Saturday, January 08, 2022

12 new and old games I want to play in 2022

I did a pretty good job of spreading the love around last year in terms of playing a variety of games on a variety of systems. Sure, the majority of the games I played were played on my Switch, but four were played on my Vita, one was played on my 3DS, and three were played on my DS.

I'm going to try my best to keep that up this year, as the following list of old and new games I want to play in 2022 should make clear.

7th Dragon (DS)
I've wanted to play this Imageepoch-made DS RPG since it was first announced due, mostly, to its adorable character designs and Yuzo Koshiro-composed soundtrack. Hopefully they'll be enough to overcome 7th Dragon's annoying components, of which I've heard there are a few. I'm no stranger to old, frustrating RPGs, of course, so fingers crossed that experience helps me out a bit, too.


Bravely Second (3DS)
I've started this Bravely Default sequel twice since I got my hands on a copy in early 2016. On both occasions, I walked away after just a few hours of play, feeling decidedly disinterested. Will this third attempt be the charm? I have my doubts, but after thoroughly enjoying Bravely Default II (and having a similarly positive experience with the original release), I'm willing to give it a try. If things don't click this time, though...

For the Frog the Bell Tolls (GameBoy)
Oh, look, another game I've tried a couple of times. I don't remember ditching For the Frog the Bell Tolls, or Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru, because a lack of interest, though; rather, I think my previous attempts simply began at the wrong time. That said, I do recall finding this GameBoy title's battles a bit curious, so here's hoping they--as well as the rest of this retro adventure--strike me as appealingly curious during my next go-round.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel (Switch)
I've yet to play the other two games in the Little Tail Bronx series, so why am I champing at the bit to play this one? For starters, I'm intrigued by its tank-centric gameplay. I also rather like how it looks. That's it, really. Now I just need the game to (finally) go on sale, as its $40 asking price is a little too steep for me.


Katamari Damacy no-Vita (Vita)
Truth be told, I'd rather We Love Katamari be ported to the Switch so I can play that game portably. With that being an impossibility (for the moment, at least), I'll settle for giving this Vita entry in the series a go. Don't worry, I'm well aware it pales in comparison to earlier releases. It's still Katamari Damacy, though, right?

NEO: The World Ends with You (Switch)
Being the serious TWEWY fan that I am (though I only finished it for the first time last year), I was beyond excited when this sequel was announced in late 2020. NEO: TWEWY released at a weird time for me, though, and so instead of playing it right away, as planned, it was unceremoniously ushered into a closet to be played at some future date. That future date is going to be sometime in 2022, if I have anything to say about it.

Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Richie Oosouji (DS)
Chibi-Robo! totally is a "me" kind of series--and yet I've only ever played a bit of its very first entry, released for the GameCube. I'm going to attempt to rectify matters by diving into this direct follow-up (I think?) in 2022 thanks the English fan translation that's been available for the last five or so years.


SaGa 2 (DS)
I was enamored with this game, known as Final Fantasy Legend II in my neck of the woods, as a kid. Mind you, I was enamored with reading about it, not playing it. Oh, I bought and played it, and of course enjoyed it, but I never quite got into it like I did its predecessor, which I played for hours on end. Hopefully a second attempt in 2022, via this DS remake from 2009, will prove more compelling.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi (Switch)
Here's another game that I eagerly anticipated playing last year as soon as I got my hands on a copy, only to drop the ball when that happened due to the timing of the release. I continue to think this dungeon-crawler looks masterful, especially its intriguing, near-modern-day setting, so don't expect me to ignore it for much longer. 

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars (Switch)
I can't muster much interest in Square Enix's major productions these days, but the company's smaller efforts? I nearly always adore them. I suspect that trend will continue with this card-themed RPG, especially since its demo impressed me to a surprising degree. In particular, I appreciated its slow pace and mysterious vibe. I can't wait to find out if I feel the same way about the full, final product.


Weapon Shop de Omasse (3DS)
I adored what I played of Level-5's inventive Guild series games back when they released here in 2012 and 2013. Attack of the Friday Monsters! and Crimson Shroud were my favorites, but I also enjoyed The Starship Damrey and Aero Porter. One Guild release I've yet to experience is this "rhythm fantasy RPG" that has players forge weapons for would-be heroes to rent for upcoming quests. 

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows (Vita)
Although it occasionally irritated me, the original Yomawari impressed me overall when I played through it last year. I especially liked its compact setting and its cute-but-also-plenty-unsettling aesthetic. I've been meaning to take a stab at this follow-up ever since, but the timing's never been right. I'm going to force the issue soon, though, due to the fact that a third Yomawari game is releasing in Japan this April.

Monday, January 03, 2022

How I spent my time with video games in 2021

Although I played and finished a lot of games in 2021, I didn't spend as much time with those games as I did with the games I played and finished in 2020.


Last year, for example, I put more than 80 hours into three different games. This year, my most-played game topped out at just over 75 hours.


Despite that, I'm plenty happy with how I spent my time with games in 2021. In particular, I'm happy that four Vita games made the cut this year, as did three DS games and one 3DS game. I failed to finish the 3DS game (Etrian Mystery Dungeon), admittedly, but that's how it goes sometimes.


I'm much more bummed about the fact that I only managed to put three-ish hours into Shin Megami Tensei V between its release and the end of 2021. I didn't dislike the time I spent with this Switch RPG, so my current indifference to returning to it has me stumped.


Who knows, maybe I'll finish it in the new year and it'll appear in my eventual "how I spent my time with games in 2022" post.


  • Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk (Switch) — 75 hours, 30 minutes
  • Bravely Default II (Switch) — 72 hours, 20 minutes
  • Dungeon Encounters (Switch) — 43 hours, 25 minutes
  • SaGa Frontier Remastered (Switch) — 32 hours, 40 minutes
  • Airship Q (Vita) — 28 hours, 35 minutes
  • Gnosia (Switch) — 24 hours, 45 minutes
  • Shiren the Wanderer 5+ (Switch) — 24 hours, 30 minutes
  • Spelunky (Switch + Vita) — 24 hours, 25 minutes

  • Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love (DS) — 23 hours, 40 minutes
  • Poison Control (Switch) — 16 hours, 50 minutes
  • Gravity Rush (Vita) -- 14 hours, 40 minutes
  • Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Switch) — 14 hours, 15 minutes
  • Pac-Man 99 (Switch) — 11 hours, 50 minutes
  • A Kappa’s Trail (DS) — 10 hours, 40 minutes
  • Captain Toad (Switch) — 10 hours, 30 minutes
  • Deltarune Chapter 1&2 (Switch) — 8 hours, 40 minutes
  • Mon Amour (Switch) — 8 hours, 05 minutes
  • Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir (Switch) — 8 hours, 00 minutes

  • Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind (Switch) — 6 hours, 55 minutes
  • Tearaway (Vita) -- 6 hours, 50 minutes
  • Etrian Mystery Dungeon (3DS) — 6 hours, 00 minutes
  • Umurangi Generation Special Edition (Switch) — 6 hours, 00 minutes
  • Princess Debut (DS) — 5 hours, 20 minutes
  • Liquid Kids (Switch) — 3 hours, 45 minutes
  • Shin Megami Tensei V (Switch) — 3 hours, 45 minutes
  • Overboard! (Switch) — 3 hours, 25 minutes

How did you spend your time with games in 2021? Feel free to share your own play-time stats, or simply list your most-played titles, in the comments section below.


See also: how I spent my time with games in 2020