My Gaming Month in Review: June 2018!

Console

Nintendo 64

I continued playing Doubutsu no Mori this month, and I am inching closer and closer to my goal of paying off my house! It’s the rainy season, and it’s often raining when I’m playing. One thing I noticed is unlike Animal Crossing for the GameCube, the weather doesn’t stay the same all day in Doubutsu no Mori! Well, it will if you leave the game running… but if you turn it off and come back to it later, the weather may be different. This is probably due to the fact that the in-game time is actually saved on the game cartridge itself and not the console. It’s not a big deal, just something I observed!

Anyway, on June 10th there was a Fishing Tourney!

Apparently it was a bass- only tourney, which I found out when I tried to give Chip something else. I only caught one small bass, and it wasn’t enough to win the tourney. Oh well!

Currently, I owe $53,000 bells on my loan.

Nintendo Wii

I’m still slogging through Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, and I FINALLY got the 10th person’s wish, and I immediately ran to the church so I could ring the final bell! When I got there, Edge (the harvest sprite in charge of the bell) started crying and told me he couldn’t ring the bell because it was raining. Okay, fine. I waited until the next day and rang the bell!

It was then time to talk to the Harvest Goddess. I expected her to be happy but nooooo, she told me her stupid tree was still dying and the only way to save it was to call upon the Harvest King. You do that by ringing all 5 bells at the same time… which you can only do if you are ranked Hero or higher. FUCK!

There are a couple different ways to earn Hero rank, and annoyingly, the game doesn’t tell you how far along you are in achieving that goal. You just have to play and hope at the end of the season you actually did it. Since I am on Year 2, Summer, Day 20, I have 8 more days in the season left to go before I find out if I did it or not. I better make the ranking, or else I may snap the game in half and throw it out the window.

Anyway! I also participated in the Summer Festival. There was a “fish” contest and a “fishing” contest. Apparently the fish contest is where you are judged based on the fish you’ve already caught, while the fishing contest is for how many fish you can catch in a certain amount of time. Uh huh, sure. I got third place in the fish contest, yay!

However, when I tried to enter the fishing contest…

Ugh! No thanks, I don’t WANT to try again next year!

Mobile

iPhone

I continued playing Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and once again, I have all animals invited to my camp! That’s 99/99 invited, and I’m at Level 83. My main goal now is upgrading all my amenities (specifically, the elegant amenities right now). Once I do that, I’ll work on maxing out all of my campers so I can get their pictures! 🙂

There were three events this month, and one was a gardening one… uggh! Digby’s Artful Retreat was full of cute little furniture that was way too annoying to get. I mean come on:

How could I earn anything when I can’t catch shit?! I got a couple rewards at least, and I’m happy with what I got. I love the birch trees!

Another event was a gyroidite scavenger hunt, which is always fun! I like collecting them. But… all of the items you could craft were clothing, save for one small table. I wasn’t particularly interested in the clothes, either, because they were all wedding themed. Oh well. I did get a giant wedding cake as well as a wedding arch out of fortune cookies that I bought for 5000 bells each, and that went well with the theme.

Lastly, a Fishing Tourney started on the 29th, and it’ll run through July 4th. Fishing Tourneys are my favorite!

Here’s what my campsite looks like:

I also changed the inside of the first floor of my camper around. I wanted more of a cabin theme, so here ya go:

So there you have it: my June gaming adventures! I’m making some pretty slow progress, because real life gets in my way as usual. Any progress is better than none, though, right?!

Gaming Since 1986!

Another question The Well-Red Mage posed was quite the big one: What’s Your Favorite Game From Every Year You’ve Been Alive? Considering I’ve been alive for almost 32 years, that’s a lot of games to think about! I know a lot of others have done this post, and it was so fun to read what everyone’s picks were! I decided the easiest way to go about this task would first be to think of some of my all- time favorite games (i.e. Super Mario RPG, Animal Crossing, Donkey Kong Country) and immediately place those with the corresponding year. After that, I’d just look up a list of games that were released in a particular year and chose one! Sometimes, that was easier said than done… anyway, here is my list!

Oh, and since I live in the U.S., I’m going by North American release dates, just for consistency!

1986- Balloon Fight (NES)

This has always been one of my favorite NES games. There is something both relaxing and challenging about avoiding all the little things that could pop your balloons and kill you! Plus, the music really gets stuck in my head!

1987- Arkanoid (NES)

For some reason, I had a hard time choosing a game for this year, so I settled on Arkanoid, which was originally an arcade game. I like brick-breaker type games, so why not?

1988- Anticipation (NES)

I actually didn’t play this game until many years after its release- my husband was the one that introduced it to me. It reminds me of a more simplistic version of Trivial Pursuit, though it gets pretty hard at the end!

P.S. The people’s faces on the cover of this box art are hilariously cheesy!

1989- Super Mario Land (Game Boy)

I played this game SO MUCH on my Game Boy! I loved the idea of having a Mario game with me wherever I went. I thought I was hot shit when I brought my Game Boy and Super Mario Land to “show and tell” in 4th grade, ha!

1990- Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

This is one of those games that’s fun no matter how many times you play it. I still remember playing it with my husband and the NES froze right when we got to the final battle against Bowser and erased our game… good times!

1991- Super Tennis (SNES)

I don’t even know if anyone has ever played this game except me, but I love it! I can’t even explain why it appeals so much to me, because I don’t even like sports or sports games very much. But I played the hell out of this game when I was a kid, and I was convinced I was a tennis pro until I actually tried to play tennis for real. I discovered there was too much movement involved and I disliked the idea of a tennis ball flying toward my face at high speeds, so I stuck with Super Tennis.

1992- Kirby’s Dream Land (Game Boy)

My second- ever video game that I owned introduced me to my favorite video game character: Kirby! I’ve played this game more times than I can count, and it still remains one of my favorites.

1993- Doom (PC)

I have a special place in my heart for the first iteration of Doom. It was so fun and different and though we didn’t have a computer at my house when I was younger, I played this game in computer class at school. Take that, ESRB ratings! I blew up demons when I was still in elementary school, and I think I turned out all right…

1994- Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

I was completely obsessed with this game. I played it and replayed it constantly, and spent many hours unlocking all the secrets I could find. I can almost play some of the levels with my eyes closed (not that I would try).

1995- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (SNES)

I didn’t think any game could be better than the original DKC… and then this game came out! It was darker, creepier, and way harder than the first game, but I loved it anyway. The soundtrack to this game is still one of my favorites!

1996- Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)

No contest for 1996, since that was the year that my favorite game of all time was released! I’ve talked about it several times on this blog, but I’ll say it again: I LOVE THIS GAME!

1997- Diddy Kong Racing (N64)

Sometimes fun, sometimes irritating, this is a game that my cousin Eric introduced to me, and we played it quite often. I loved how this game had a central hub and so many varied racing courses!

1998- Pokémon Blue (Game Boy)

This is another game I didn’t play until many years after it came out! I loved Pokémon but held off getting a Pokémon game until Pokémon Crystal… anyway, years later I remedied my mistake by getting Pokémon Blue. I love this game so much but still haven’t played through to the end… I need to fix that soon!

1999- Mario Party (N64)

Haha, I know. Mario Party cheats like a son of a bitch and causes rashes on your hands from rotating the stupid control stick too much… but I can’t help it, I love it. This was the first game I ever got for my Nintendo 64, and I remember playing first with my Uncle Steve, then with all of my friends… we couldn’t get enough of this game!

2000- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (PS1)

This is another game I spent so many hours on, trying to complete every goal in every level and trying to beat my high score with the flying cheat (can’t remember exactly what it’s called). I loved skateboarding when I was younger, and this game allowed me to live out my reckless fantasies with all my bones still intact!

2001- Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN)

This game sucked me in and I found myself playing over and over again to unlock every character and every trophy. This game also holds a special place in my heart because this is the first video game I ever played with my husband!

2002- Animal Crossing (GCN)

Everyone knows how much I love all things Animal Crossing. I couldn’t wait to check in on this game every day and see what was happening in my little town of Branvil! I loved the animals, all the cute furniture, and all the monthly events. This game started an obsession for me, and I don’t regret it for a second! 😉

2003- WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (GBA)

This game is… something else! Some of the mini games had me and my husband both saying “What the hell did we just do?” That’s the beauty of WarioWare- you never know what you are going to see next! I remember my husband and I being glued to my Game Boy Advance trying to unlock every last little game!

2004- Silent Hill 4: The Room (XBox)

This game left it’s mark on me! I love anything horror, and there was something so weird and unsettling about this game that had me thinking about it long after the credits rolled.

Side note: When this game came out, I worked at GameStop, and employees were able to “rent” games by writing our names down in a notebook and bringing the game back after a few days. I rented this game out, brought it back and realized that the notebook had actually been tossed in favor of a new computer system… and my rental had fallen through the cracks, meaning I could’ve kept the game for free and they never would’ve known! Shit. Ah well, my conscience got the best of me, and I purchased the game like a decent human being.

2005- Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

I was so excited for this game when it came out, I pre-ordered it! The idea of being able to play Animal Crossing on the go was so intriguing to me! I got many hours out of this game and still love it to this day.

2006- LocoRoco (PSP)

LocoRoco is so wonderfully bizarre, I love it! Even the controls are weird, as you use the shoulder buttons of the PSP to control the world around the LocoRocos, which allows them to maneuver the levels. You can make the LocoRocos grow by picking up other ones, and you can also split them up into smaller pieces too! It’s a platforming game with puzzle elements that never feel too hard or confusing. If you haven’t played this game, I highly recommend it!

2007- Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

I was in awe of this game when I first started playing it. The planets were so beautifully crafted, the music was fantastic, and it was just plain FUN to explore. I got to the final Bowser fight and never finished him… oops!

2008- Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS)

Kirby Super Star was a fantastic game on the SNES, so I couldn’t wait for this DS remake to come out. There are so many different types of games on this little cartridge, and the replay value is pretty high!

2009- Angry Birds (iOS)

Back in the day when Angry Birds first came out, I loved it! There was something so satisfying about flinging the little birds around to destroy stuff! It really pissed me off when a pig would just roll around and not die, haha! There have been countless spin- offs (some good, some not) but the original Angry Birds is the best to me!

2010- Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)

I dreamed of the day when the original Donkey Kong Country series had a sequel, so I was thrilled when this game came out! Upon playing the first level, I knew I was in for a treat. This game is thrilling, difficult, and fun! I just miss the Kremlings from the original series, though.

2011- Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

I don’t know why, but I had a hard time picking a game for 2011. There were several games I liked that year, but none really stood out to me as something I completely loved while making this list! In the end, I went with Mario Kart 7, because Mario Kart is always an excellent choice!

2012- Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition (Wii)

This game just makes me smile. It has several of Kirby’s best games included on the disc, plus tons of extras! I really liked the soundtrack that came with the game as well as the little history booklet. This game is a must-have if you are obsessed with Kirby like me, haha!

2013- Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

Besides the GameCube version of Animal Crossing, New Leaf is my favorite version of Animal Crossing to date! It’s like they took all the great features from previous games (plus many new added features) and put them into this game, and the results are amazing!

2014- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U)

Oh, Captain Toad, I love you! Toad had always been one of those characters that just kind of got on my nerves, but Captain Toad is so charming and cute you can’t help but love him! This game is really fun and even though it has some irritating moments, it’s a great game to play when you just want to chill out!

2015- Yoshi’s Woolly World (Wii U)

This game is so adorable and fun! The graphics are so cute, the levels are fun and unique, and I really enjoy collecting all of the yarn to make new Yoshis to use!

2016- Kirby Planet Robobot (3DS)

When I bought this game, I put it in my 3DS with the thought that I would play it just to try it out. But I got totally hooked and played the game until I beat it! It is so fun and even though the final boss is annoying as hell, I loved the game! There’s still so much I have to unlock and uncover.

2017- Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

Super Mario Odyssey is fantastic! I love the different worlds you get to explore, each one more different than the last. Collecting power moons is fun and addicting, and the added use of Cappy just makes this game even more fun!

2018- Kirby Star Allies (Switch)

Okay, so I haven’t played too many games that were released in 2018. In fact, I’ve only played the demo of this game (though I do have the full version) but what I did play was really fun! I love the idea of turning enemies into your friends and creating all sorts of different power ups. Hopefully I’ll play through the game soon!

So there you have it! 32 different games that I love for one reason or another. There are so many fantastic games I didn’t even list here, and in the SNES years, it was REALLY hard to pick favorites! I guess I’m a bit stuck in the past that way, as I often prefer games from that era versus newer games. Also, I know this list is Nintendo- heavy, but I am who I am, and I love Nintendo games. 🙂 Thanks for reading!

My Gaming Month in Review: May 2018!

After a bit of a hiatus, I’ve decided to bring back a type of post that I’ve always enjoyed doing, but that ended up taking too much time for me to write: My Gaming Month in Review! This time around, though, I’m going to be working on this post throughout the month, so I won’t have a shit-ton of stuff to come up with when the month is over! Plus, I’m also trying to work on only one or two games at a time, so I’m more focused on beating a game before moving on, versus just jumping around from game to game. This is me we’re talking about though, so by the time next month rolls around, it could all be different. Anyway, here’s what I was up to this month!

Console

Nintendo 64

Besides narrowing my focus on other games, I’ve decided to narrow my focus on my Animal Crossing games as well. Instead of checking in on my different villages on different days, I’ve decided I’m just going to focus on one of my villages at a time until I have my house paid off. It’s lame that I’ve only paid off my house in Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing: Wild World! With that being said, I’m focusing first on Doubutsu no Mori!

I’ve been playing this game for a couple years on and off now, and I still suck at Japanese. One day I’ll actually start those lessons… anyway! My little village of Weezey is doing quite well, and I’m working on my second house expansion. I currently owe 163,000 Bells, so I have a little while to go!

Oh, and I also found a totally creepy policeman/ crossing guard figurine up for sale at Nook’s. Its arm moves back and forth and I don’t know… it just weirded me out for some reason. Not something I want in my house!

My character is closing her eyes because she is creeped out too!

Nintendo Wii

I am STILL playing Harvest Moon: Animal Parade. I’m determined to ring that final damn bell so I can consider the game beaten! It’s still so slow going, because every in game day takes about 20 minutes or so, and lately I haven’t had much extra time to play. I have told 9 out of 10 people’s wishes to the shrine, so I’m getting really close! Becoming friends with people so you can get their wish is a total pain in the ass though. I’m tired of giving them gifts!

I did participate in the Animal Festival, which occurs on the last day of Spring. I competed in all of the contests, and surprised myself by doing pretty well. My duck, Quackers, got 1st place in the livestock contest, while my snake, Slither, got 1st place in the pet contest! I also did a race with my cow, Ember, but the controls confused me and pissed me off, so I think I ended up in 4th or 5th place.

Slither is a good lil snake!

One extremely adorable perk to getting 1st place is your animals wear a teeny tiny crown on their head! Aww! Here’s Quackers and Slither with their crowns on (though Slither’s is pretty hard to see).

Anyway, I’m currently on Year 2, Summer, Day 10. I’ve got two hearts for the last person I’m trying to become friends with (a really overexcited girl named Maya), so I’m really close to ringing the damn bell.

Mobile

I’m still playing Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp every morning before work (and on the weekends while I’m sitting there drinking my coffee 😉 ) and I’m still very much enjoying it! Right now I’m focusing on getting all the villagers invited to my camp, which is easier said than done considering new ones keep getting added to the game! It took me awhile of sending Gulliver away with shitty items so I could get the three traveling villagers, but I finally got them all! Currently, I have 92/ 94 villagers invited to my camp.

There were a couple events I participated in this month. The first one was Katie’s Fruit Party, which was a gardening event. I’m not too fond of these events, because I don’t like how low the capture rate is. I feel like if you plant flowers and a creature appears on top of them, you should automatically catch them. I don’t like feeling like I have to play multiple times throughout the day, and I’ll be damned if I spend Leaf Tickets to complete an event. So, I just played casually and won whatever I could win, and I don’t really care that I missed out on some of the prizes.

The second event was much more fun- Chip’s Fishing Tourney #2! I don’t mind playing a couple times a day to see what fish I catch, and I don’t feel like I “have” to play. I loved catching the puffer fish! 😉

They are like spiky little pompoms!

I ended up with a silver trophy, which isn’t too bad. I wish the event would’ve lasted a couple days longer, but oh well.

Anywho, here’s a couple different pictures of my campsite and my camper. I change everything around quite often, so you never know what to expect when you visit my campsite! 😉 I have also reached Level 79!

Well, that’s it for my gaming in May. I got some things accomplished, but hopefully by next month I’ll have some games that I can take off of my backlog! 🙂