interest. Then I decided to play the game for myself.
Here’s the thing though: at the time I got this, I had to play on ZSNES thanks to the ROM’s music being incompatible with most emulators and virtually all SNES hardware (that has changed apparently), so that was something. However, needless to say, the game starts out pretty mellow but is especially punishing and unforgiving that the average player will require save states and a guide (I used PinkKittyRose’s gameplay videos) to complete. It isn’t a Kaizo hack by any means, but it’s just very, very difficult.
Overall, I do think it’s worth a playthrough if you are curious, but it’s admittedly not for everyone and I do think that you will need patience to beat it, and even more patience without save states.
Do make note of the music in this hack. It’s largely self-composed while some of the other tracks are adapted from other games. FPI did a fantastic job. You can download it here.
2016 – Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
I first owned Yoshi’s Island DS and didn’t finish it (still haven’t and am very slow to do so because the game feels quite pedestrian).
So here’s the thing: I still have yet to get 100% in this game. I’ve gotten to 6-7, meaning two main levels along with all the bonus levels. That being said, I can safely say that this game is a blast to play.
I can tell a lot went into making this game. The graphics are colorful and the music dynamic. The folks in the video above also really dive into how much they appreciate the game. What I find interesting is that how one plays the game and their interaction with the controller is informative of how they like to play the game: Trihex seems more frantic while Carl seems more cool and collected.
Sometimes I’ll just jump into the game and replay all of Worlds 1 and 3 to rack up lives ahead of attempting new ones. There’s a lot to like about the level design and I think this game allows for a fun time. It’s a bright, fun game with a lot to offer.
2017 – Twitch Plays Pokémon: Anniversary Crystal
This is yet another game that I have yet to finish. In fact, it’s the first game that I began a playthrough to record footage for YouTube (which, by the way, remains unfinished). Regardless, this game is a must-play alongside Crystal Clear (which I have yet to play but only hear good things about), and are the must-play hacks for fans of Pokémon Crystal.
I don’t want to spoil too much on this game’s plot as I do with the video above, but I’ll leave it at this: there are a few quality-of-life things that the Twitch Plays Pokémon developers added from later generations that make this a joy to play. Also, there are also some minor graphical things they do that you might not notice at first glance and don’t really affect the gameplay but just add to the experience. For example, dampening the color of all sprites in caves or at night. Or maybe the additional sprites in the party screen.
Also, who wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to teach your Pikachu Surf for the Surfing Pikachu sprite?
2020 – Portal 1 + Portal 2
This is here because I really don’t have anything to complain about with this game. There are really no flaws with both of the Portal games.
This was another game that Sam had recommended to me and I did wind up getting once I got Steam. Sam told me of Thanksgiving sales and I decided to get both of the Portal games then, but I sat on them for a long time. However, the pandemic certainly changed moods and I decided to play them and needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly impressed.
Here’s the thing, though: I had knowledge of the basics of how Portal works thanks to watching the Achievement Hunter people try to play Mari0, a flash game that combines Super Mario Bros. with a portal gun (even featuring Portal-style levels which I beat prior to playing Portal 1). Then there was the incomplete Two Saiyans Play Portal 2 playthrough where “Nappa” somehow manages to utter a serious “no”.
I mean in the end I still had no idea of what to expect for the puzzles in the game, so some I spent a great deal of time on, but I find the narrative to be quite interesting, and I do find the sequel to be better because of its story. Yes, the story is quite minimal and mysterious but that adds to the allure. There’s also the eternal wonder if a third Portal will ever come about (much like if there will ever be a Half-Life 3 as I hear), which I highly doubt.
If anyone’s interested in just simple platforming and puzzles, the Portal games are a must-play.
2020 – Clone Hero
So what happens when the rhythm gaming community decides to make their own game to port custom songs? Clone Hero happens. And boy am I glad I have this.
I first owned Rock Band stuff in 2018, but a problem remains in that I can’t get codes to port my RB1 and RB2 songs into RB3, let alone RB4 whenever I get that game. But with Clone Hero, I have all the songs from RB1 to RB3 along with Lego Rock Band, Rock Band Blitz, and a plethora of DLC songs. I think Clone Hero is a fine substitute for those who got into owning Rock Band merch late, especially since it’s community built meaning there will always be something out there for what you want.
Karaoke anyone?
2020 – Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
I got a lot of recommendations to play this title. Spenser was probably the one who egged me to play this title the most, so I inevitably decided to play it last fall along with Super Mario RPG, which many believe to be the progenitor of all Mario RPG titles like the Mario & Luigi series and Paper Mario series.
In the end I enjoyed both Superstar Saga and SMRPG, but over the short time since I feel that the former is the superior title. Both are really good, but I find Superstar Saga to be the one I can go back to the most thanks to its whimsical plot and overall more engaging gameplay.
I don’t think a game has surprised me in unexpected, witty ways in this kind of fashion. The dialogue in this game is superb. Characters are so damn memorable. Bubbles is probably the most hilarious one-off character. Hermie with his lisp is quite the endearing fellow despite wanting to try to kill you. Jojora is that petulant brat who summons a monster “friend” to kill you. Popple is that funny, recurring mini-boss who never seems to get his way. Then there’s Fawful, who a lot of people like but I find utterly annoying. Sure, his lines are plays on bad translations (ex: I have fury!) and it’s a funny trait, but his overall character makes you want to punch him just so he can shut up. He’s goddamn annoying.
When I replayed the game about a month ago to acquire 100% item collection, I found it’s impossible on releases outside of Japan because of the change in drops, but I got even more appreciation with the game and was able to strategize far better than when I was playing it for the first time. I also feel that the Bowser’s Castle final dungeon is so much fun that I forcibly made a save file at the start of it just so that for fun, I can just play through it over and over again. Even so, I also briefly left the dungeon to unlock all Advanced Bros. Attacks before returning. It’s just that much fun!
I just think that it’s a shame that Nintendo is trying to steer away from games like this and Thousand Year Door. These games are what brought an audience and fanbase.
Also, anyone who doesn’t love that dance is an abomination that must be exterminated.
2020 – Among Us
I’ll keep it brief but this was one of the first games that I was able to play with my friends. We played this a ton in the fall last year and it gave us some solace as the world around us seemed to melt into oblivion. There was a lot of funny moments like Spenser accidentally revealing he vented (he was drunk), Megan being stuck with impostor curse, etc.
What’s funny is that I suck at lying as soon as I’m caught. This game doesn’t seem to be designed for me but I have actually had some notable wins as impostor. I’ve also had some really bad flubs as impostor. For example, I once got caught killing on a security camera, and in shock, I didn’t even speak as everyone voted me off. RIP
2021 – Mario’s Keytastrophe: Rebirth Edition
I’ve posted about this before, so I’ll keep it brief. Never in my mind did I think I’d find a game I’d be able to speedrun.
Here’s the deal: this hack is a lot of fun if you’re into puzzle levels. If you’ve played some SMW puzzle level or maybe a puzzle level in Mario Maker, this might be up your alley. There’s a lot of interesting vanilla and chocolate mechanics at play here for a really cool experience. The soundtrack is also phenomenal.
Again, you might’ve already read the breakdown of my speedrun already, so I’ve kept it brief. I love this ROM hack, and it’s my favorite of all time.
Conclusion
So, what do you think about this long talk about important games I’ve played? I’d greatly appreciate feedback on my posts! Thanks for reading, everyone.
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