At the inception of this article, I wasn't really sure exactly what to focus on.  Would I do a top ten for the year? Would I do a top ten at all?  What should I do it on?  All of this was moot, considering that I wasn't confident that I could even name ten games off the top of my head that I played this year (not already covered in my blog).  So with an empty head and a few ideas,  I strove forward. I finally decided to touch on two articles that I never finished (but started out earlier this year), one article I wanted to write, but didn't quite get to, and three games that I remember playing that really spoke to me (that no one else covered).

*Note to future self: When doing a "Top of" list it is important to have a general idea of what games you played during said year.  So in the future, it might be beneficial to actually keep up with the "Beaten Games" thread just in case I decide to do this again*





In the past, the process of acquiring hardware and games was always very cut and dry for me: (1) I see item(s) for sale, (2) I purchase item(s), and (3) I play item(s).  Very simple.  From the Odyssey^2 to the Sega Master System, I never seemed to have any problems.  Then, 2014 hit and I bought a bunch of Commodore 64 stuff.  Looking back, I was warned of the pitfalls and quirks of this particular system, but I was so excited to finally get a Commodore 64 and begin my route towards acquiring old 8 and 16-bit computers, that I just assumed the best and bought the first Craigslist entry I found. The initial results were anything but the best. The initial $80 went towards two C64 "beige boxes," one 1541 drive, one data set, and a bunch of mixed software, games, and manuals. Unfortunately, with the exception of the tape drive, cassettes, and a power supply, none of it was functional. I was crushed, but not ready to throw in the towel. After a ton of research, I spent another $50 on a broken unit with some CIB and loose games, which turned out to be a working unit (once a working power supply was added in from my first purchase).  With the advice of some fellow RFGeners, I went back to the well and sought out a 1571 drive. This time I ended up with a total of two-and-a-half dead drives, but the seller was cool and refunded my money (about $100). Keep in mind that during this entire process I was assuming a working system would eventually arrive, so I went about loading up on games.  With the help of nupoile and eBay, I got a healthy collection going.  My biggest coup was winning over twenty games for less than $15, most of them RPG games! So in the end, this little venture turned out to be a success despite the amount of defective and semi-defective hardware I received. I think that with some confidence, despite my lack of a 100% functioning floppy drive, that I am finished acquiring C64 stuff. Well, maybe I could look for another power supply, just to be safe....and a way to backup my floppies would be cool.....you know on second thought, it might be good to have a fully functioning disk drive.  Plus, the C128 looks really snazzy, and...


In 2007, I had to sell off part of my collection.  While it wasn't everything, a lot of my most valuable and fun things were sold to the highest bidder on eBay. Earlier this year, I decided I wanted a large part, if not all of it, back.  Initially, things started out well, with a few odds and ends from Amazon and eBay, as well as a great care package from RFGen member, slackur. But as I further refined my spreadsheet, I began to question it. Was all of this necessary? If gaming is, as I have proclaimed all along, a fulfillment of my family, my friends, and my personal enjoyment, was spending hundreds of dollars rebuying my console RPG collection really worth it, especially if I didn't even like some of the games to begin with?  I quickly backed off and reevaluated my position on this venture. What do I really want from reclaiming all of these games?  I knew I wanted to play many of these games again (due to content or nostalgia), but was it really necessary to play them in their original formats?  Would I get as much enjoyment from Dragon Warrior IV on Android or DS as from my old NES copy?  Do I need to pick up another Master System or is the Powerbase Convertor (or [a href="http://www.stoneagegamer.com/powerbase-mini.html">Power Base Mini from Stone Age Gamer) enough? Do I need all the packaging for Arc the Lad Collection to have fun with it again?  This was a lot of questions to process at once, and one of the primary reasons I stalled out on further acquisitions.  Yet another reason was the sheer amount of new and old games that continue to surface that demand my attention. Still, while I have made my 2007 reacquisition list much shorter, I feel it is more focused than before, and much more respective of my time and money.



Another big purchase this year was from our very own senseiman.  I had the notion to buy some Famicom games for a while, so early this year I decided to bite the bullet and just buy a bunch of games. I picked a few based on name, but for the most part I selected them based upon the sticker on the front of the game. Talk about a ton of fun. I have played all the games for at least thirty minutes each (even the Mahjong), and many of them at the insistence of my daughter.  There isn't a week that goes by where she doesn't request some time in front of the ol' NES playing Famicom games, which is amazing.  Her current favorite is Ninja Hattori-kun, though she keeps trying to get into Bird Week. 

My favorite Famicom titles are the Namco Star Wars game (it's just so hard and weird) and Final Fantasy III.  At some point, I would like to write on the challenges and rewards of playing Japanese RPG games in their native language (with no knowledge of said language). For now, I'll just say that FFIII is an excellent game, featuring art and music that will tickle the fancy of 8-bit JRPG fans.  Looking back it wasn't the first pure JRPG I played, through it was certainly memorable. Star Wars is just...  wack, and Darth Vader transforming into a giant scorpion is certainly one of the least wacky parts of it.  Other standout games from this lot are Star Luster, which is basically an easier version of Star Voyager; DAIVA, a mix of strategy and side-view mech-style shooter; Bird Week, which is a mother bird sim (in actuality a expanded version of Bird Mother for C64); and Formation Z, a light, side-view mech shooter where you can transform into a jet.  While the number of games I own is small, it has wet my whistle to to check out what else the Famicom has to offer, and seeing that I have heard senseiman might be back in business soon, I may have to acquiesce to these urges (Please note this was written before I noticed senseiman was in fact, back in business).


*Please note, all videos below are from the respective developers*

Dragonfall and Avernum: Escape From the Pit (EFtP) represent the best and most comprehensive CRPG games I played this year. Dragonfall is a "kick it up a notch" moment for the retro-style CRPG scene, and Avernum: Escape From the Pit, is the latest and greatest in the Avernum series from legendary CRPG Indie house, Spiderweb Software. 


Dragonfall was originally created as an expansion to Harebrained Studio's Shadowrun Returns Kickstarter effort; however, Dragonfall surpassed Returns not by a leap, but by a rocket-jump.  The turn-based nature is still the same as the original (as well as some of the bugs), but this time, they nailed the feel of the original Shadowrun pen and paper game. I don't even want to tell you about the awesome plot, for fear of giving it away, but suffice to say, it is based in Berlin, Germany, and you go on a shadowrun. Get it! Since release, Dragonfall has been updated to a standalone, apart from the core game (with the Steam Workshop functionality intact), and is only $14.99 on both on GoG and Steam. It runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and there is even a port of iOS and Android at about half the price. Imagine that! 


Avernum: EFtP is a massive game with a massive story. It is penned extremely well and has a good amount of side quests to keep you away from the main story as long as possible. It doesn't have voice acting or cut scenes, but doesn't feel like it needs it; it feels like it was created specifically for fans of 90's era isometric CRPG games. Remember those? The game can be played exclusively with keyboard (using old-style shortcuts), though of course you can still play with a mouse if you choose. A brief plot summary you say?  Underneath the Empire there lies a massive subterranean cavern named Avernum, where the criminal elements and political malcontents are tossed, never to see the light of day again. One day, you find yourself exiled here by the Emperor himself. Seemingly trapped in a place where everyday life is a fight for survival, you have to find a way to acclimate yourself to this new existence, and perhaps even get a little revenge in the end. The game is available on both Windows, Mac, iOS, Android (and Linux with a little help from Wine).


Now for my oddball pick for 2014.  Knock-Knock is a strange little game by Ice-Pick Lodge that was Kickstarted back in 2012.  You play the Lodger, a man wearing a nightgown, slippers, and a scarf.  Every night he awakens, and walks around his house with a single candle, turning on and off lights while trying to figure out what is going on.  The object is simple: survive until the next day.  The intro screen reveals that the game was designed according to a strange document, that may or may not make any sense. In the game, there are rules, but they are scattered and perhaps unreliable.  You will hear strange voices that tell you what appears to be conflicting information.  Overall, this game is strange and creepy, and something I enjoy going back to.  It can be found on Steam, GoG, as well as on iOS and Android and is as cheap as chips.  This game is best played wearing headphones and in the dark.

Well, that is it.  My year in a nutshell.  I originally also wanted to include something about Kentucky Route Zero, but Fleach's article is far better at covering the salient points of this excellent game.  Plus, I am still playing it.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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