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September 2021 – Ranking My Backlog
I got so busy with life since I last made a list at the start of July, that I actually didn’t get a chance to play a single game these last 2 months. Not just from my backlog, I didn’t play ANYTHING. So let’s try again. I removed some of the “horror/spooky” type games from July and expect them to revisit the list next month, I figure I can wait another month for October before I try to play them.
So what do I say is a Backlogged game? My definition is: A game that I bought more than 6 months ago, but I’ve owned it less than 3 years. I consider something shorter than that time-span to be too recent of a pick-up to be in a backlog. Anything longer than 3 years from when I purchased, I consider to be a “shelved” game, and less likely to get played after sitting so long while my pile of games keeps getting larger.
Here are the Top 10 Games in my current Backlog that I would like to play soon…
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
September Update: My interest in this really shot up over the past couple of weeks because I think it would be rather simple and easy to play and get through.
I played the original Link’s Awakening on the GameBoy when I was a kid, and I got pretty close to the end. Unfortunately a glitch occurred that got me stuck on a statue and I couldn’t move, I stupidly did “Save & Quit”, and was forever stuck there, I never finished the game. This seems like a smooth, fun game to play with not much stress or hassle and I’ve always been a fan of top-down Zeldas. This game almost seems forgotten on the Switch, but I’d like to get to it because I could probably enjoy it and complete it much faster than some of the other games here.
Y’s VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
I’ve heard about the Y’s series for decades but never gave much attention to it. However when I saw Y’s VIII on the PS4 I thought it looked pretty good, I almost picked it up but I held off for it to come to the Switch. I bought the Collector’s Edition at launch, then it shot up in price, so instead of opening it, I bought the standard, then that shot up in price, and instead of opening it, I bought the digital for $23! Now Y’s IX is about to release!! I need to play this! I have only heard good things about it.
Yakuza 0 / The Yakuza Series
I’m already breaking the “rules” of a backlog game, because this is a game I got a little over 4 years ago, so why did I include it? Because I have also bought Yakuza 6, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza Remastered Collection and Yakuza Like A Dragon over the last 4 years and played NONE of them. So some of these games “qualify” under my backlog rules, I feel like I can’t play those before starting at the beginning of the story, with Yakuza 0. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this series even since the PS3/PS2 days and it seems like my kind of game.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Dragon’s Crown, Muramasa and Odin Sphere are the only games I’ve played by VanillaWare and I thought all 3 were unique and special. VanillaWare is one of those developers I occasionally check their Wiki page to see what projects they’re working on, I had seen 13 Sentinels in development for a while and when it released, I got picked it up with the intent of making time to play some day soon. I’m confident this is going to be a great game that slid under everyone’s radar last year. This should probably be higher in my list
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The Nintendo Switch Pro is Unnecessary in 2021
To start off, I’d like to say that IF Nintendo did release a Switch Pro in 2021, I would be excited for it, I would pre-order it and pick it up on day one. The point that I’m making here though is that not only is it unnecessary for a 2021 release, I actually think it would be more damaging to Nintendo’s business/profits than if Nintendo waited another year.
Cannablism
The Nintendo Switch has been the best selling console for 31 months straight, Nintendo would be foolish to interfere in any way that could drop the appeal of a Nintendo Switch right now. When the holiday season rolls around, the Playstation 5 and XBox Series X will almost definitely still be the most in-demand consoles, but the Switch will likely be the most available, which potentially means it might still rule the holiday season.
If Nintendo were to announce a Switch Pro, or release a Switch Pro before the end of the year, of course interest will be very high, maybe even surpassing the XSX or the PS5. But it’s almost guaranteed to have supply issues similar to the competitors, while simultaneously making the regular Switch less desirable and potentially killing most interest in the Lite altogether if the regular Switch is forced to take a price cut. I don’t see how the Switch or Switch Lite could keep the same momentum with the Pro out on the market, and it seems like Nintendo would be unnecessarily cutting their lives short, to roll out the Pro, which may not even have a reason to exist yet.
2021’s Lack of Releases
E3 2021 showed the not so well kept secret, but the pandemic has affected development time for a lot of games and compared to past years, we aren’t getting many new games in 2021 for any of the consoles. Due to the lack of big titles coming to the PS5 and XSX in Q3 and Q4, I don’t think Nintendo needs to fear losing relevancy yet. Even so, a Switch Pro would likely be comparable to the power of maybe a PS4, or XB1S, so it really only needs to look at what games are coming to PS4 and XB1 in 2021 (non-exclusive) to see what we’re missing out because of a lack of a Pro.
- Back 4 Blood – While it looks like a fun game, it is primarily focused on online multiplayer which is not a strength of the Switch and when given the choice, would likely buy on another platform than Switch. This doesn’t seem like anything that people would preference for their Switch
- Battlefield 2042 – This falls in a similar situation as Back 4 Blood, but this game would probably be even more demanding of near flawless performance and who knows how probable that would be for the Switch Pro to deliver on.
- Dying Light 2 – I barely played the first Dying Light, it didn’t seem bad though, and I would pick this up on a Switch Pro and I could see this being preferential for a lot of people over the PS4 or XB1, but the PS5/XSX would likely be the most preferred console because those owners are thirsty for something to play
- Far Cry 6 – Pretty much the exact situation as Dying Light 2
- Rainbow Six Extraction – As with the other multiplayer games, this just doesn’t seem like it would be desirable for the Pro
- Sports (EA) – I know there is a long list of reasons Madden is garbage, but yes, I would buy it on Switch or Switch Pro on Day 1. I don’t know if EA would even bring it to a Pro, seeing as they never brought Madden to the regular Switch, although EA is more friendly with Nintendo these days and they would just have to port over the PS4 version, so maybe.
July 2021 – Ranking My Backlog
My Backlog of games is so out of control that I’ve decided to create a specific definition of what a “Backlogged Game”, and I’m also going to rank the games in my Backlog that I’m most interested in playing. Each month I will create a new list, hopefully having played a few of the ones from the month prior and cleared some space for new entries. I need some organization and structure to tackle this Backlog.
So what do I say is a Backlogged game? My definition is: A game that I bought more than 6 months ago, but I’ve owned it less than 3 years. I consider something shorter than that time-span to be too recent of a pick-up to be in a backlog. Anything longer than 3 years from when I purchased, I consider to be a “shelved” game, and less likely to get played after sitting so long while my pile of games keeps getting larger.
Here are the Top 10 Games in my current Backlog that I would like to play soon…
Luigi’s Mansions 3
I’m a huge fan of the Luigi’s Mansion series and still have not managed to put any time into this game despite buying it at release. This is the game I want to play the most that’s in my backlog, but I keep hesitating because I feel it’s an “October/Halloween” game. I might have to ignore that feeling and just finally play it
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
I love the Castlevania series, and like to see people do their own independent thing, this was a project I actually gave money to when it was in the kickstarter phase. I was excited to play at release, but held off due to performance issues that would be fixed in a later patch. By the time the patch came out, I was buried in other things to be able to play. Like Luigi’s, this has also been kinda pushed off as a October/Halloween game, and again I should just ignore that.
Y’s VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
I’ve heard about the Y’s series for decades but never gave much attention to it. However when I saw Y’s VIII on the PS4 I thought it looked pretty good, I almost picked it up but I held off for it to come to the Switch. I bought the Collector’s Edition at launch, then it shot up in price, so instead of opening it, I bought the standard, then that shot up in price, and instead of opening it, I bought the digital for $23! Now Y’s IX is about to release!! I need to play this! I have only heard good things about it.
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Pato Box
Punch-Out!! is one of my favorite franchises of all-time and it simply doesn’t have enough entries in the series or games that try to copy it’s formula. When I found out about Pato Box, it looked like Punch-Out!! with a Mad World-esque art style, I was very interested.
You play as a boxing Duck that just lost a fixed fight, and you are out for revenge against your management team/mob that backstabbed you and set you up to lose. The story is kinda goofy, but you can tell the developer had fun creating it. As you go through the Casino’s floors you will have to punch office chairs into a storage room, dodge gigantic swinging blades, play some casino games and navigate various other situations to spread out the fights. I respect the attempt at a campaign and some of the puzzles, and again, the goofiness is a bit entertaining, but any puzzles and challenges mechanics are similar to what you’ve seen in many games before.
My biggest complaints and problems with the game unfortunately is the fighting. There are 6 fighters, a machine (which is like a rhythm based fight) and a final boss that replays all previous fighters Shang Tsung style. This is by far the most important aspect of the game, and the controls are simply not responsive enough to handle the dodging and quick strikes that are necessary for a boxing game like this. Some of the opponents also had inconsistencies in their recovery time for attacks, they would throw a barrage of power punches and miss, but the opportunity for me to counter them never opened up, sometimes missing a combo didn’t phase them. I can appreciate the attempt here, but I simply would not recommend this to anyone unless they are truly dying for another Punch-Out!! type of game. I grew a whole new appreciation for Punch-Out!! after playing this.
- Interested because of the unique art style and I’m a Punch-Out!! fan
- Made it to the final boss (which is just replaying all of the previous fights) and didn’t feel like finishing.
- Got stuck on some fights, but finished through trial and error
- Felt like the controls weren’t as responsive as they needed to be
- Physical Limited Edition [Asia Import – PLAYasia Exclusive] (Switch)
- Digital Copy (Switch)
Yoshi’s Crafted World
Crafted World is a casually fun 2D platformer with a vast amount of hidden items and reasons to replay each level. Besides your standard red coin and flower collectibles, after completion the levels are flipped and played in reserve with a task to chase down hidden Poochy Pups. To add even more, you’re given a scavenger hunt of unique items to find in each level when you’re all done, it’s impossible to 100% a level in one play through. These hidden collectibles are the main draw of the game and is where you’ll find most of the challenge.
The platforming, combat and boss fights are fairly simple, the game is very laid back as previous Yoshi’s and Kirby games are. The level design is well done, but being able to hover jump infinitely undermines some of the maps. The game’s creativeness shines in the crafting styles, everything in the game looks like a hand crafted diorama project, it’s very charming. The music is repetitive and mostly the same recycled tunes, but the level’s actually have a good amount of variety, controlling a giant “mech”-Yoshi, Jet-Planes, Race Cars, and other ways that change up the gameplay. I very much enjoyed this game, it’s the only Yoshi I’ve ever beaten, and my favorite of the non-Island Yoshis.
- Played it consistently for the first few weeks after release until completing the campaign
- 100% completed close to half of the levels, I’ve collected over 350 flowers
- Only played the first couple worlds of Yoshi’s Wooly World and hadn’t played Yoshi’s Story until 2019
- I believe Yoshi’s Crafted World is the best non-Island Yoshi game.
- Physical Copy
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey delivers greatness that goes right alongside the best games in the franchises’s history. I personally believe Super Mario Odyssey is the best game available on the Switch. The worlds are stuffed with moons to find and other challenges to do. After “beating” a world, more content unlocks within that world, and when you beat the game, even more content is added to those worlds. This is probably the largest Mario game ever.
There are no regular power-ups, no fire flowers, no raccoon leaf’s etc, but you use your hat to possess over 50 different things. These possessions fill the void of no power-ups, as they will enable you to do abilities like fly and shoot fire among other things. The range of abilities, puzzles, platforming and the large amount of content are everything a Mario fan would want. This is a must-have for all Switch owners.
- Super Mario series is my favorite game series/franchise
- I’ve beaten every Super Mario game
- I own all of the mainline Mario games
- Picked this up at launch, took me a little over 2 months to beat the main campaign. I recently picked it back up to do the post-game content and finished the final-final level. I still have about 400 Moons to get!
- Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) – Physical
Bomb Chicken
With a retro style, a creative concept and a familiar feel, Bomb Chicken seems like a hit early on. You play as a bomb laying chicken that stacks and kicks bombs to maneuver through the levels and solve puzzles. While the mechanics feel like a mix of other older games, I don’t believe there is anything else like it.
In the first half of the game, I thoroughly enjoyed the challenges and clearing each level. I was actually thinking this game had 5/5 potential. But as I reached later levels, I started to encounter flaws in the level design and mechanics. Some of the later levels challenges relied more on luck, being thrown into a room full of hazards while trying to open a timed gate seemed nearly impossible. I knew I’d eventually get it, but I also felt like my strategy wasn’t bad, my skill wasn’t poor, it was just too much for the limited abilities of the Bomb Chicken. When I’d finally clear these later challenges, I only felt like I “finally” got lucky that things worked out in my favor.
The game is still a fun experience, it’s not expensive and it’s not long either. The end levels exposed some weakness, and left me with an “average” feeling but I’d still recommend it to those interested in it.
- Purchased it at launch for $14.99
- Played it periodically over a 6 month time frame
- Beat all of the levels, but did not 100% it, nor do I want to
- Took under 5 hours to beat all the levels
- Bomb Chicken (Switch) – Digital
Nintendo Switch: Year 2 In Review
The Nintendo Switch just finished it’s 2nd Year of availability, and it is undoubtedly a huge success. We continue to hear about the device breaking sales records and it seems like every week new games and more support are announced. But besides sales, how was Year 2 for the Switch? I wanted to go back and Grade the releases by Nintendo, the support and releases by Third Parties, the Indies games released, and the Services and Systems Updates the system got throughout the year.
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NBA 2K19: Money Over Everything
I’m not the best 2K player, but I do feel like my progress, and my enjoyment is being crippled by a greed to sell me microtransactions with in-game currency. The game has become a grind. I did not play much of the 2K series from 2K6 – 2K17, only a few hours from a couple of them. Last year however, I put in over 150 hours into NBA 2K18. I became aware of the grind for VC (Virtual Currency) then, but it appears to be even worse in 2K19.
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Has-Been Heroes
Early on, winning battles and progressing through the game feels rewarding, it kept me coming back to the game for more. However I hit a wall early on and still after 10 hours of play, I’m only able to get deep into a battle with the 2nd Boss. The formula and challenge of Rogue-like games is to teach players to master the game through trial and error until they can beat it without dying. After those 10 hours, I no longer felt reward and began to feel I was wasting my time, even if I was slowly improving at the game.
Maybe I’m bad at Has-Been Heroes, but there is still something to appreciate here. I personally however don’t think this game was worth the money or the time. I only picked this up because there wasn’t anything else early on in the Switch’s life. My opinion on this game has gone down as more time has passed.
- One of my first experiences with a Rogue-like (not a fan)
- I enjoy strategy games, so that’s why I had some fun with this early on
- This was one of the first Switch titles, and I only picked it up and gave it a strong chance because I was desperate for Switch games to play. I would’ve never shown interest in this any other time in the Switch’s life. I’ll probably never play it again
- Has-Been Heroes (Switch) – First Print
thegamerpad 