My 5 Favourite Games of 2021

…And finally we have my Top 5 favourite games that I played in 2021!

 

My Retrogame Handhelds Collection - Part 2

      

       Seven months on… and I’m back. This time with Part 2 of my Retro handheld showcase! If you need to refresh yourself with the devices looked at previously, you can click HERE to check out my earlier article.

 

My 5 Favourite Games of 2020

 

Finally we have my 5 favourite games of 2020!

 

Once again, these aren’t all games that were actually released in 2020 or my advice as to what the best games currently out there are. This is simply a list of 5 games that I most enjoyed playing this year and have sunk the most time into - and as you can see from this list I have played a lot of games this year!

My Retro Game Handhelds Collection

     For as long as I can remember I have always loved the idea of having the choice to play loads of different games on a single device. Probably the earliest instance of this was the time when I borrowed a dodgy bootleg 50-in-1 GameBoy cartridge from a friend back in school. Back then, even when playing Super Mario Land I was amazed at the amount of game that could fit in a small 6cm x 6cm bit of plastic. So then being able to choose from 50 different games on a single cartridge utterly blew my simple little mind.

My Switch Peripherals Collection

     I love my Nintendo Switch. Whilst it’s far from being the ‘perfect’ console it’s just so damn versatile, with the massive library of games available for it (old and new, triple A and indie), coupled with what you can do with a hacked unit makes it so appealing. There is something there for everyone.

 

      I’ve had it for probably less than a year now and during that time have accrued a rather unwieldy amount or peripherals and extras for the console – both good and bad – so I thought it would be interesting do a rundown.

 

      So here we go:

The Finely Balanced Mechanics of Cuphead

       I started shoot’em-up Cuphead back when I first got my Switch but inevitably put it to one side it due to its high difficulty and the fact that I had loads of other games to try out on the system.
      However recently I’ve been giving it another go and slowly making my way through it.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill - Effective in its Simplicity

      Lonely Mountains: Downhill is surprisingly effective in its simplicity. You start at the top of a mountain and you downhill bike to the bottom. It’s simple and uncluttered both in its graphics and user interface and the controls are intuitive and responsive.

Telling Lies - A Unique Narrative Delivery

     Telling Lies is the kind of game you can only truly experience once. You could argue that’s the case for most games with your first playthrough but here this statement is accurate in the fullest sense. If you are interested in immersive narrative experiences, visual novel style games and have some degree of patience in watching copious amounts of video footage then I absolutely recommend you give this a go blind as the authentic experience of it depends on knowing absolutely nothing going in.

Old School Puzzles To A Fault - Monster Boy And the Cursed Kingdom

     I was initially a bit confused between Monster Boy and The Cursed Kingdom and another game Wonder Boy and The Dragon’s Trap. Both appear to be 2D action platformers where the central character can transform into a variety of animal forms. Though the art style differs, the covers look very similar in design.

Timespinner - SOTN Lite?

       I’ve just finished Timespinner - a metroidvania indie game that’s been out for a couple of years now. Much of the buzz around the game was how much it pays tribute to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and having played this they certainly weren’t wrong.

Three Quirky Indie Games

       I’ve been playing a ton of Switch games recently and thought I would share a couple of recommended quirky titles. These aren’t exclusive to Switch - I’m pretty sure they are all available on Steam and other consoles/platforms too - and each game comes recommended in their own individual ways.

Kacho On! - Game Center CX

     So I recently signed up to Twitch in order to support my buddy by adding viewership to his streams. Whilst I have been aware of the existence of Twitch as a platform for a while, I’ve not really checked it out until now.

      And I think I’ve opened pandoras box…

Celeste - Motivation Through Mechanics

     I’ve been playing through a lot of indie games recently on the Switch, one of which has been Celeste. Although I’ve had it for ages I’ve only now just picked it up to play properly.

Pantsu Hunter - Innocence and Nostalgia

      Pantsu Hunter: Back to the 90’s does an odd thing – it gives you a hearty dose of nostalgia despite its - on the face of it at least - seemingly perverted premise.

     Ok, you’re going to have to hear me out on this one.

My Top 5 Games of 2013

      Let’s do this before we get too far into January!

      I was toying with doing a Top 10 but am kind of pressed for time so… here’s my Top 5 favourite games of the year!

      These aren’t necessarily games that were released in 2013 – just ones I played during that year and completed.

      Oh and before you ask “where’s (insert game here)…”, I didn’t get to play GTAV, The Last of Us, Assassin’s Creed IV or finish Telltale’s The Walking Dead… or anything else you think I may have missed, so that’s why they aren’t included. I’ll do some special mentions afterwards too to see what else could have been in if there was a Top 10.

      If you are interested in 2012 and 2011’s best games lists, just click HERE or HERE.

      Anyway, here are my Top 5 games that I played this year.

Cult For The Sake Of Cult - Deadly Premonition - The Director's Cut

        Some games I just can’t get into.

        I got half way through Borderlands 2 before I realized I was just repeating the same things over and over again and that I was wasting my time. I fared even worse with Skyrim - made it all the way to the first village but ended up being shanked to death by the townsfolk just because I had killed one of their chickens…

        I just didn't feel like it deserved my time.

How I Decide Which Games Are Worth Playing

        Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve written anything – the main reason being my taking time to steadily work through my huge backlog of games. Bought, borrowed and rented, they have been piling up on my table, begging to be played. I like to give each game the attention it deserves, so rarely do I play through more than one game at time – only moving onto the next once I have played through their story at least once and watched all those names roll up the screen.

Dishonored - A Game of Choice

        Despite coming out last year, I’ve only just got around to playing Dishonored – and I’m pleased to say that it is a rare gem of a game.

        The kind you immediately start playing again right from the beginning as soon as you finish it. And I don't mean that in a ‘New Game Plus’ kind if way either. Literally, from scratch - to do things differently and to make different choices.

PS4 Officially Announced!

        During Sony’s ‘special announcement’ last night, as speculated, the PlayStation 4 console has been officially announced!

Top Ten Games of 2012

 

        Merry Christmas to one and all!

        For a bit of holiday cheer, check out my Top Ten Games of 2012!