My Gaming Year in Review (2022)

Happy New Year! 2022 was my first full year with a Nintendo Switch which meant I had a lot more easy access to games that I wanted to pick up on the fly via the eShop. Despite a couple busy semesters of teaching, I was able to complete quite a few games! Here’s a recap of what I finished over the course of the year.

Grandia HD
(Various, 2019. Originally released 1997)

Finished on 1/1/2022 at 5:54 pm CST.

I was in the mood for an RPG when the Grandia HD Collection went on sale at the end of 2021. I knew nothing at all about the game but everywhere I looked, people had major nostalgia for the title. So, I decided to go ahead and grab it to start playing the first game.

What do I remember? Well, I honestly remember very little about the plot except that Justin wants to go out and explore the world just like his father. And, every time he wins a battle, it sounds like he’s saying “What a b*tch!” Toward the end of the game, some crazy stuff starts happening and a giant plant starts strangling the world or something? Perhaps it’s harder for me as an adult to fully take in the scope of an RPG when I know my time can be so limited.

One thing I really liked about the game, however, is its turn-based battle system. Your characters and enemies roam freely around the screen and there’s a gauge that tells you the turn order. So, if you play your cards right, you can disrupt which enemies attack first and gain a huge advantage.

Perhaps I’ll have to watch a proper review of this game so I can remember exactly what happened in this epic! Still debating whether or not I should move on to its sequel. Were you a fan of it?

Sonic Mania
(Various, 2017)

Finished on 1/3/2022 at 4:29 pm CST.

They finally did it! This Sonic game is exactly what the world was waiting for. I had a blast playing through this game, and it offered a surprisingly huge amount of content for what I had been expecting. While I didn’t get all the chaos emeralds (I never do. I suck at the mini games), I enjoyed all the fresh levels, unique boss designs, and frantic gameplay. I’ll definitely come back to this one someday to try it again with Tails or Knuckles.

Super Mario Odyssey
(Switch, 2017)

Finished on 1/9/2022 at 3:49 pm MST.

My girlfriend bought this game for me for Christmas, and it is a masterpiece. Somehow I was able to avoid watching any gameplay since it was released in 2017. I’m glad I waited to experience it on my own with no preconceptions. A highlight for me was playing through the 2D portions of New Donk City while Mayor Pauline put on the concert of a lifetime. I loved all the throwbacks to the original games.

Blaster Master Zero
(Various, 2017)

100% completion on 1/31/2022 at 9:16 pm MST.

I owned the original Blaster Master for the NES as a kid, and it was borderline impossible. First of all, the game spans 8 or 9 “zones” that are these huge open Metroidvania type levels. And, there’s no password or save system. So, if you wanted to beat the game, you had spend several hours finding the correct path, fighting through a constant onslaught of enemies, and taking on some majorly difficult bosses.

I am beyond thankful that this game got a proper remaster because it is absolutely perfect. Checkpoints, an option to save, and a map! It’s Christmas! I had such a good time with this game that I decided to beat it to 100% completion, and I was rewarded with a very satisfying ending that definitely made me want to play its sequels. To be continued…!

Inside
(Various, 2017)

Finished on 2/18/2022 at 12:22 pm MST.

Having been a fan of Limbo from 2010, I was attracted to the similar gameplay of Inside. And, of course, when it went on sale for less than $10, it was a no brainer to purchase it.

While relatively short, this game had me on edge nearly the entirety of my play-through. I don’t want to give anything away, but I’ll say that there’s so much more to its story than meets the eye. One major word of advice: avoid the man-eating mermaids.

Blaster Master Zero 2
(Various, 2019)

100% completion on 3/14/2022 at 1:36 pm MST.

Staying true to my word, I moved right on to Blaster Master Zero 2 (after it went on sale, obviously). The sequel delivers in every way possible. Upgraded tank, upgraded controls scheme, upgraded map, upgraded everything. I, again, liked the game so much that I was compelled to achieve 100%. Naturally, I purchased the 3rd game (as soon as it went on sale, no doubt) and…haven’t touched it in awhile. It’s a good game, but much more challenging. So far, the first two BMZ games have my full votes of confidence.

Double Dragon IV
(Various, 2017)

Finished on 5/25/2022 at 12;03 pm MST.

So, this game exists. It…. it’s a game. It’s…. ugh. I really didn’t think a Double Dragon game could get worse after Double Dragon 3, but the fourth entry is absolute garbage. I thought for sure we’d see some improvements and a healthy collection of new characters to try out like in the third game. Well, at least we have multiple lives again. All in all, this game felt like a slog, and the only reason I was able to finish it was because you can choose which level to continue from on the title screen. Still waiting for Double Dragon Neon to go on sale, and I’m hoping that one will prove to be much better.

Kirby and The Forgotten Land
(Switch, 2022)

100% completion on 6/5/2022 at 5:12 pm MST.

Yeeeeeee Kirby! I had sort of given up on Kirby games after the original Game Boy games (I played the NES and SNES games and not much after that). I always thought they ended up being kind of repetitive with little challenge. Well, Kirby and The Forgotten Land adds just the right amount of massive level design to make you want to explore every nook and cranny. I especially liked all of the new upgrades that could be leveled up for massive damage. Furthermore, these boss battles had me hooked ever since facing off against a giant gorilla in the first world.

Nevertheless, I had to go for 100% and am glad I could get my full money’s worth for this one.

Spanky’s Quest
(SNES, 1991)

Finished on 6/12/2022 at 12:35 pm MST.

This year, I decided to purchase a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, and I had a wonderful time revisiting the old NES and SNES games that were offered. One game I’ve always wanted to come back to was Spanky’s Quest, a quirky little adventure where you control a monkey who bounces balls on his head that eventually turn into sports balls to defeat enemies. Yeah, it’s weird.

Anyway, I owned this game as a kid and had traded it in after I thought it was too challenging. It’s possible I beat it way back then, but I don’t remember. And, more importantly, I had to figure out if this game was actually bad or if I just sucked. As it turns out, the game is quite enjoyable. It’s incredibly more playable on the Switch where I can drop a save state (instead of entering a password). Don’t worry, I only saved between stages and didn’t do anything sketchy to help me finish. I will maintain to this day that Spanky’s Quest has one of the best soundtracks of early SNES games. Check it out!

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge
(Various, 2022)

Any % completion on 6/19/2022 at 5:53 pm MST.

Cowabunga, dude! I am a huge Ninja Turtles fan going back all the way to second grade when my friends and I beat the original arcade game at a local arcade for my birthday party. When they announced a “classic” Turtle beat-em-up was coming out, I knew it would be mine. Oh yes, it would be mine.

No surprise at all, this game was a smash. I loved all the callbacks to the original cartoon, and it was a true joy to be able to finally play as Splinter, April, and Casey. I’m just now trying to get my friends into this game so we can have a full-on online fiesta playing through it. After all, you can have up to SIX PLAYERS online! Shell shock!

Sonic Frontiers
(Switch, 2022)

Any % completion on 11/25/2022 at 8:05 pm MST.

Another Sonic game! I had been looking forward to this game since they first announced it back at….was it E3? I can’t remember. Does E3 still happen? To see a Sonic game in the style of Breath of the Wild had me very intrigued, and I thought they could maybe pull it off.

Well, I bought it the week it came out, and for a time, I was totally into it. The world was indeed incredibly huge, and I got those same BotW feels that I had from before where I constantly wanted to explore everything. Three zones in and this started to wear off. Slowly, the “zones” got worse and worse as the perspective shifted from 3D to 2D. There were also these “cyberspace” levels that played more like classic 3D Sonic games. The controls during these stages were abysmal, and they only got worse as the challenge increased. Lastly, the gameplay just became repetitive. Yeah, the zones were huge, but I didn’t feel that twinge of discovery that I had when I first started.

I think Sega could make a good game if they stuck with this formula. But, they need to do some major tweaking. Do you think you can do it, Sega??

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
(Switch, 2019. Originally released on Game Boy, 1993)

Any % completion on 12/8/2022 at 8:59 pm MST.

A childhood favorite of mine that was a delight from beginning to end. Link’s Awakening was a big part of my youth when a friend let me borrow his copy for Game Boy. I remember sitting out on our porch and trying to navigate the river rafting section over and over again to pick up those extra hard-to-get items.

When I came back to the remaster this past December, it was like seeing an old friend. Although it was many years since I last played it, I still knew the gist of everything and found myself automatically walking to each new section of the game. The graphical touch up is lovely, and all of the game’s original charm is still there. So thankful this one went on sale before Thanksgiving (are you noticing a trend with my buying habits?).

Thanks for stopping by to check out my article! What were some of your gaming highlights of the year? Let me know in a reply below. Also, if you enjoy my content, be sure to follow my blog or subscribe via e-mail to have posts delivered directly to your inbox.

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Perler Art #45: Lakitu

Lakitu has been terrorizing the famous plumber duo since his first appearance in Super Mario Bros in 1985 where he would chuck spinies at his victims below from the comforts of his portable cloud.

In future games he would act as an official in Super Mario Kart, and he was the man behind the camera in Super Mario 64.

For Christmas, I got another set of Super Mario Bros 3 Perler beads, so I decided to give this guy a go. Thankfully, I didn’t get hit by any of his spinies…but I wish I could steal his cloud! Enjoy!

Just needs a little heat…
All done and looking great!

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Marker Art #44: Lemmings

My first experience with Lemmings was at a friend’s house (yes, the same friend where I accidentally borrowed Chrono Trigger), and it was something that held our attention far more than it should have. I loved the challenge of trying to manage all these brainless creatures as they marched carelessly toward their goal (or impending doom). I especially liked the music which consisted most of classical pieces or folk songs like “Dance of the Little Swans” from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, “London Bridge is Falling Down,” and the “Can-Can” (“Galop Inferna” from Orpheus in the Underworld).

To rekindle the memories, I created this next piece of pixel art featuring a lone Lemming on their way to the exit.

pixel art lemmings
This one took some time. I started by outlining all the black sections and then filling them in. It made sense to finish the grass and Lemming aftewrward.
pixel art lemmings
Four shades of red/orange for the ground leading up to the exit and for the fire. I also started the “window” to the next area which is inside the cave exit.
lemming snes super nintendo
The final product! With the way this is shaded, it really looks like the cave has some depth to it. Pixel art is cool.

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Marker Art #43: Ducktales

Kids of the NES era were blessed to have a company like Capcom working on games based on their favorite Disney afternoon shows. Amongst gems like Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers (1990) and Darkwing Duck (1992) was Ducktales (1989), a charming show about the adventures of a thrifty tycoon with a boppin’ theme song.

It’s no wonder that I was drawn to this game because it shared similarities with another Capcom favorite of mine, Mega Man. Sure enough, Tokuro Fujiwara, Keiji Inafune, and Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, all Mega Man veterans, were key personnel in this game’s design.

I knew Scrooge would make a fun pixel project, so I put my markers to good use with the following art. Enjoy!

As always, I charted out the black squares first. You can already see a clear shape for Scrooge – especially his hat and face!
Just orange, red and blue for his body. His tail is already white.
The final product! Can you see where I made a mistake and covered it up? If not, then my secret is safe!

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Marker Art #42: The Phantom Train

Halloween is almost here so I decided to break out the markers again to create some spooky pixel art!

My selection this time is a scene from Final Fantasy 6 (SNES 1994) where Sabin and Cyan accidentally board a train that takes its passengers to the land of the dead. Their only chance of survival is to figure out a way to halt the engine and jump ship. This, of course, leads to an iconic battle where the crew fights the sentient train itself, and Sabin has the opportunity to suplex the locomotive into oblivion.

Along the way, they meet a number of ghosts passengers. Many are hostile, but a few offer to help them escape. Below is one such meeting with a friendly ghost!

As usual, I mapped out the black outline first.
Next I filled in the skin tone and blue shades. I was having trouble finding exactly the right color, but this came close.
I continue with the blue window section and then fleshed out the rest of Sabin’s sprite. I also started work on the floor.
sabin phantom train final fantasy 6 super nintendo ghost
In the end, I finished the wall and flooring. I miffed a little bit on the exact pixel placement, but it’s not noticeable. Really happy with my final product!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my post! Do you remember this iconic moment from Final Fantasy 6? What are some other spooky instances in games? Let me know in a comment below. Also, if you like my content, consider following my blog or subscribing via e-mail!

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Marker Art #41: Super Mario Kart Yoshi

Super Mario Kart was easily one of my most-played games as a kid. It was the pinnacle multiplayer experience that offered hours of entertainment up there with games like Turtles in Time and Super Bomberman. When we weren’t vying for that sweet first place finish in the Mario Kart GP mode, we’d be duking it out in Battle Mode (Battle Course 2 was the best) and trying to glitch the game out so you could keep driving after the match had been decided.

While I rarely played as Yoshi (my main was Koopa Troopa), I found him to be completely endearing and one of the more memorable sprites from the game – and he’s the perfect subject for my next project! Once again, the markers have been put to good use. Enjoy my newest bit of Super Mario Kart pixel art!

I generally start all these projects by outline the black sections, doing my best to keep my lines straight!
Three shades of green! 16-bit Yoshi makes use of shading.
Next came the reds and grays – again using several different shades.
yoshi super mario kart for the super nintendo
I’m in love with this background – straight from the Super Mario Kart character select screen!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my art! Which Mario Kart game is your favorite? Who was your main character of choice? Leave me a reply and let me know. Also, if you’re enjoying my content, be sure to follow my blog or subscribe via e-mail!

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Marker Art #40: Excitebike

Designed by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto, Excitebike (1985) was one of the very first launch titles for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. I learned recently that this game’s engine was a key component for Miyamoto’s team in the development of Super Mario Bros. Namely, Mario’s ability to accelerate from a walk to a run was taken directly from Excitebike.

My favorite part of the game, of course, was the opportunity to design your own race tracks. As far as I know, this was the first game that gave you that sort of creative freedom, and my friends and I abused it entirely to build the most outrageous jumps.

Wanting to add another childhood memory to my collection of art, I decided to bust out the markers to create the following image. Enjoy!

Not much black needed for this particular project. This was actually my third attempt because I kept misaligning the wheels.
And that’s all there is for red, too!
excitebike nintendo pixel art nes
The bulk of this project was the background! Not a whole lot of colors needed but I love seeing how this looks on paper. Another successful project!

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Marker Art #39: The Goonies 2

The Goonies movie came out in 1985 and remains one of my most cherished movies from my childhood. I mean, what a story! A group of kids find a treasure map, search through secret tunnels with puzzles a la Indiana Jones, and then fight off a family of criminals aboard a pirate ship???? This film had it all.

A year after the movie’s release, a video game was developed for the Famicon in Japan by Konami. It can be argued that the Goonies game was a precursor to Metroid-style gameplay months before the Metroid game was ever released.

While we never got a sequel to the movie (there’s still hope, right???), The Goonies 2 received a worldwide release on the NES in 1987. This game took the “metroidvania” formula even further with a fully open world that was connected by a series of 3D first-person mazes. Players would need to collect various items and return to previous sections in order to progress. It was a major challenge, but one that I remember beating after getting some help from my Mom to find some of the more hidden power-ups.

I’ve not returned to the game since my childhood, but I consider it a treasure in my memory – one which I can now fully appreciate after having played so many games that are similar in style. Immortalized now are the characters of Mikey and one of the Fratelli brothers as a piece of marker pixel art that I finished just a few days ago!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my art! Were you a fan of The Goonies? Did you play either of the NES games? Leave me a reply and tell me about it! Also, if you’re enjoying my content, consider giving me a follow or subscribing to my blog via e-mail to have content delivered directly to you!

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Marker Art #38: Donkey Kong Jr.

I often credit Donkey Kong Jr (1982) as being one of the first arcade machines that really attracted me to video games.

I loved all the colors and characters that were depicted all over the cabinet. When my parents finally lifted me high enough to see the screen, I was completely enthralled. Of course, I already knew who that red guy was at the top of the screen from my brief time playing the original game. But, this quirky sequel called to me even more with DK Jr’s ability to climb from vine to vine while avoiding an onslaught of red and blue snapjaws (did you know they were called snapjaws? I just learned that today!).

In an effort to continue to surround myself with nostalgic art, I decided that I had to add Donkey Kong Jr to my collection. I only got a couple photos, but my results are below!

donkey kong jr pixel art
I wanted to start simply so I started with the green plant on the far left. Then I tried to fill in DK Jr’s brown fur before continuing.
donkey kong jr arcade pixel art
Whoops! It turns out I started with his fur one tile to the right. Eh, but I’m only human. I colored over the green on the far left and then did my best to cover up the other blemish as a result. You can see my mistake on the left vine under his foot. So, the whole picture is off one tile from how I imagined it….but, it’s still cool!

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Marker Art #37: Lolo and Lala

Adventures of Lolo 3 came out in 1990 for the Famicom and joined us in the United States the following year on the Nintendo Entertainment System. While the prior two games were excellent in their own right, the third entry broke the formulaic feel by adding a colorful world map to navigate along with the ability to switch between our two main heroes: Lolo and Princess Lala.

If you never played the Lolo games, you might remember seeing similar looking characters in Kirby’s Dream Land for the Game Boy in 1992. They appeared as the second stage bosses going by the names Lololo and Lalala (not to be confused with this iconic song by The Police).

One of my first ever experiences with the NES involved playing the original Lolo game, so my nostalgia for these characters runs deep. I decided it would be fitting to memorialize these memories by creating a bit of pixel art from the Lolo 3 end credits. Enjoy!

After creating my template, I started with the black outline and filled in the character colors.
I outlined all the light green blocks and then colored in the shades for the tree branch.
For the background, I started with the pink flower centers and then worked my way around with the light green leaving white spaces for the petals. I love the result!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my art! Have you ever played any of the Lolo games? Which one is your favorite? Let me know in a reply below! Also, if you like my work and want to support me, consider following my blog or subscribing via email to have content delivered directly to you.

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