Yamanote Line Game Video Game Game

I've got an hour to burn, so I'm going to write something.

I've nothing planned, so I'm just going to write about the first video-game-related thing that pops into my head. The next topic I write about will start with the last letter of the previous point. It's a variation of the Yamanote Line game, only written down, and I'm the only player. 

Hello? Are you still there? 

Oh well, video games...... 

Monster Hunter World 

That was lovely. Eighty hours of slaying with friends and alone. I've got the armour I wanted, a rarity 8 Long Sword, and nothing new left to hunt, at least until Deviljho drops. The tempered monsters are more of a challenge, but they're still the same beasts, and the promise of weapon stones isn't quite enough to keep me motivated. I'll hunt with friends every now and again, and I'll be there whenever the DLC drops, but for now I'm winding down my HR41 geezer. 

Demon's Souls 

I can't wait to finally start playing Demon's Souls online. I've been waiting nine years for the right moment, and I feel like this is it. Seriously though Sony, give us a Demon's Souls Remaster yeah? 

Super Stardust HD 

That was a good game, wasn't it? One of the best on PSN, back in the PS3 days. I got my copy as part of the 2011 apology package, when teenage terrorists stole our account information. I miss the days when we got free stuff because of dangerous mismanagement of online security. 

Desert Strike 

My Gulf War. Desert Strike was one of a handful of games that kicked my arse when I was a kid. I was awful at it, yet I kept playing over and over again, never improving. I'd save a couple of POWs, blow up a few installations, then crash into a sand dune. It's up there with The Ninja (MS), Alex Kidd in Miracle World (MS), Street Fighter 2 Championship Edition (MD) and everything on the Game Boy (GB) as games that tormented me as a child. 

Excitebike 

I know nothing about Excitebike. I have no idea why it's the first game that came to mind for the letter E. 

Exhumed

Stop giving me Es! 

Daytona USA 

Another game that I'm shit at. This is somewhat of a recurring theme. I'm only good at playing Call of Duty games on veteran setting, Resogun, and scratching and singing at the same time in DJ Hero 2. 

Assassin's Creed Origins 

I returned to Origins this week after a three month absence. The systems and story came back to me pretty quick but the combat is proving to be more of a challenge. I'd forgotten how difficult missions can be if you are even a level or two below the suggested minimum. I'm too under-leveled to take on the next story mission, but don't want to busy myself with fetch quests. It's frustrating, because I want to keep pushing forward and experience what the game has to offer. 

Maybe I'll just load up the exploration mode, which treats you to a historical tour of Ptolemaic Egypt without the worry of missions and combat. I might bring my Chocobo mount and ramp up the historical accuracy. 

Super Smash Bros (Switch)

I couldn't give a fuck. Smash Brothers is up there with super hero movies and Star Wars as wildly popular things that don't interest me in the slightest. 

Syphon Filter

One of the best B-tier series on the PlayStation. It wasn't on the same level as Metal Gear Solid, but it was miles better than other super-agent games like Mission Impossible, In Cold Blood, and all the James Bond tie-ins where Pierce Brosnan shot Russians. I'm not sure that it'd work as a modern day series, as we are miserable bastards that demand a more serious approach to our third person shooters, but it's a series worth remembering. 

Resident Evil 6

An awful game, though I hear that the post launch patch improved it greatly. However, it was so flawed that I can't imagine that it would make much difference. It was messy, incohesive, and inconsistent, much like this blog post.

Xbox One

What am I going to play on my Xbox? It just sits there, bulky and useless. I'd consider going back to Forza Horizon 3 if the Hotwheels DLC went on sale. Maybe Crackdown 3 will do it, if it ever comes out and if it's any good, but that's a lot of ifs and maybes. I was fairly interested in PUBG, but by the time they've fixed all those glitches it'll probably be on PS4 anyway. Bulky and useless.

Earthworm Jim

Here are some rejected mascot platformers from the 90s. 

Sebastian Shrew 

Gareth 

Larry the Line (an anthropomorphic line) 

Sniffy the Cadaver Dog 

James Pond 

Mario Odyssey 

After taking six weeks off to hunt monsters, I returned to Mario Odyssey and finished the main game. It's the first Mario that I've finished - you got a problem with that? - and the first that I've genuinely loved.

I've played plenty of other Marios over the years, but my reaction is usually "this is well made and interesting, but I'd rather play something else". Aside from being an excellent game, full of wonderful ideas, the main reason I enjoyed Odyssey so much is because I experienced it with my daughter. 

It's the first time that we've shared a game from start to finish, and that made it special. At three years old, she's too young to play it herself, but she was more than content to watch me have a go and shout encouragement whenever daddy couldn't figure out how to get past a tricky stretch of lava or gaggle of angry mushrooms. 

She's gonna fucking love Red Dead Redemption 2. 

Yes, it's Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 

In the end, all things come back to Metal Gear Solid 3.