Wow, interesting take on it.

Secret of Mana was, like, one of the crowning moments of my youth. But it really was even more fun with other players. Maps would've been useful too.

That's basically true for me as well. I loved the concept, and the mix of nostalgia/twisting of Disney animation, but the camera and the control issues got in the way of my enjoyment. It might have been better as a movie, but I still recommend the game.

Also, it was completely missing a first act.

It's funny you say that--I often wondered how different it would be to play Secret of Mana with friends, but I always had a map of the mode 7 overworld on hand. (Seriously, shrack Flammie.) I guess that's the difference of playing a game 18 years late.

Goldeneye (Wii)
Metroid (NES, via Zero Mission)
Metroid Prime (Gamecube)
Shenmue (Dreamcast)
Ico (Playstation 2)
Shadow of the Colossus (Playstation 2)
Secret of Mana (Super Nintendo)
R-Type 3 (Super Nintendo) - normal mode - May 10

I say "normal mode" because R-Type 3 pulls a Ghouls 'n Ghosts at the end; you have to beat the game twice in one session to see the real ending. I only bothered to beat it once. The second go around is harder, unlike GnG games--correct me if I'm wrong.

R-Type 3 has a way more gradual difficulty curve than the first game. In the first R-Type, stage 2 is relatively easy, while stage 3 is downright insane. R-Type 3 is much more evenly paced, and I'd say it makes for a more enjoyable shmup.

Also, I'd like to share some tunes from the Bydo Empire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exHI2YnbcTo

The overworld is easy to navigate, and the game comes with an Overworld Map; that's no problem. I meant maps for the dungeons you explore, particularly the last.

I dunno. Though it got fun with friends, I recall enjoying the single-player gameplay too. I did however have Nintendo Power guiding me through the first part of the game, up til you reach Mushroom Town. Bosses could be a bit tedious, once you figured out it was just a question of whether you had enough MP to keep laying out spell after spell, holding them in place til they're dead.

Rescuing Santa Claus was cool. I just wish they'd done more with him. Then again, I understand the original game design was much, much more vast, and the final product was severely cut back from what they'd originally intended. Man, what could've been.

Epic Mickey (Wii) - January 10
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (360) - Feb 6
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Wii) - March 18
Kirby's Epic Yarn: April 2
Pilotwings Resort: April 7
Legend of the Mystical Ninja (SNES via VC) - May 6
Mass Effect 2 (360, second playthrough) - May 14

Chrono Trigger - just shortly on Virtual Console. I have the moonlight parade with Chrono... but not Magus (I was going through a complicated thing at the time and thought a. that it was like Tales of Symphonia and that I had to choose between Magus joining or bringing Chrono back to life, and b. that if he was gonna join me it would have happened after the battle... I didn't even notice that he had died. Okay this was one instance where spoilers might have helped me). Already starting a new game plus though

Batman: Arkham City (X-Box 360) October 31st (appropriately)

uhhh... let's see if i can't remember what i've done.

Goldeneye (Wii)
Metroid (NES, via Zero Mission)
Metroid Prime (Gamecube)
Shenmue (Dreamcast)
Ico (Playstation 2)
Shadow of the Colossus (Playstation 2)
Secret of Mana (Super Nintendo)
R-Type 3 (Super Nintendo) - normal mode
Sly 2 (PS2)
Sly 3 (PS2)
Jak & Daxter (PS2)
Gunvalkyrie (Xbox)
Jesus: Kyoufu no Bio-Monster (NES)
Starfox 2 (SNES) - expert mode
Earthbound (SNES)
Earthbound Zero (NES)
Mother 3 (GBA)

I think that's everything?

While the first two Mother games feel like they're about messing around as a kid, Mother 3 really drives you forward to your next goal. Mother 3 does reward you if you stop and look around, but those are nice extras--in the first two Mother games, stopping and looking around was your main activity.

Mother 3 has an abundance of meaty dungeons, something that was a rarity in Earthbound and wasn't all that common in Earthbound Zero. With so much time spent in dungeons, you won't do too much chillaxin'; these segments are of course very goal-oriented.

Earthbound kept its dungeons frighteningly short, and Earthbound Zero used a mix of both super-short and decently-lengthed dungeons.

It also shakes up your party on a regular basis, and for the first half of the game, your party never stays regular. You can't fall into a routine with combat where you feel you have a grasp on things. Instead, you're constantly changing up strategies to fit how your party has changed. Plenty of party members leave and never return, too.

Finally, the combat introduces an element of skill. You can increase the damage on a character's attack if you tap the A button in time with the song that plays during the battle. At most, you can get in 15 extra hits, which will roughly double the damage you do.

For those that understand the combo system, you'll be focused on comboing during battles. For those that don't get it, you'll have to play catch-up, as of course the difficulty won't be so gracious to you if you're not doing as much damage. Either way, battling won't come easy.

It adds up to an experience that constantly has your attention. That should probably be considered a virtue, but, so far as I'm concerned, the charm of the first two Mother games was that they were so laid-back. And if I want a game that'll grab my attention, I'll take something more interesting, like a Final Fantasy, or something more streamlined, like a Phantasy Star.

What's interesting is that Mother 3's story laments how, over time, you become more goal-oriented. Growing up and contributing society, more often than not, means entering the daily grind, which is all about meeting large amounts of short-term goals. That's how I'd describe how Mother 3 plays.

aaauuugh i still have to beat shenmue 2. very not looking forward to returning to that one.

Okamiden - November 4, 2011 - Nice little ending. Not as good as Okami, but if it keeps the series going, good enough!

9 November 2011 - Back to the Future IV.

Deus ex: Human Revolution, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked and Super Mario 3D Land.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective - 11-16-2011.

Great game, but the ending is confusing as heck and I'm still not sure there aren't some plot holes. I literally CAN'T TELL.

On the other hand, this general concept would make an excellent animated movie. They'd have to re-write a lot of the plot to make it palatable to audiences, but it'd be workable. What's it say that I have actually picked out voice actors for most of the cast?

Skyward Sword - December 5th.