Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox One)

Date Purchased: February 25, 2016
Date Completed: March 30, 2016
Price: $30 (Kijiji)

When it's all said and done, I think playing Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition right before this one was a mistake.  I thought I was doing myself a service by familiarizing myself with Lara Croft, but it really wasn't necessary, and by the end of this one, I've had enough Tomb Raiding for a while.

I really enjoyed the level of freedom this game has.  In a lot of ways it felt like an open world game. The upgrades are nice, but by the time I was half way through I felt like I had everything upgraded that I would particularly want.  The crafting was a bit of a chore and would be my only gripe.  I mentioned it in my Last of Us review that searching for items extended my playtime significantly, and I feel the same about this game.

Don't let the above paragraphs deter you from playing this game however.  It's fantastic.  Everything is better than the original game, story, graphics, acting.  It's an amazing accomplishment.  I really enjoyed my time with it, but would have enjoyed it more had I not just done a lot of similar activities, albeit on a less impressive scale.  Recommend.

The Pile: 03/21/2016

Well, it felt good to not have anything on the pile for a while, but at the same time, it feels good to be back.  The back-catalog is not overwhelming, it's quite casual really.  Pushmo I've owned for years but never put it on the pile as I never thought I'd finish it, but something clicked recently and I'm getting through puzzles much more quickly.  The others I've picked up via a couple sales.  Nothing to be stressed over.  I found a great web based photo editor which I'm now using to generate images.  Pixlr.  It's very impressive.

Edit: Just picked up Gears for a 10 spot.  w00t.

Edit (2): A rare sale on the eShop landed me a couple more 3DS games.

Pilotwings Resort (3DS)

Date Purchased: September 5, 2012
Date Completed: March 16, 2016
Price: $12.50 (eBay)

As I looked up the purchase date of this game, I can't believe I've had my 3DS this long.  Wow.  Okay, Pilotwings, a launch game for the 3DS and 4 years later, obviously so.  This game is pretty bare bones, and despite getting generally positive reviews, this game is pretty bad.  I loved Pilotwings on the SNES, and even more so on the N64.  It was the release of the SNES version on the 3DS eShop that convinced me to dig this out of storage and give it another shot.

What I enjoyed most about the predecessors was how relaxing these games were.  They had great music, and a unique style.  This version of the game imports Mii characters, which I've never been overly fond of.  I never play as a my Mii in Mario Kart or Smash Bros.   The Mii characters detracts from the atmosphere of the original games and makes them feel much more generic.  The music is repetitive and the mission variety is lacking.  I found some fun in the "open world" mode, but that mode only lets you play for 2 minutes or so.

So, unfortunately this game did not scratch the Pilotwings itch I was hoping it would, and I still find myself tempted to pick up the SNES version again.  Must fight the urge.  Pilotwings SNES?  Recommend!  64?  Absolutely!  Resort?  Pass.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Xbox One)

Date Purchased:  September 16, 2015
Date Completed:  March 14, 2016
Price: Free (Games with Gold)

I completed the original version of this game just about 2 years ago.  I picked up it's sequel "Rise of the Tomb Raider and felt compelled to play the first one again as it had been so long since I played it's "prequel".  Knowing I had the "Definitive Edition" to try, I went ahead and played that version of it.

Graphically it looks quite a bit nicer, my original thoughts on the game haven't changed much, but I'd be apt to giving it a little more praise this time around.  My reviews have evolved over the years.  The game plays very well, the combat is fun, the sound is solid, and the story is pretty good too.  There is a lot to upgrade/collect which was fun for a second playthrough.  I find myself playing "Rise" in the same way, and it's a little distracting, but I'm hooked at finding things now.

The game took anywhere from 10-15 hours, and I enjoyed my second run through.  If you've played it originally on older generation consoles, there's no need to go back, but on it's own, it's definitely worth a romp.  Recommend.

Mario Kart DS (DS)

Date Purchased:  November 14, 2005/Summer 2013
Date Completed: March 6, 2016
Price: $20 (Pawn Shop)


I owned this game many years ago and played it extensively, unlocking all the karts, courses, modes. Gold medalling every circuit forward and mirrored.  I then sold it somewhere along the line and repurchased it a few years ago when my son Cole was jealous of my Mario Kart 7.  The other night we were watching a bunch of classic game room and watched Marks' review and we decided to dig it out of storage.

I've played quite a bit, Cole got a new Lego set and has put videogames on the backburner, which is okay, as the game can sit permanently in my new 3DS. 

This is a great Mario Kart, one of my favorites.  I feel the driving is some of the most "pure" in the series.  The track design is great, the roster is big enough for my taste, and it holds that Mario Kart charm that's missing from Mario Kart 7 (more on that game in a future entry).  In my most recent play through I got gold on all the 150cc tracks (which was harder than it should have been) and played some multi via download play.  My fondest memories are playing the game at Rondeau, and competing for time trial times with my friend Ken.  The game still holds up great despite the fact that the online has been taken down.  I'm glad we have this game in our collection, 11 years after release it still looks and plays great.  Recommend.

NFL Blitz [2012] (PS3)

Date Purchased: January 4, 2012

Date Completed: February 28, 2016

Price: $14.99 (PSN)


With no games on the pile I decided to go back and play some game from the archive.  NFL Blitz I never really gave a fair shot when it was released.  I went through a dark period of gaming, adjusting to having kids and the challenges which come with that.  Somewhere in those days I bought NFL Blitz, played a handful of games but eventually let it collect virtual dust.  I recently picked it back up and ... yup ... that's NFL Blitz.

Blitz is a great game, my brother and I have many many hours logged into the PS1 version of the game and had a pretty heated rivalry.  That game was fantastic.  The novelty of it wore off over the years, and even 14 years later, it was clear the love affair was over.  This is a very good version of Blitz, but the couch rivalry is what made this game so much fun.

This particular version seems fine, the graphics look nice, it has team specific stadiums, the announcers are great, seems like a great package right?  It probably is, but without the late hits, in the game or on the couch, this game is pretty dull.  I tried finding some online opponents, but 4 years after release, I couldn't find a match. 

If you have someone to play with regularly, you can probably have a great time with this game.  If you're going to play the CPU, pass.



This will always be my jam.