{"id":1210,"date":"2014-07-01T14:55:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-01T21:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?p=1210"},"modified":"2014-07-01T14:55:00","modified_gmt":"2014-07-01T21:55:00","slug":"backlog-blitz-the-games-of-june-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?p=1210","title":{"rendered":"Backlog Blitz: The games of June 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"20140701_backlog_june\"<\/a><\/p>\n

June hurt. A lot. Although I didn’t spend a lot of money ($63.75), I only finished 2 games worth $20.00. With the year already halfway over, heading into July with only a +2 advantage isn’t the most positive of omens. Let’s hope the rest of the year turns things around!\u00a0Anyway, the format, as with previous updates<\/a>, is\u00a0Game\u00a0Title<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(Platform, Purchase Price, Play Time).<\/p>\n

Games purchased (-9, $63.75 spent):<\/h1>\n
    \n
  1. \"20140701_lego_city\"<\/a>Lego City Undercover <\/i><\/b>(Wii U, $5.00)
    \nThe Lego games — and the work of Traveller’s Tales in general — have been hit or miss with me in the past, but I’ve heard great things about this one. Having played through and thoroughly enjoyed Grand Theft Auto V<\/em> earlier this year, I’m eager to try this, a more family-friendly open-world action game.<\/li>\n
  2. Picross e4<\/i><\/b> (3DS, $6.00)
    \nThis was mainly a purchase for my wife, who loves all things Picross<\/em>. I didn’t even know that these eShop versions existed until I just happened upon them while browsing through the store a few weeks ago. So far, a thumbs-up from her, so things are looking good!<\/li>\n
  3. Aban Hawkins & the 1001 Spikes <\/i><\/b>(Wii U, $6.50)
    \nNicalis is one of my favorite indie developer\/publishers — responsible for the excellent 3DS versions of Cave Story<\/em> and VVVVVV<\/em>\u00a0— and it didn’t take much beyond its     weird trailer<\/a> to convince me that I’d be buying this on day one. Just started it, and it’s fantastic.<\/li>\n
  4. NES Remix 2<\/i><\/b> (Wii U, $10.00)
    \nAfter giving the first NES Remix<\/em> a second chance, I ended up really liking it, so picking up the second one was a no-brainer. Game selection looks better, and there are a number of changes and improvements to it that should make it an even more enjoyable trip down memory lane.<\/li>\n
  5. Far Cry 3<\/i><\/b> (PC, $7.50)
    \nAnd then came the Steam Summer Sale, which unfortunately accounts for this and most of the remaining games below. I’ve never played any of the Far Cry<\/em> games, but I’ve heard really good things about this particular installment. The trailer shown at E3 for Far Cry 4<\/em> looked intriguing, so I might as well get educated on what this series is all about.<\/li>\n
  6. \"20140701_far_cry_3_bd\"<\/a>Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon<\/i><\/b> (PC, $3.75)
    \nA total impulse buy, I have no idea what this is about, except that everyone who has played it says it’s one of the coolest things from 2013. Looks like it’s chock-full of ’80s and 16-bit nostalgia, so that sounds like it’s right up my alley.<\/li>\n
  7. New Super Luigi U<\/i><\/b> (Wii U, $17.50)
    \nI’ve been waiting for a good price on the retail version of this New Super Mario Bros. U<\/em> DLC, and I finally found one. The original game was one of my favorites on the Wii U, and is up there with New Super Mario Bros. Wii<\/em> as my favorite of the “New” series.<\/li>\n
  8. Spelunky<\/i><\/b> (PC, $3.75)
    \nTook me a while to finally buy this, and the Steam Sale made it possible for a great price. I played a good chunk of the non-HD version years ago, so I’m looking forward to losing myself in this enhanced version.<\/li>\n
  9. BattleBlock Theater<\/i><\/b> (PC, $3.75)
    \nAnother impulse purchase based on a friend’s recommendation. It’s a platformer by The Behemoth (Alien Hominid<\/em> and Castle Crashers<\/em>), which sounds like a winning combination to me!
    \n
    \n<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Games finished (+2, $20.00 value):<\/span><\/h1>\n
      \n
    1. \"20140701_nes_remix\"<\/a>NES Remix<\/strong><\/em> (Wii U, $15.00, 15 hrs.)
      \nAlthough I still can\u2019t get over how bad the controls are in games like Ice Climber<\/em>, Urban Champion<\/em>, and the original Mario Bros.<\/em> (non-Super<\/em>), this is still a great compilation that will make you look at the NES era in entirely new ways. I’m glad I gave it another chance, because I ended up really enjoying it. Overall: B+<\/strong> (      Review Link<\/a>)<\/li>\n
    2. DuckTales <\/strong><\/em>(NES, $5.00, 4 hrs.)
      \n<\/span>This is a short game, but it\u2019ll definitely take you several playthroughs to extract everything there is out of it. But even after that, you\u2019ll likely come back for more. This is a unique, fun platformer that proudly does its license justice. Good graphics, great music, fun gameplay, and nonlinear level design. Overall:\u00a0B+<\/strong>\u00a0(      Review Link<\/a>)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      And with that, we head into the second half of 2014! If E3 is any indicator<\/a>, it’s going to take some serious willpower to make it through the rest of the year in positive territory.<\/p>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"reddit\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      June hurt. A lot. Although I didn’t spend a lot of money ($63.75), I only finished 2 games worth $20.00. With the year already halfway over, heading into July with only a +2 advantage isn’t the most positive of omens. Let’s hope the rest of the year turns things around!\u00a0Anyway, the format, as with previous […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[11,79,427,276,142,116,9,74],"class_list":["post-1210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-backlog-blitz","tag-11","tag-3ds","tag-backlog-blitz","tag-june","tag-nes","tag-nintendo","tag-pc","tag-wii-u"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4yrob-jw","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":24,"url":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?p=24","url_meta":{"origin":1210,"position":0},"title":"The Backlog Blitz","author":"Mike","date":"April 15, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A few years ago, I realized that I was buying way too many games. Actually, this has been true for at least the past two decades, and well, I've known it all along. I mean, it's very easy to amass a large collection of games than you have yet to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backlog Blitz"","block_context":{"text":"Backlog Blitz","link":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"+12 for the year so far","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/20140414blitz.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/20140414blitz.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/20140414blitz.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/20140414blitz.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1494,"url":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?p=1494","url_meta":{"origin":1210,"position":1},"title":"Backlog Blitz: The Games of July 2014","author":"Mike","date":"August 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"After a huge drop in June, I nearly got myself back to May levels in July. I only bought one game, thanks to lackluster or nonexistent sales and a dry month at retail. I finished seven games, netting me a +6 total for last month. Anyway, the format,\u00a0as with previous\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backlog Blitz"","block_context":{"text":"Backlog Blitz","link":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"20140801_ghg_bb_july","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/20140801_ghg_bb_july-300x218.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1030,"url":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?p=1030","url_meta":{"origin":1210,"position":2},"title":"Backlog Blitz: The games of April 2014","author":"Mike","date":"June 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I slipped in April. What can I say, there were some good sales! April was also the month I created GHG, so that ate significantly into my game playing time. I would make up for it in May, but June's not looking great so far. Anyway, the format, like previous\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backlog Blitz"","block_context":{"text":"Backlog Blitz","link":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"20140619_backlog_blitz_april_2014","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/20140619_backlog_blitz_april_2014-300x218.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1712,"url":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?p=1712","url_meta":{"origin":1210,"position":3},"title":"Backlog Blitz: The Games of September 2014","author":"Mike","date":"October 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Hmm, going from a peak of +14 back in March to a +2 in September is not a good omen. After a good recovery in July and August, I've once again slipped into near-negative territory. As you'll see, several nice bundles are to blame, but I did finish a couple\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backlog Blitz"","block_context":{"text":"Backlog Blitz","link":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"20141006_backlog","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/20141006_backlog-300x218.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1819,"url":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?p=1819","url_meta":{"origin":1210,"position":4},"title":"Backlog Blitz: The Games of October 2014","author":"Mike","date":"November 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Oh, the holiday season. It's that time of year when companies do everything they can to get their big releases out in time for Black Friday. It's also when outlets like Steam, Humble, GOG.com, and Bundle Stars bring out the big guns, unveiling deals that for even the most resistant\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backlog Blitz"","block_context":{"text":"Backlog Blitz","link":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"20141117_ghg_backlog_oct","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/20141117_ghg_backlog_oct-300x218.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1677,"url":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?p=1677","url_meta":{"origin":1210,"position":5},"title":"Backlog Blitz: The Games of August 2014","author":"Mike","date":"September 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Where does the time go? I can't believe it's already mid-September! It was a pretty even month, even though I did buy more than I finished. However, a couple of the games I finished rank as some of my favorites of the year so far, so I'm OK with that.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backlog Blitz"","block_context":{"text":"Backlog Blitz","link":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"20140916_ghg_backlog_aug_14","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/20140916_ghg_backlog_aug_14-300x218.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1210"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1220,"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1210\/revisions\/1220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.grayhairedgamer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}