2014 Games Recap

Something I've done on this blog for the past few years, if the only constant this blog has going for it, is recapping what games I've played and beaten over the course of the previous year. Today being March 3, my recap of 2014 is a bit late. However I had not forgotten, just lazy. And rather be playing games. To my reader out there, no, this is not done by memory. Over the course of the year I keep track of what I play, and mark it when I beat it.

Which gets into my rules, as I always post before continuing with my list. Nothing has changed, but my rules must still be stated for clarity. All games on the list were played at some point during 2014, though not necessarily started in 2014. All games were played for at least one hour. Games in bold have been finished. Games without endings are still listed. Finished does not mean 100% completed, however any games that met those requirements will be notched with a *. Finally, any game having been beaten before, and therefore not my first playthrough, will be notched with a ^.

A side note I would like to point out, is that while these games are listed by system, the order by which they are listed within each is the order I started them in. Just something that came with being more attentive to my play list.

Nintendo DS: Played 1 - Beat 1
Final Fantasy III

 Nintendo 3DS: Played 7 - Beat 0
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Tomodachi Life
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Fantasy Life

Nintendo Wii: Played 2 - Beat 0
Final Fantasy VI
Super Castlevania IV

PlayStation Portable: Played 4 - Beat 2
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV: Interlude
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Final Fantasy V
Persona 3 Portable

Nintendo Wii U: Played 16 - Beat 4
Super Mario World
Super Metroid^
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker*^
NES Remix 
Mario Kart 8 
1001 Spikes
Child of Light
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Unepic
Castlevania
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance^
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow^
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Wii U

Xbox 360: Played 22 - Beat 6
Spelunky
Fallout 3^
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons*
Miner Dig Deep
Zuma's Revenge!
Outland
Alice: Madness Returns
The Bridge
SSX
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD
Deadlight
Sonic Generations
Dark Souls
Saints Row IV
Peggle 2
Borderlands (DLC)
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair^
Grand Theft Auto V*^
Banjo-Kazooie
Mass Effect 2
Bastion
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night^

Total: Played 52 - Beat 13

Compared to prior years, the ratio of played to beat is pretty bad. Only one quarter of all games played during 2014 ended up getting beat. And over half of those beaten were in series of games I have been working on completing (Final Fantasy and Castlevania). On the bright side (I think?), I played more games than last year, which could be why not as many were finished, percentage-wise.

Of note, I finished off Final Fantasy III, which I totally forgot happened in 2014. That was a major stepping stone in continuing my quest to play through every Final Fantasy game, in order. Two more main-line Final Fantasy games were beaten in 2014, not even including most of Final Fantasy VI as well, which was finished shortly into 2015. You may have also noted that in the PSP section, I stated only 4 were played, and 2 beat, yet those do not match what is listed. For clarification, I beat Final Fantasy IV: Interlude, but being a 2 hour literal interlude, do not count as a full game. I do consider Final Fantasy IV: The After Years a full game though, since for many people takes longer to beat than the original game. I hope to beat a few more Final Fantasy games this year.

2014 was also a big year for Castlevania, which I started to play through from the beginning. Even with save states, beating Castlevania III will likely never happen. And in order to beat Super Castlevania IV, I'll likely need save states. I will be starting Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow sometime later this year, to begin the end of the Castlevania series.

Last thoughts- the pattern of the year, while not visible above, basically went from playing Xbox 360 games, to handheld games, to owning a Wii U and playing a bunch of those games. With Final Fantasy games throughout the year. Overall, not a very interesting year, but fun games nonetheless.