New Rally-X (360): COMPLETED!
Yes, I am well aware that it’s one of those goes-on-forever games, but the thing is, it has 12 Achievements. And I Achieved the last two of them today: get over 100,000 points (which for some reason isn’t listed on my score table, even though the achievement itself is – bizarre) and Complete Stage 16. So I’ve never managed to “do” all of the achievements on any 360 games before, and then I do two in three days. Ace.
Sensible Soccer 2006 (Xbox)
The other game was this. And I’m not really sure what to make of it. On one hand, it’s really trying to be a new Sensible Soccer. On the other, it just seems wrong. Where it works: simple controls, similar pace of game, same menus, same game “feel”. Where it doesn’t: camera angle is wrong. Two buttons? Wrong. No widescreen, borders top and bottom too. 3D players don’t fit. It isn’t a bad game, by any means, it just isn’t …
Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast (Xbox)
Well, Ye Olde Xbox got dusted off today so I could play two games I bought over Christmas as they were cheap. First up was this. It’s basically Outrun 2, but with the Outrun 2SP levels in addition, and a new single player mode. And it’s lovely. Just as lovely as Outrun 2 was, only more so. Played Arcade Mode for a bit, and reached goals A, B and C (and failed D), then went into Mission Mode (or whatever …
Super Castlevania IV (Wii)
And now I’m on Level 8. Well, Stage 8, or whatever they call them, anyway. The boss at the end of stages 6 and 7 were not especially difficult. Well, the one on 6 (some ghost dancers) was tricky, but each time you died you could pick up a replacement life, so it didn’t actually matter. I got to the boss at the end of Stage 7 with no spare lives, but luckily managed to kill him on my first …
Super Castlevania IV (Wii)
It turned out the spinny room was solved by just holding on for longer, as a platform eventually appeared. I’d obviously just got impatient and tried something else. I got to the boss at the end of the level (Death wasn’t it, it seems), who was a big golum thing that shrank every time he was hit. Thankfully, he was really easy, as I didn’t have much health (and no energy) when I got to him. So Level 6, and …
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)
Decided to try and level up a few times before attempting Death again, and also found some Chain Mail (which was better than my armour at the time), and realised that equipping two Cursed Rings would boost my strength and defense hugely (although my luck would drop – not important for a boss fight though, I don’t think). I also found a HP Max upgrade too, which would help. It still took me five or so goes to kill Death, …
New Rally-X (360)
Another achievement! This one was for completing Level 12. That leaves me with just two – one for completing Level 16, and one for getting 100,000 points. If I’m careful, both should be easily achievable. It is getting rather hard now though, as some of the cars now start further up the “map”, rather than them all starting at the bottom (and, most importantly, behind you), so they’re harder to keep track of. Loads of boulders in the way don’t …
Ms. Pac-Man (360)
Level 21 get! More achievements get! Higher score failed! Those later levels get a bit hard, don’t they? Everything seems to move far too quickly, and the power pills do nothing at all. But I got to level 21 which was my goal on it for today, so that was alright.
Super Castlevania IV (Wii)
Got through the level I was on without too many problems this time. I’m not keen on the Indiana Jones style whip swinging, however, as I tend to let go at the wrong time and die. The end of level boss was a two headed dragon. Like the two headed dragon in Circle of the Moon. Sort of. A bit. With the aid of my axes, I killed it without even getting hit, on my first go, which was good. …
Super Mario Bros (Wii)
Grr. Still can’t get past 8-4. It’s not that it’s especially difficult, it just seems that I lose most of my lives on 8-1 before I can get there.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)
Aha! I think the rivers of acid bit was the wrong route to take, as I found another way to go today, into some sort of warehouse or something. And there, so my dismay, I found Irritating and Unnecessary Gaming Cliche #2 – crate puzzles. GAH! How many games must people RUIN with crate puzzles? And why are they always actually crates? Surely other things could be used instead? Broken Sword 3 and Lost in Blue both had game-almost-breaking crate …
Viva Pinata (360): COMPLETED!
Right, before I start I really should qualify my “completed” status thing for this game. Yeah, so I haven’t done every last thing possible (yet), but I have had every single pinata resident at some point, and – most importantly – I have not gained all 1000 points worth of achievements. That’s 50/50 achievements. All of them. So I can take that as “complete”, seeing as there’s not really another way of completing it, is there? Well, aside from the …
Viva Pinata (360)
And I’m now on Level 90. There really isn’t a whole lot left to do, I don’t think. Master Romanced Lickatoads (which I thought I’d done already, but obviously not), and Macaracoons, and also found all the variants for both species. Apparently, 108 is the maximum level you can get to. I have no idea how I’ll get that far with so little else to do, though.
New Year, and stuff
And so begins 2007. I’m not the sort of person who makes resolutions, for several reasons. Firstly because too many resolutions are simply not going to be kept. You say you’ll do it, and you don’t. Secondly, why start a new year in order to give something up or start something new? If you want to stop smoking, just stop. Or try and stop, anyway. Don’t wait until New Year to make a start. Finally, there’s nothing I want to …