Another 10 game month for me - been playing through a lot of shorter games lately. Seems like I've gone through a lot of fighters lately:

8/10/18 - Tales of Vesperia (360)
8/11/18 - Marvel Super Heroes (PS1)
8/11/18 - Deathsmiles (360)
8/17/18 - Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
8/18/18 - Mega Man 5 (NES)
8/22/18 - Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)
8/25/18 - Spec Ops: The Line (360)
8/26/18 - Bushido Blade (PS1)
8/30/18 - Super Street Fighter IV (PS3)
8/31/18 - River City Ransom (NES)

Best - I can't decide between Arkham Asylum or MGS. Both were essentially replays, but when compared to the rest this month I really enjoyed both the most. MGS was just an exceptional game when it released and I enjoyed it again this time around. Arkham Asylum is a great Metroidvania style of game done in 3D. If you were to make a Metroidvania in 3D, then Arkham Asylum is a great template to work off of. The free flowing fighting in the game was a blast as well.

Worst - I guess it would go to Bushido Blade? It's an interesting fighting game, but the controls just felt a little too clunky. I can see the appeal amongst the plethora of fighters out there, but it was fun to just go through it once and experience it.

The Rest -
I'm nearing the end of my quest to finish all the NES Mega Man games. 5 was fun and I enjoyed more than 4. I'm not sure what it was, but it may have been the level design and bosses that made it for me more than 4 did.
I was a little disappointed in Spec Ops: The Line. After hearing so many things about the game, I came in expecting something crazy and mind blowing, but I guess I was the one who set myself up for disappointment. It was a mediocre 3rd person cover shooter and the story didn't wow me or blow my mind.
Marvel Super Heroes was fun. I know that PS1 version isn't really the ideal version of this game to play, but with all the Marvel hoopla going around it was fun to play through this particular fighter.
Deathsmiles was good, nothing much to say more about it but it being a bullet hell shooter.
Super Street Fighter IV was much of an afterthought for me. I played the original Street Fighter IV many years ago back when it first released and I enjoyed it a lot. This was much more the same. Mechanically it is a very good fighter, but nothing really more for the casual fan.
River City Ransom was a blast to play. So much depth for a side scrolling beat-em up.
Tales of Vesperia was good, but does not take the mantle of my favorite Tales game of all time. I enjoyed it, but felt it dragged on a little bit in the end. The characters were enjoyable and I like the dynamic between the main character Yuri and his best friend, Flynn. 2 sides of the coin with the same vision. It's pretty much all what you would expect out of a Tales game. I know that many people would have this game as their favorite Tales game, but I still prefer both Symphonia and Xillia over this (I say this without having played any of the more recent Tales games).

So what's on tap for this month? I am currently going though Final Fantasy VIII on the PS1 and I absolutely love this game. It's just so amazing on how you can really break the game before even embarking on the main story. I'm also playing Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando and will hopefully finish Phantasy Star within this month.

I managed to finish the most games this month for the year (14). Alundra was a spill over and a majority of the games were on the shorter side:

7/1/18 - Alundra (PS1)
7/2/18 - Dead or Alive 5: Last Round (PS4)
7/3/18 - Dead or Alive 4 (360)
7/5/18 - Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 (Switch)
7/5/18 - Donkey Kong (NES)
7/8/18 - Banjo-Pilot (GBA)
7/9/18 - Mega Man 3 (NES)
7/9/18 - Donkey Kong Jr. (NES)
7/12/18 - Castlevania (NES)
7/12/18 - Lock n Chase (GB)
7/13/18 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (GB)
7/14/18 - Daffy Duck (GB)
7/24/18 - Speedy Gonzales (GB)
7/30/18 - Mega Man 4 (NES)

Best - Although a replay my favorite for this month has to be Mega Man 3. Second to Mega Man 2 as my favorite NES Mega Man, this game added a new gameplay mechanic to an already strong game. It was so much fun to play through it and to finally get a time logged in for it.

Worst - The 2 Looney Toon Game Boy games fall into this category. They are ok, mediocre platformers. Nothing special, but the controls are a little wonky at times.

The rest - Nothing too memorable here. However, Alundra was quite a disappointment for me. It has the spirit of Zelda, but the platforming... Sense of depth was an issue for me especially during those tough platforming sections. The music and story were very good, but I found myself struggling with the jumping in the game.

Managed to finish 10 games this month:

6/1/18 - Heavy Rain (PS3)
6/2/18 - Heavy Rain: The Taxidermist (PS3)
6/5/18 - Wario Land 4 (GBA)
6/7/18 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze (PS3)
6/10/18 - Super Mario Bros (Classic NES Series) (GBA)
6/16/18 - Lollipop Chainsaw (PS3)
6/18/18 - Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (PS4)
6/22/18 - Wild Guns: Reloaded (Switch)
6/24/18 - Detroit: Become Human (PS4)
6/28/18 - Mega Man 2 (NES)

Best: It's kind of hard to say. Heavy Rain was a replay and one that I enjoyed immensely the first time, the replay however... kind of lost it's luster, but The Taxidermist was fantastic. I guess I am going to have to go with Quantic Dream's other game - Detroit: Become Human. The story does have it's flaws, but it was a very cool experience and I enjoyed the different types of paths that can be taken to get to the end. However, this game is more of a one and done game, meaning that I will most likely not be replaying this game. Oh and there was also Mega Man 2... well because it's Mega Man 2 (my favorite Mega Man game out the NES ones).

Worst: Nothing really. All of the games I enjoyed.

The Rest: TMNT was fun for a short playthrough - in case you didn't know, this is a Metroidvania style game. Very basic and the controls are not that great, but it provided me with some mindless entertainment. Lollipop Chainsaw was also a fun, mindless hack n slash 3D action game. The story was pretty campy, but it was entertaining. Wild Guns: Reloaded was fun while it lasted, probably not worth the cost to get it on the SNES, but this is a great alternative. Shovel Knight was once again fantastic - although I felt that this was the weaker one out the 3 different versions. Wario Land 4 was short, but provided some fun gameplay. And of course SMB is sill the same ol' SMB.

As for what is coming up: Im currently on my way to kicking off the month of July with Alundra as I am really close to finally finishing it!

Another 7 games finished for this month - albeit most are on the short side, but I finished them nonetheless.

5/6/18 - Mega Man (NES)
5/9/18 - Little Nemo: The Dream Master (NES)
5/12/18 - Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 (GBA)
5/19/18 - Spyro the Dragon (PS1)
5/23/18 - Super Meat Boy (PS4)
5/27/18 - Fez (PS4)
5/27/18 - Ultimate Marvel vs Cacpom 3 (PS3)

Best: The only games that really stood out were both replays: Super Mario Advance 4: SMB3 and Super Meat Boy. I have played and finish these games in the past and really enjoyed them as I did back in the day. SMB3 is one of my favorite games of all time and I really enjoyed the GBA version of it. Super Meat Boy was a delight... difficult, but very satisfying and fun. For a platformer that requires precision, the controls are very tight and it plays very well.

Worst: There really wasn't a game I felt was really bad.

The Rest: Mega Man and Little Nemo were fun and I enjoyed playing these games. Fez has a good concept but it got kind of tiring as I went further into the game - even though it was short. I really liked Spyro the Dragon and completely finished the game collecting everything. I'm looking into getting the sequel. UMvC3 was a decent fighter, I realized that I'm not that much of a fan of fighters on the PS3 using the PS3 controller. I might look into getting a fight stick to play my fighters with on that platform.

I for one personally like the new concept idea. It does the job in helping keep times as accurate as possible per different platform differences.

To add another title to the pile...

Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions for the 3DS is vastly different from the PS3 and 360 counterparts. The 3DS version is a Metroid-vania styled game whereas the console ports are more of a 3D action/adventure game.

Here are a list of games that I’ve enjoyed thus far for the 3DS:

BoxBoy - eShop title. A fun puzzle platforming game that I enjoyed a lot.
Any of the Theatrhytmn Final Fantasy games - if you love the Final Fantasy soundtracks then this a must. A fun rhythm game.
Super Mario 3D Land - Mario is always a fun time. Plus the Tanooki suit is back
Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure. I loved the music in this game, but found the game a little repetitive. However, if you love Layton and rhythm games, then you might enjoy it.

This was a pretty productive month in terms of the number of games beaten - so far this month has been the most. I managed to complete a lot of shorter games this month.

4/2/18 - Lady Sia (GBA)
4/5/18 - WWF In Your House (PS1)
4/7/18 - Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (SNES)
4/10/18 - Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)
4/13/18 - Azure Striker Gunvolt (Switch)
4/19/18 - Final Fantasy IV Advance (GBA)
4/22/18 - Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
4/28/18 - Bastion (360)
4/28/18 - Ninja Gaiden Shadow (Game Boy)

Best: It's a toss up between FF IV Advance and Ninja Garden Shadow. Both games were good in their own right. I am really glad that I finally got to finish a rendition of Final Fantasy IV (II in the US). I played it back on the SNES and got to as far as the last dungeon, but never finished it. The game moves at a brisk pace and it was refreshing after playing through the more recent FF games as of late. Ninja Gaiden Shadow was a nice simple action platform game. Nothing too fancy, what you see is what you get. Not as hard as the original Ninja Gaiden on the NES, but it is very mechanically sound.

Worst: Lady Sia was a disappointment for me. I heard so much about the game being a hidden gem, but it was just average. The controls felt a little too stiff and sometimes unresponsive. You have the ability to gain magic attacks, but I couldn't even get the proper button commands to register in order to pull them off. The enemy and Lady Sia's hit boxes were weird and inconsistent. Often times I would get hit when I wasn't even close or when I would swing the sword and it would sometimes register a hit or sometimes not. The level design was pretty bland and obtuse at times. The music repetitive and uninspired. Overall a very mediocre game that I do not really have many good things to say about.

Detention (Switch) – Very cool title! Intriguing setting, and I enjoyed exploring a cultural landscape rarely found in media forms.
Human Resource Machine (iPad) – Programming-lite video game. By the makers of World of Goo.
Mario Kart 8 (Switch) – Still trying to 3 star all the 200cc tracks!
Sleeping Dogs (PS4) – What a surprisingly good game! I've been on the fence about this one for awhile, and jumped at the opportunity when it was on sale on PSN. Honestly, I enjoy it more than the GTA games. The story is very compelling, and has a consistent emotional resonance. Works great as a virtual tourism game as well!

I loved Sleeping Dogs! I too enjoyed more than GTA and really like how the game controls. The story was very compelling... if you're into movies you should check out Infernal Affairs. The Departed was based off this movie and I felt that the premise of Sleeping Dogs is similar to these movies.

Currently it would be Gravity Rush on PS4 (still sealed), my copy of Chrono Trigger on the SNES and Alundra on the PS1. I had quite a collection back in the day, but sold most of them when saving up for an engagement ring. It's been 7 years since and I've been slowly trying to rebuild my collection.

Only managed to finish 4 games this month due to other things taking priority. I once again hit the doldrums in the middle of the month but managed to salvage the month with 2 more game completions at the end.

3/2/18 - Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)
3/11/18 - Cuphead (Xbox One)
3/26/18 - Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
3/30/18 - Mario vs Donkey Kong (GBA)
3/31/18 - Portal (360)

Best: Obviously it has to go to Super Mario Odyssey. A fantastic gem on the Nintendo Switch. The game has plenty of things to do and provides great challenge. The game flows so well when collecting Moons in each hub world. Each world is unique and provides different types of challenges. It has clever world design with well hidden objectives. The option is there to collect as many Moons as you want and yet the game feels like it is constantly on the go and doesn't slow down. I enjoyed every minute of searching each hub world trying to find as many Moons as possible before moving on to the next world. It's a very lean game, with not much padding and fat. Just when I thought that Mario cannot get any better, this game comes in and takes it to the next level.

Worst: Well not technically that bad of a game, but due to the high quality of games I managed to finish this month it goes to Mario vs Donkey Kong. There really is nothing too wrong about it. It takes the best part of Donkey Kong 94 (GB) and expands on it a little more. My only really issue with the game are the controls - especially when in order to fully maximize the game you need to have great speed and precision. The fact that the controls sometimes get in the way of this, makes it a little frustrating.

As for the rest: Kingdom Hearts was fun to play through. The story was enjoyable until the end when it totally started to fly over my head a little bit. But it does do a good job in incorporating the two worlds of Final Fantasy and Disney. I did have some gripes with the camera controls though. I finished this game originally back in 2006, so this play through was really fresh for me.
Cuphead was fantastic as well. If not for Mario Odyssey, this would have been number 1. In any case, this game definitely falls in the top 3 of the year for me currently. Yes the game was pretty difficult, but it brought such an old-school feel to it. As difficult as it was, it was really fun and the game involves a lot of pattern realization. I've come to realize that I am a fan of these boss rush mode type of games.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish Final Fantasy IV Advance like I had originally planned. I'm not going to promise myself that I will finish it this month, so I'm just gonna go with the flow in April.

Edit: I managed to finish one more game on the last day of the month - Portal from The Orange Box on the 360. I got through it really quickly and as fun as it was, it didn’t really provide me with too much of a challenge. I was able to get through it in under 3 hours. It took me a bit to get oriented with using the portal gun but once I was able to wrap my head around the concept the rest was a breeze.

Steins;Gate... In particular the Kurisu Ending. By the time I reached this point of the game, I was so invested into the characters that this particular part of the game really hit me in the feels. I really enjoyed this VN and this was my favorite game I played last year.

Making my way through the first Kingdom Hearts (playing it on the PS2). About 10 hours in. The camera can get frustrating at times.
Also playing through Final Fantasy IV Advance. Never finished this game - I got as far as the final dungeon on the SNES but never saw it through. I’m here to rectify that.

Received my very first 3DS-family device today ! A New 2DS XL to be exact. It's so small and light ! I'll finally be able to play all the games I've got for that system but could never play ! Finally !

Any hidden gems or must play games for the DS or 3DS you guys would recommend ?

To piggyback off Ninja Ric - Monster Tale is a pretty good Metroidvania style game with a pet raising sim element to it from the same developers of Henry Hatsworth. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
I will also 2nd Ghost Trick - loved this game.
Dragon Quest V for the DS was great. I really loved the story of this game.
Hotel Dusk and it’s sequel The Last Window are good adventure/visual novel games.
If your into downloadable games, then check out BoxBoy and it’s sequel BoxBoxBoy. These are pretty good puzzle games.
One more to look into if you are into rhythm games is Rhythm Thief for the 3DS. I had mixed feelings about this game but most others I’ve talked to enjoyed it. It might be worth checking into if you like rhythm games.

Edit: I forgot to mention the games I picked up - Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 and Lego City Undercover for the Switch.
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future for the DS - to finally play and complete the first trilogy.

Just finished Cuphead not too long ago. Took me around 10 hours. A very challenging, yet enjoyable experience for me. It had that old school Mega Man, Contra type of feel to it. This game requires a lot of pattern memorization and patience. There were a few bosses which really frustrated me, but then there were times when I was just literally "in the zone" and flew threw a few. But for the most part the bosses and stages required a lot of trial and error.

With so many games out there to be played, do you end up replaying any previously completed/finished games or is it "one and done" and then move on to the next game?

Harmonia 02/16/18
Ghost Trick 02/24/18
Hatsukoi 1/1 02/27/18

Best: Ghost Trick hands down. Great game even if the mechanics get a little grating at times. The story at the end is worth it.

Worst: None of the games this month were really "bad" I would say, but Hatsukoi 1/1 was definitely the most inconsistent. One route was excellent, two routes were pretty good, and then two routes were absolute garbage... so it really was a mixed bag.

Ghost Trick was fantastic. I enjoyed this game immensely. I loved the characters and felt it had some good character development. I especially loved the character animations with my favorite being Inspector Canabela. I only wished that they introduced a certain game mechanic a little earlier in the game rather than in the final third of the game.
The story was a little nonsensical but when you are dealing Ghosts and Spirits and such, things can get on the weirder side of things, but I still enjoyed it.

I was going at a pretty good pace earlier this month, but then hit a lull in the middle. A little disappointed in myself because I could have finished more, but c'est la vie.

2/3/18 - Professor Layton and Curious Village (DS)
2/5/18 - Oxenfree (Xbox One)
2/8/18 - Tailspin (NES)
2/9/18 - Ninja Gaiden (NES)
2/22/18 - Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)

Best: It's pretty hard to actually pick a best game out of this bunch as I wasn't totally enamored with one particular game. However, I did enjoy the first Layton game. Having only finished The Last Specter a few years ago, it was quite refreshing to play the first entry. With the second game, the story kind of went off the rails a bit at the end and I felt some of the puzzles were repeated from the first game. Maybe I should have given myself more time in between the two.

Worst: Out of these games, it falls to Tailspin for the NES. The controls just didn't really feel right for a side-scrolling SHUMP. Very rigid and pretty difficult. It took me a couple of tries to even finish the game and used my fair share of continues. The last boss of the game was a real challenge for me.

As for the rest: Ninja Gaiden was difficult but very rewarding when I finally managed to finish it. It was basically through sheer perseverance that I was able to finally complete it. What I really loved about this game was the cutscenes and the story telling. It was a pretty amazing feat in what they were able to accomplish on the NES. The game was hard - especially the final stage, but yet with memorization you too can get through this game. It just might take a while.
Oxenfree was pretty forgettable to me. I wasn't really into it and did not really care much for the characters or the story for that matter. The presentation was nice, but I just really couldn't get into this "Indie Darling."
I mentioned briefly my thoughts on Diabolical Box... like I said, I think I should have given myself some time in between.

With that being said though I am currently actively looking for a cheap copy of Professor Layton and the Unwound Future so that I can finish off the first Layton Trilogy.

As for this upcoming month, I am currently playing through Super Mario Odyssey and plan on finishing that for March. I'm also in the midst of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy IV Advance. So the plan will to finish all of those by the end of March.

I played the remake sometime last year, and I started out really enjoying it. The gameplay started out fun, the art style was great, the story was decent, and the different perspectives through varying timelines for the overall story, was an interesting approach.

My overall problem with the game was that the farther I got into the game, the gameplay just became less and less fun, and having to go through all the repeated levels with all the characters made the game feel like a grind just to see the story progress, and just thinking about it now, a majority of the story is forgettable to me right now.

A low, 6/10

I have to agree with you in terms of the repetitiveness as you progress through the game. I finished the PS2 version in 2012 and I enjoyed the beautiful artwork and 5 different storyline perspectives, but the repetitive combat and recycling of the environments and bosses took away from the overall experience for me.

I am debating on whether to replay this game on the PS4 for this discussion, just in case my opinion changes with the PS4/Vita version as it has been 5+ years since I last played it.

Ah... a new year. This month I managed to finish:

1/9/18 - Persona 3 (PS2)
1/11/18 - Mega Man X4 (PS1)
1/12/18 - Popeye (NES)
1/12/18 - Adventures of Lolo (NES)
1/17/18 - Grim Fandango Remastered (Vita)
1/22/18: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (GBA)
1/27/18: Prince of Persia (2008) (PS3)

Best: Persona 3 for sure. This game took me 92 hours to finish and was a spillover from last year. I was so glad that I was able to go through this game after 2 failed attempts over the past 7 years. I enjoyed the story and really loved the individual stories told through the various Social Links (although some were depressing). That soundtrack though was phenomenal. I loved how that last month of the game in particular gave off a totally different vibe just by the music. Oh and that last boss music was just fantastic. Overall, a great game and I am currently looking into playing Persona 4 next, but maybe after a little break.

Worst: It's not really the worst, but considering the various games finished this month, this dubious honor goes to Popeye for the NES. Not so much for the fact that it was bad, but more so for it being basic. I mean, it is an arcade game so there really isn't much to it. In case you are wondering, my play time for the game is based off of one go through of the 3 main stages.

In terms of the rest:
Grim Fandango was a joy to play through. I particularly loved the dialogue although, the puzzles can get a little obtuse.
Mega Man X4 was fun. I loved the addition of playing through the game as Zero (which I ended up doing for my playthrough). It was different and presented an interesting challenge with the close quarters combat. The original Mega Man X game on the SNES and this are my favorite out of the X bunch so far. I recently purchased X5 and plan on playing it rather soon.
Adventures of Lolo was enjoyable. The puzzles did get more challenging at the end. This was a game that has eluded my games beaten list for so long.
Prince of Persia (2008) wasn't all too bad. It did feel rather repetitive and the combat was definitely lacking (I found myself doing the same combos over and over again).
Zelda II was a favorite of mine growing up and I honestly forgot how hard this game can be. Despite the drastic change from the original Zelda, I still enjoyed it. However, whoever thought that giving Link a finite amount of lives needs to get out.

So what's on tap for this month? I'm currently playing through Professor Layton and the Curious Village (which my son calls "The Puzzle Game."), Oxenfree, Kingdom Hearts, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Talespin, and TMNT: Danger of the Ooze.

I would like to nominate Puppeteer for the PS3.

Just put the finishing touches on Zelda II: The Adventures of Link on the GBA (The NES Classics Version). I enjoyed my time with the game (through nostalgia-rose colored glasses). I forgot how difficult the game was since it's been a while. The whole idea of lives in a Zelda game is a little off-putting, but through trial and error I was able to get the hang of things rather quickly.

Ooh what are your thoughts so far? I absolutely love the Danganronpa series

I'm curious to hear what it is about the Danganronpa series that most people love so much. I've played the first one last year, but I think I hyped myself up too much and ended up being just slightly disappointed. I think I was just expecting too much out of it. I have the 2nd and will play through it, but this time I will be going into it with reasonable expectations.

there were many games that I finished, but never really got a time for. So for me, I plan on replaying all of those games to get an accurate time stamp.

Is that an OCD thing or?

Yeah pretty much. I just can't stand seeing my completed games list without an accurate time stamp. It's a really problem. Lol.

I'm weird in my own way too. For me, my ultimate goal is to put a time stamp on every game I beat. I only started logging in my time starting in 2011 and fortunately for me I have a few save files with times on them and used them for past games. However, there were many games that I finished, but never really got a time for. So for me, I plan on replaying all of those games to get an accurate time stamp. So I kind of understand what you are going through, although I'm not really trying to go for 100% completion. In terms of trying to estimate my time, I'd rather not because I like my times to be accurate to the second (and that includes after the credits roll). I do focus a lot more on my backlog rather than replay games, but I tend to replay games a little bit here and there. Ultimately it's up to you to decide if you are ok with estimated times or if you prefer the more accurate times.

I'm currently playing Persona 3, Grim Fandango Remastered and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

I'm on the final boss of Persona 3. It's a freakin long battle. I got up to the last form and then all of sudden it charmed one of my characters and they ended up fully healing the boss! Suffice to say, I turned off the game right there and now need to refocus for another long battle. I hope to finish this game by this week and then move on to either Kingdom Hearts or Tales of Vesperia as my next RPG to play.

As for the other 2 games, I just barely started both of them and haven't got much to say about them.