Top Ten 50 in '11

Last year I endeavored to finish 50 games in 2011, and I did so, with relatively few asterisks and cop-outs on the list. In January of this year I thought about ranking all 50 in order of subjective quality, but ultimately decided against it. Now that 2012 is one-third over, I've decided to make part of that list into a top ten.

Fifty - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Yup. 50 videogames beaten in one year. I won't dwell on it in this space, though, because this is supposed to be a review. Number 50 is probably the one game that I was most embarrassed not to have played over the years: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Forty Nine - Ico

Wow. Four Nine. My goal is as close to being finished as is possible. Was that a sentence? Sure, I'll say it is. Oh, look, an Ico review.

Forty Eight - Shadow of the Colossus

This was one of my most satisfying new gaming experiences of the year, without a doubt. I'm kicking myself for not having played it sooner, but at least now I'm no longer embarrassed to have missed out. Shadow of the Colossus is my third-to-last game of 2011.

Forty Seven - BioShock

I'm closing in on that goal of mine, and if I can finish roughly one game a week until the end of the year, then I'm golden. Finished my most recent project late last night, and it was one of 2007's best games in a strong year. Say hello to BioShock, Mr. B.

Forty Six - Portal 2

Well, with today's new entry, I have thirty days to beat four games. My last four are going to be doozies - games I really, really ought to have beaten years ago. Four super-critically-acclaimed gems. This one's also a gem, and it's named Portal 2.

Forty Five - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Well, 45 happened extremely soon after 44, because it was kind of a cop-out. I was stuck at this game's final boss about four years ago, after which I shelved my GameCube and basically forgot about it. But now, with no more exams standing in my way and looking for games to cross off my list, I fired it up again and beat that wit of a bitch after four or five tries. Totally worth it. It's Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, by the way.

Forty Four - Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One

Oh, Steam, your sales are just irresistible. I bought a game that was $60 a few short months ago for $10 via Steam (more on this next month), then turned around and bought both Penny Arcade Adventures games in a $3 double pack. Now I'm reviewing the first one, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode 1.

Forty Three - Bastion

If it seems like a short time between now and last time, it's because I played a short game between now and last time. Am I deliberately seeking out shorter games to help me complete this quest of mine? ...Maybe. Anyhow, the new game is Bastion and it was quite good.

Forty Two - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Next on my list is a game I picked up at a spring sale earlier this year, because it was cheap and I heard it wasn't bad. ...What? Don't judge me. It's Enslaved: Odyssey to the West on my PS3.

Forty One - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

This time I'll be reviewing one of 2011's serious blockbuster games. Sure, it's easy to say that it's just Tomb Raider starring a dude or Indiana Jones with no whip, but it's turned into a mega-franchise all its own. Welcome to my take on Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

Forty - inFamous: Festival of Blood

Honestly, going in I wasn't sure how long this one would take me, but it definitely seemed short. Here are my thoughts on the ~2.5 hours of inFamous: Festival of Blood:

Thirty Nine - Professor Layton and the Last Specter

My October has been more about comics than gaming, but hopefully I'll still reach my goal of 50 games completed before the calendar year ends. I puzzled my way one step closer yesterday evening by crossing off Professor Layton and the Last Specter.

Thirty Eight - Final Fantasy IV: Anniversary Edition

This time I borrowed a game from a friend by accident (really, I swears it), and knocked it out late yesterday evening. This might be a cop-out, since I think I've beaten this game seven or eight times but it was 100% a playthrough from this year, and the first time I've played this new version. The new PSP Complete Collection edition of my very first RPG: Final Fantasy IV.

Thirty Seven - Prince of Persia (2008)

In a rare case of timing, I conquer game #37 almost exactly twelve hours after #36. Sure, my day off and PS3 binging has a lot to do with that, but let me have this one, okay? Prince of Persia. The 2008 one, that is.

Thirty Six - Trine

This time it's a game I downloaded as part of Steam's summer camp sales week in July, and it was totally worth the $5 I paid. Take a gander at the physics-based platforming of Trine.

Thirty Five - Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

This next game has me wrapping up Activision's four Marvel RPGs. It's... probably my least favorite of the four, but that doesn't prevent it from being pretty good. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (the first) up in this.

Thirty Four - Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten

The newest entry to my games beaten list is one I picked up almost exactly one week ago, at midnight on September 6th. It's been roughly 90% of all my free time alone since then. THIS IS DISGAEA 4!

Thirty Three - DeathSpank: Orphans of Justice

Newest on my list of gaming conquests is DeathSpank, which thank goodness both lives up to its title and is better than it sounds.

Thirty Two - Cthulhu's Angels

Here's a cop-out of a post. I apologize in advance. This is going to be half a review of one of the bonus modes in Cthulhu Saves the World (sorry!) and half a meditation on bonus modes such as this one.