My Back. My Log. My Backlog. (Part 3)

We’re making steady progress in my 2026 “Year of the Backlog!” Keep reading to see the newest updates and what other games have been lurking in the depths for me to play (or not play)!

Oh, and if you missed the previous posts, visit Part 1 and Part 2!

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Currently playing:

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
(PS1, 1997)

I was able to look back through my Amazon history and learn that I had purchased Crash Bandicoot 2 in August of 2006. I won’t get into the details of my life, but there was A LOT of stuff going on in that particular moment of history. 20 years later, I’ve booted up the game, and my meager save file was still there – just a few levels into the game with only 10% completed. Now I’m about 8 levels away from the end. Unlike the game’s predecessor, I won’t be going for 100% this time around. Getting the game’s true ending requires a level of commitment beyond the scope of my current goals. I’ll be happy just to see the “normal” ending.

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Backlog Games from the 2000’s:

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
(Originally on Xbox, 2006)

Reason I stopped playing: I had been a huge fan of the Oddworld series having played both Abe’s Oddysee and Abe’s Exodus on the PS1. I never owned an Xbox or a computer strong enough to play the third and fourth entries in the series, so when the Oddworld collection went on sale shortly after I purchased my Nintendo Switch, I slammed that purchase button straight away! Stranger’s Wrath is perfectly entertaining, but I think I was just into far too many other games when I got it (Mega Man 11, Metroid Dread, and then Grandia). I still peck away at this one, so I’ll definitely finish it at some point!

Okami
(PS2, 2006)

Reason I stopped playing: When I expressed interest in Okami to an old co-coworker, he showed up at one of the next shifts with several PS2 games. “I don’t play these anymore. You can have them.” 😮 So, I went home that day with not only Okami, but also Ratchet Deadlocked and Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal. Well, I spent a little time with Okami, and I just couldn’t get used to the PS2 controls of having to “paint” some of your basic moves. It’s supposed to be exquisite, and I’m eyeing it up for a future backlog game to tackle next!

Ratchet Deadlocked
(PS2, 2005)

Reason I stopped playing: As mentioned previously, this came as a package deal from an old co-worker. I think I turned the game on once and never went back to it. There’s something about getting a game for free that kind of makes you not want to play it. I didn’t ask for the game. I didn’t research it. I didn’t spend my hard-earned money to obtain it. You lose a little incentive when you don’t have that kind of investment!

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal
(PS2, 2004)

Reason I stopped playing: No need to hash out the story a third time. Up Your Arsenal fits in the same category as the previous two games. In fact, I may have never played this one at all (or vice versa with Deadlocked).

Mega Man X: Command Mission
(PS2, 2004)

Reason I stopped playing: Browsing ye olde Amazon history again, I learned I purchased Mega Man X: Command Mission on June 26, 2008. This would have been right in the midst of my own personal mission to complete all of the Mega Man games. Well, I didn’t quite take to the RPG formula, nor did I really connect with the story that was only loosely tied to the already established canon of the X series. So, I moved onto the Zero series and fell in love with those games. Command Mission got pushed to the end of the line. I still fully intend to finish it, though!

Sonic Heroes
(PS2, 2003)

Reason I stopped playing: One day, I visited my mother’s house only to learn that they had also purchased a mini PS2, and my sister had a small collection of games. At some point, Sonic Heroes landed in my hands, and I may have played it for a half hour or so. I’m generally a Sonic fan, though I know the 3D games especially have their issues. There seems to be some real depth to this game if I were to actually get into it. It lies in waiting, ready for the day when I want to push through it.

Pokemon Sapphire
(Game Boy Advance, 2003)

Reason I stopped playing: Pokémon Blue is the only Pokémon game I ever owned, and I never finished it (more info on that coming in part 4!). Well, I stumbled upon Pokémon Sapphire for a good deal at a garage sale and wrestled it away from a friend who also wanted it. I happened to be on a GBA kick at the time, eagerly collecting all of the Mega Man Zero series for my previous mentioned mission. Despite being so eager to pick up this Pokémon game, I have *never* even booted it up! Does that still count for backlog if I own it but have never played it?

Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht
(PS2, 2002)

Reason I stopped playing: Xenosaga was an impulse purchase during my sophomore year of college. I had no right to be spending money on a new game, nor should I have been wasting time on games. Alas, I was pulled in by the “Xeno” prefix, reminding me of the time I had spent earlier in life with Xenogears. As with any JRPG, Xenosaga proved to be an incredible undertaking, and I just didn’t have the wherewithal to finish it. Years later, I watched a Let’s Play of the game and found that to be fulfilling enough.

Kingdom Hearts (PS2, 2002)

Reason I stopped playing: Under the sea! Under the sea! I remember playing this game my senior year of college and literally getting lost under the sea in the Little Mermaid section. When it took too much of my time away from just wandering, I gave it up completely. Truthfully, the gameplay and story hadn’t won me over – and looking at the convoluted state of Kingdom Hearts where it stands nowadays, maybe it’s okay that I stopped playing.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
(PS2, 2001)

Reason I stopped playing: I’m pretty sure this was found at the same series of garage sales where I nabbed Pokémon Sapphire. I tried the first ship section of the game, kept getting detected over and over again, hid away in a closet for 30 seconds each time waiting for the music to die down…rinse and repeat. I wasn’t ready for a stealth game. But I think about this one a lot. I’d really like to give it a fair shot!

Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee
(Originally on XBox, 2001)

Reason I stopped playing: As I mentioned before with Stranger’s Wrath, I didn’t have access to Munch until I got the Oddworld Collection on Nintendo Switch. I really wanted to like it, but I knew it had sort of a janky reputation surrounding its movement, now in a 3D world. I forced myself through a few hours, but it couldn’t quite capture the same magic as the original two games.

Spyro: Year of the Dragon (PS1, 2000)

Reason I stopped playing: Like Sonic Heroes, Spyro: Year of the Dragon appeared in my sister’s collection and somehow made its way to me. I 100%’d the original Spyro game, so it made sense for me to maybe try another. One problem, though – did you know that Spyro games are tedious collect-a-thons? I must have been in the right headspace for the first game (or perhaps I suffered the youthful fate of “that’s the only game I have right now). Back then, you played what you had until the next holiday or birthday!

Grandia II (Dreamcast, 2000)

Reason I stopped playing: Purchased as part of the Grandia HD collection for Nintendo Switch, I breezed my way through the first game – just barely escaping the clutches of the final boss. Grandia had an incredible reputation that I read about online which sparked my interest in the first place. I walked away from it being sort of confused and overwhelmed. It’s one that I think I would have really liked as a kid but I’m just in a totally different place coming at it as an adult. With that said, I never felt the need to start Grandia II. I’ve heard it’s BETTER than the original, and I’ll admit that that piques my interest. So, it remains on the backlog – another game owned but never touched.

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Games Completed Since Last Post:

Super Mario Galaxy 2

It’s finally over! Super Mario Galaxy 2 was a bit of a beast toward the end, and I’m totally okay with doing just the bare minimum to complete the story. I had 49 stars when I picked up again with my January 2021 save file. 70 stars were needed to reach the final level. My main issue with Mario Galaxy 2 is that a lot of the stars are earned through gimmicky mini-games that have tight timing or small windows for success. This might be fun for those who really enjoy the challenge, but it strays too far from the original game which felt more like genuine exploration through strange, new worlds. Not only that, but unlocking new stars often meant scouring past levels for “comet medals” which only *might* raise the chance of a comet star appearing in another level. I didn’t know comet medals had so much importance, and I thought they were similar to Yoshi coins or other collectibles that might unlock a special world later on in the game. Nope. They are REQUIRED in this game. A friend of mine told me that the post-game content is even more tedious. So, to that I say, farewell forever, Super Mario Galaxy 2!

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Thanks for stopping by to check out my post! Have you been playing anything from your backlog? How about your frontlog? Any experience with the games I’ve talked about above? Leave me a comment and tell me about it!

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