My Back. My Log. My Backlog. (Part 2)

The 2026 “Year of the Backlog” continues! Read on to see what I’ve been playing, what’s still on the list, and what I’ve finished!

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Currently playing:

Super Mario Galaxy 2
(Wii, 2010)

I last played Super Mario Galaxy 2 in January of 2021 – right in the middle of my last year of grad school. I was having a hard time moving forward due to some tricky stars blocking my progression. Well, I’ve booted it up again, and guess what? There still are some tricky stars blocking my progression. I’ve gained a few more since 2021, but I might have to pull out a guide to get enough to finish the main story – which is all I really care to do!

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Gave it my best shot:

Hades

I was traveling last month, and no trip is complete without my ultra-portable Nintendo Switch. Since FFXII isn’t accessible, I may as well try another game from the backlog. Enter Hades which, in my last post, I said I stopped playing because the screen was too small to play in handheld mode. Well, find a cozy nook, throw on some headphones, and crank up the volume – now you’ve got the best possible setup for escaping Tartarus. I did end up beating the final boss for the very first time recently… only to learn that in order to actually roll credits in this game, you have to beat him another NINE times! Welp, that’s not happening.

Celeste

Similar to Hades, I had a long bus ride with some time to fill and thought the end to Celeste was right around the corner. Boy, was I wrong! I spent hours finishing just single levels only to learn that there was MORE locked away beyond what I had completed. I don’t know if I have it in me to spend the time needed to get all the way to the true ending. Perhaps I can just cross this one off my list for getting the average ending?

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Backlog Games from the 2010’s:

Yooka-Laylee and The Impossible Lair
(Switch, 2019)

Reason I stopped playing: YL&TIL was recommended by a friend of mine who loves platformers – and especially loves the Donkey Kong Country games. I, too, am a huge fan of DKC. Well, let me clarify – I am a huge fan of DKC on the SNES. The newer games feel floaty, the levels are too long, and the bosses take forever to defeat. Yooka-Laylee does a wonderful job of copying those exact qualities. While I liked the puzzly overworld map, I just couldn’t get excited about the platforming. So, I set it aside for another day.

Luigi’s Mansion 3DS
(3DS, 2018)

Reason I stopped playing: It was 2018 or 2019, and, wanting to regain a piece of my childhood, I nonchalantly threw a bunch of 3DS games on my Christmas list expecting to receive exactly zero of them. To my great surprise, my Mom gifted me the remake of Luigi’s Mansion. I was overjoyed! I did play a couple hours into the game, but I also had just finished the original game on GameCube in 2012 (okay, so it had been 6 years…). Despite the slight time gap, the experience remained relatively fresh in my mind. Plus, I had played through the sequel game shortly afterward – so I guess I wasn’t ready to dive back into another Luigi’s Mansion game. This feeling even carried over to the third game which I only beat just recently last year.

Unravel Two
(Various, 2018)

Reason I stopped playing: I bought Unravel Two early on in my Switch journey and it must have been shortly after it won some awards because that’s how I remembered it. I had hoped my girlfriend would be excited about trying it with me – known to be one of the best two-player experiences at the time. However, she’s not quite as game-y as me, so she struggled hard with some of the more advanced moves. We got through a few stages together, but she wasn’t enthusiastic. I’m not excited about playing it by myself either. Hopefully I’ll find a friend who wants to try out the whole game with me!

Lego Jurassic World
(Wii U, 2015)

Reason I stopped playing: I’m certain that when I bought this Lego game, I got it on sale at GameStop alongside Assassin’s Creed 3, Batman: Arkham City, and ZombiU. If you read my previous article, you’ll know that these games all were overshadowed by Batman who became my life for a few weeks (I was also heavily into the Gotham tv show at the time). I played far enough in Lego Jurassic Park to be able to play as Jeff Goldblum, and then I felt complete.

Witcher 3
(Various, 2015)

Reason I stopped playing: I was so incredibly fortunate to be gifted Witcher 3 from a former student who already owned the game on another (superior) platform. We had connected over our shared interest of NieR: Automata, so he was happy to offer Witcher 3 when the topic came up one day. I couldn’t say no! Unfortunately, my open world experience was tainted by my time with Skyrim, and I found Witcher 3 to be sluggish with a horrendous loading time if were ever to fall in battle (which was often). Perhaps I’d have an easier time with it if I were playing on anything other than the Switch.

ZombiU
(Wii U, 2012)

Reason I stopped playing: Well, I won’t beat around the bush. This game was TOO SCARY! I already don’t do well with horror games, and this one adds a specific mechanic that takes the cake. ZombiU utilized the Wii U gamepad controller in that all of the action takes place on your television. All of your items, however, are on your gamepad screen. So, if you need to get something out of your “backpack” as they called it, you have to physically look away from the tv to find the item you need on your gamepad – thus leaving you susceptible to CERTAIN DOOM! Also, I’ll never get over the part of the game where your “safe space,” the place you’ve called home the entire time, suddenly gets attacked by mobs of zombies. Why you gotta do me like that?

Kirby Mass Attack
(Nintendo DS, 2011)

Reason I stopped playing: Unlike ZombiU, Kirby has a slightly less interesting reason for my departure. I just got kinda bored. I found Kirby Mass Attack on sale at a random department store that doesn’t typically carry games. I bought it on a whim, had fun with it for a few hours, and then put it away. Mass Attack adds the extra feature of using touch controls while commanding a tiny army of multiple Kirby’s. It’s an okay mechanic, but there’s not enough there to really hold my attention. I might tackle this one at the end of the year just to cross it off the list.

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Games Completed Since My Last Post:

Final Fantasy XII
(PS2, 2006)

I’m thrilled to say I’ve finally finished Final Fantasy XII! I started this game back in 2012 and played it through parts of 2013. At the time, I had amassed a whopping 60 hours in the game before I walked from it. I knew I was relatively close to the end, so it made sense include as part of this year’s mission. 20 hours later, it’s over! I’ll do a full review at the end of the year, but I’ll say this – spending over 13 years away from an RPG with a vastly complex storyline may have an effect on your ability to connect with the characters and the storyline. I did enjoy diving back into the world again, though. And, I was so incredibly overpowered that I could go into these remaining battles and just gambit my way to victory!

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Thanks for stopping by to check in on my progress! How’s your backlog coming along? Have you finished any new (old) games? Leave me a comment, and tell me about it!

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