I’ve now finished SIX games for my “Year of the Backlog” (seven if you count my stint with Mega Man 3), and it’s not over yet! The most fun part for me has been revisiting all of my old gaming systems to take on the list (granted a few of these are backwards compatible). So far I’ve played games spanning the Wii U, Switch, PS2, Wii, PS1, and Nintendo DS.
Visit Part 3, Part 2 and Part 1 to see all the games on my backlog (organized conveniently by date!) and hear about my past progress. Continue reading below for my latest update and to learn about some of my oldest backlog games!
Currently playing:
Pokémon Sapphire
(Gameboy Advance, 2003)
It’s happening! I’m finally playing the untouched Pokémon game that has been sitting in my Nintendo DS case since ~2015. RIP to the save file of “Sean” who had put 32 hours into the game as the previous owner (I think that was just one of the default names).
Like I mentioned in an earlier post, this was a game that I obtained at a thrift sale and managed to snag before my friend could get to it (there was also a complete Gameboy Advance for super cheap – I let them have the GBA if I could take the game).
I’m a little over three hours in so far having just acquired the first badge, and it is bringing me right back to the cozy feels that I had when playing the original. A major quality-of-life improvement is the addition of “running shoes” that gives the main character some pep in their step when navigating the overworld. Looking forward to meeting all the new creatures that were added for gen 3!
Backlog Games from the 1990’s or Earlier:
Xenogears
(PS1, 1998)
It hurts me that I never finished this brilliant masterpiece. I scraped my way all the way to the final dungeon not knowing that I’d be stuck if I saved my game there. Severely underprepared and no way to back out, I couldn’t continue.
I’ve been desperately waiting for a remaster or something to come along, but it seems like that’s never going to happen. Do I dare start over? I’d love to earn the ending for myself rather than just watch another Let’s Play.
Blasto
(PS1, 1998)
Blasto was on my radar because the main character was voiced by the late and great Phil Hartman of Saturday Night Live. Well, it showed up for Christmas one year and I was so excited to play it. Except one thing – the game could barely load. It came new with a noticeable scratch on the disc. My Dad tried to return it and due to some garbage return policy, they wouldn’t accept it. He was pissed. So, I have still have the game. Years later, I tried the disc again but this time on a PS2. It seemed to read more consistently – which means there may be hope for it after all!
UPDATE: I tried the game and got this screen 😭:
Machine Hunter
(PS1, 1997)
Machine Hunter was another Christmas gift from my parents and possibly the second game I ever got on the original PlayStation. Having moved away from Nintendo, this meant that my parents doubly had no idea what kinds of games were popular.
I’m guessing you’ve never heard of Machine Hunter, but it’s actually a pretty cool game. It plays from a top down perspective, and you start out as a human with a gun who, wouldn’t you know it, hunts machines. Once you’ve disabled a machine, you can take it over and use the new boost in firepower to more easily navigate the stages.
Each level had different objectives: rescue hostages, destroy a certain number of machines, disable a bomb before the timer runs out, etc etc etc. I think the game was early enough in the PlayStation’s life cycle that it still used passwords over saving on a memory card. My biggest reason for not finishing was simply that the game had too many levels to keep my attention.
Riven
(PS1, 1997)
My Mom had a knack for writing down any mention of something I wanted so she could tuck it away on a list of potential holiday gifts for the future. That’s precisely what she did when I talked about Riven one year. Lo and behold, a used copy was wrapped up for me come December.
Like the game’s predecessor, Riven has you wandering a series of islands solving complex puzzles with absolutely no help from anything except for your own wits. Playing this game meant keeping a notebook nearby to write down clues or symbols that might be useful later on. The PlayStation port of Riven sprawled across several physical discs that you’d have to swap in your system each time you entered a new area. Gone was the totally immersive experience one would get when devoting several guilt-free hours to playing on their PC. Ah, sweet youth. I miss not having a schedule.
Pilotwings 64
(N64, 1996)
When I saw a CIB (albeit a janky box) edition of Pilotwings 64 on sale randomly at a gift shop in Maine, I couldn’t pass it up! Despite my eagerness to purchase it, I don’t own an N64! So, I’ve never played it save for maybe a few minutes in college. We are met again with the age-old question: Are unplayed games still considered a part of the backlog? What do you think?
Pokemon Blue
(Game Boy, 1996)
Here’s another big regret – I had made it all the way to Champion’s Road, got stuck on a portion of it, and just didn’t have the gumption to grind the Pokémon needed to finish the game. Years later, I had it in my head that I would start over. Poof. There went my save file.
I think if I were to try this one again, I’d be very tactical about it – only capturing and grinding the 6 or 7 pokémon types that I need for my ultimate party. Then, go out and conquer the world. Screw catching them all! I guess I’ll just stick with Pokémon Sapphire.
Super Punch-Out!!
(Super Nintendo, 1994)
The only reason Super Punch-Out is part of my backlog is because I acquired a physical copy to use for a speedrun party that my friends and I threw a number of years ago. The idea was that we’d all play our own copies on separate TVs, starting at the same time. Then, we’d see who could finish the game first!
Want to know who finished first? No one! No one finished at all. This game is HARD, and if I do want to formally beat it, I’d need to put in some serious dedicated training time at the gym!
Pilotwings
(Super Nintendo, 1990)
Pilotwings was a go-to game for me whenever I visited the “friend-with-all-the-games” in my childhood. We played it often, but we never finished the second set of advanced missions. Well, I’ve recently-ish acquired my own physical cartridge of the game, which technically grants it official backlog status.
I’ve been pecking away on Nintendo Switch Online – making heavy use of save states so I don’t have to keep replaying over and over, and now I’m working through the advanced missions again. So, I expect I *could* finish sometime this year. Maybe I’ll have to add a “Pecking Away” section for these blog posts for those games that are generally ongoing with no major focus.
Little Nemo: The Dream Master
(NES, 1990)
I’m noticing that a lot of games on this list were Christmas presents… and Little Nemo is no exception! In fact, it may have been one of the first games I got on the system after the original Super Mario Bros. Nemo had so much incredible charm: bright colors, fun companion characters, and beautiful music. With it, though, came an immense challenge.
I’ve been able to make it to the final set of stages but always got caught up on a section where you had to ride a lizard up a wall that has timed flames that shoot out. The window for walking by is very tight, and if you get hit, you fall all the way to the bottom the stage. The only way I could beat it was with game genie – but that doesn’t count, right?? So, I’d like to eventually finish this game without cheating.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
(NES, 1989)
Sigh. Yet another childhood Christmas present but gosh there’s no way this will ever happen, huh? The difficulty of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game is legendary, and I don’t have it in me to learn the game like those guys on YouTube who take joy in beating hard games.
The water level never even bother me – it was all the stuff afterward. Stages riddled with endlessly respawning enemies, random mazes, no continues – for a franchise so dear to my heart, it’s unfortunate that the first video game entry in the series started here. I’m just glad there exist games like Turtles in Time and the newer Shredder’s Revenge which totally make up for any missteps in the past!
Games Completed Since Last Post:
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
(PS1, 1997)
I could write a whole post about Crash Bandicoot 2 – namely how I think the original game is leagues better than the sequel. It’s missing the world-building, atmosphere, and music that made the first game such a fun island-trotting adventure. Putting Crash inside a level select room felt contrived and lazy, the sound is weirdly mixed so it’s hard to understand the characters, and the soundtrack doesn’t have that quirky charm that it had before. Furthermore, the incentive to get Crash 2’s “true ending” is horrendous. I am certainly not going back through every level to collect every box or finish anything without dying. I watched the cutscene I’d earn if I were to do it, and it is not worth it at all (even if it does set up the next game). With all that said, I’m just glad I was able to finish the game before the disc failed me – I had several disc read errors taunting me along the way!
Kirby Mass Attack
(Nintendo DS, 2011)
Surprise! It turns out that Kirby can keep my attention after all. I’m guessing I purchased this game in 2013, and I had a hefty 39% completion rate on my save file when I left off. The REAL reason why I think I stopped back then was because I learned that I needed to collect a “rainbow medal” in EVERY stage in order to unlock the final world. Well, this turned out to be less tedious than I expected, and I found myself enjoying the hunt when I could pursue it in small chunks of time throughout my day. Levels were surprisingly creative, and there was even a Donkey Kong Country-esque barrel blast boss battle that took place at the end of the fourth world. The game’s final boss had me lol’ing a little because, surprise surprise, it was another classic “hand boss” battle! 😂 Happy to add this one to my list of finished games!
Thanks for stopping by to read my post! Have you played any of these games? Are you inspired to try any games from your backlog? Leave me a comment and share your story!
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