Top Ten Video Games I've Replayed Too Many Times

Hello again! So, since one of my earlier posts was about games I've never finished, I thought I should make this post about games I've played and finished and bit too much. We all have those games we love to replay, even to the point obsession, and here are mine!

10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (GBC)

Yes, the first one is a movie game. But not a bad movie game! It is terribly short, however; I think the last time I played it I beat it in an hour. This is one of the first three video games I ever got. It's a bit of an RPG mixed with a little of just exploring, from what I can remember. Pretty simple. But I learned to level grind with this game, so much to the point that I would just max out my spells' levels at the very beginning of the game just to see if I could. It's a cute little game that I replayed over and over.

9. Frogger 2 Swampy's Revenge (GBC)

This was another of my first three games. I don't even know why I wanted this game. I remember circling it in a catalogue, even though I had never heard of the franchise. I guess I just liked the frog aspect? Either way, this was the first video game I ever beat. Maybe that's not saying a lot, but…there were a few hard parts and puzzle-like parts in that game! I also found all the secret gems (I think?) in every single level, and this was before I knew you could look for this stuff on the internet! I remember waking my dad up when I beat the game for the first time, and was sad he wasn't as excited as I.

8. Super Mario Brothers (GBC)

The cartridge itself is known as "Super Mario Bros. Deluxe" as it has both Super Mario Brothers and the original Mario Bros. on it. But I'm going to be talking specifically about SMB. I first played it in a very old arcade machine at my dentist's office. I wasn't good at first, but I learned what was where, and could soon advance to about world 2-1 before they would call me back to dental hell. So I had to get this game when I saw it in stores. Like I said in my last post, I'm not very good at Mario games, but I love them, so I persisted. Soon I beat the game, and then beat it over and over.

7. Pokemon Puzzle Challenge 

This is the Gameboy Color port of Pokemon Puzzle League for the N64. It's downgraded a bit, but still very fun and cute. I was maybe nine when I got this game. I didn't know a lot of things back then. I didn't know you could go online and look for secrets about video games. So it legitimately surprised me when I beat hard mode for the first time and it unlocked a new mode, and then another! I was also surprised as new characters became available for me to use. While I've never fully beaten the game's hardest mode, "intense mode," I've definitely given this game a fair share of my time.

6. Mario Kart DS

This wasn't my first Mario Kart game, but it's definitely my most loved. I've unlocked everything. I've gotten the highest ranking in everything. I hate that I sold it, because it was my go-to boredom game, no matter how much I played it. It never got boring! Unfortunately the 3DS version just did not live up to that.

5. We Love Katamari

Katamari is one of my most favorite game series. It's quirky, cultural, and cute and it something that can take my mind off almost any problem. While I've replayed and completed almost every version multiple times (except for the 360 and Vita versions) I think the second game for the Playstation 2 is the one I've played the most. It has so much more to do then any of the other games, in my opinion. I got this game maybe when I was fifteen, and I still play it to this day, around eight years later. I would have this higher on the list, but I haven't finished the game's hardest mode…the one million roses level. It's exactly what it sounds like. You gather one million roses. I think if the levels they game you to get said roses were more open or more varied, I'd be more willing to add to my total roses, but I get so bored going around in circles…luckily the rest of the game makes up for that!

4. DDR Max 2

This was my first game for the PS2! It only took me a few days to learn how to dance well, and maybe about a week to unlock all the songs. But of course, this game has a huge replay value. I ay have gotten through some songs, but only just, and I constantly was striving for that "AAA" rating. While I haven't played it since I moved into my apartment due to space, I still have it and my mat.

3. Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland

Here we get to the slightly obsessive part. This is my first and only Kirby game, though now I have more to play on the Virtual Console. It took me a while to fully beat the game, but I did. And then I beat it again. I would replay the last level over and over again just because I thought the battle was cool as anything. I also loved replaying the mode where you fight all the bosses in a row.

2. Pokemon Silver

This was my first Pokemon game, so naturally, it's my favorite, along with the remake, Soul Silver. I cannot tell you how many times I retorted this game before I finally completed it, and how many times I've restarted it since. I even got my dad to replace the battery when it finally ran out. I recently obtained a copy of the Japanese version, I can't wait to replace the battery in it so I can start playing!

1. Yoshi's Island (GBA)

I love Yoshi. He's not my favorite Mario character, but he is up there. This game has the Mario elements with a different twist, and maybe that's why I love it so much. Here's where it get's obsessive - I loved the credits song so much, and it didn't occur to me that I could probably find it online. So instead, I would replay the final boss battle and watch the credits every single night, only at night. I did this during long car trips as well; when we set off at night, I would turn on my light and play through the last battle just to hear the soothing credits song. I even made up words to it in fake Japanese (yes, I was that kind of kid).

Depression Sets In? Top Ten Favorite YouTubers!!

Apologies for not posting in the past few days. I've been kind of down, and yesterday was literally the worst day in ages. Ugh. I remember when my depression first really took over me. I couldn't do anything. I was a lifeless shell, pretty much. But one thing that made me smile a bit was certain YouTubers.

This isn't necessarily a list of those YouTubers who cheered me up then, but rather my all time favorite YouTubers right now. Of course, many of those people who made me feel alive again are on this list! Some of these people are well known, others aren't, and they all make videos about different things. I hope you find someone you like here!

And you can find my new YouTube account here. Where are the vlogs I promised? Well…I filmed two more, and now my computer won't recognize the SD card or the cord. Huh. One day?

10. Drew Disaster

Drew is a new find for me, but she still makes the list! It will become evident as you read this list that I like vloggers who make fashion vlogs! I love her goth-y, cute style. She is absolutely beautiful and her personality is so fun! Definitely check her out if you like alternative fashion.

9. Piinksparkles

Sammie is one of those vloggers I found when I was in my dark time. I don't remember how, but one of her videos popped up in my recommended videos list and I gave it a watch. This is when I fell in love with beauty vloggers. Sammie is absolutely adorable and has a really unique fashion style. I've been following her for a while, and I've really seen her grow. A lot of times with beauty vloggers, I watch then not necessarily for the video content, but because hearing their voice and seeing their smile is like having a friend talk to you. She's one of the "bigger" beauty vloggers, but still check her out. She doesn't let her popularity go to her head and remain true to herself. And she was going to school (I don't know if she finished yet or not) to become a mortician, how cool is that??

8. Sycra

I found this user through a tumblr post. Someone was saying he had discovered the "secret" to drawing perspective much easier. I gave it a look and…yes he did. He has a lot of cool drawing tips and hints that I never would have thought of! Sycra also reviews art programs and critiques art, as well as showing his own art and doing art tutorials. I honestly haven't watched many of his videos yet, but definitely recommend him if you are an artist!

7. Princess Peachie

Peachie is one of my favorite two lolitas! She's a sweet girl and sweet lolita, and I just love watching her sugary, frilly videos. Her world seems so interesting, she's one of those people I really just want to be friends with. She's also a very strong girl, for many reasons. I love everything that she does, if that doesn't sound too creepy, haha. She's an excellent lolita who wears mostly Bodyline and offbrands, also, which is really cool in a fashion filled with brand snobs. If you like lolita fashion, give her a watch!

6. Blogilates

I've mentioned Blogilates before in my "Weight Loss for Beginners" post! Cassey has revolutionized making exercise fun with her pop pilates videos. She is so happy and bubbly, and in each of her videos she is very encouraging. It really helps you complete the workout! And if you don't have a lot of time, her videos are short, so you can just put on a few and get a whole workout!

5. JonTronShow

Oh, Jon. I was introduced to him through my fiance, who watches more gamer videos then I. Jon has a great sense of humor and his editing is just fantastic. He doesn't do let's plays, but rather reviews, both on YouTube and Normalboots. I can't really give him enough praise, so just check him out.

4. ‪愛川こずえ‬

Kozue is a lovely girl and a fantastic dancer. And did you know she played KozKoz in Akibaranger? Anyway, she was another wonderful person I found when I was truly down, and her smile and dances really cheered me up. I can't explain why.

3. Caddicarus

Like Jon, Caddy has a very unique sense of humor and his video game videos are so different from the norm. Me and the fiance just started watching him about a month ago, but we've since watched most of his videos because they're all so great! As you can tell, I'm not good at describing video game vloggers, haha.

2. blndsundoll4mj

Yes, I disagree with a lot of this girl's views and actions. But Trish is such a lovely, wonderful person. She doesn't just make beauty videos, but those are probably the videos of hers I like the most. Trish has dreams of making it big, and I really want her to succeed. And before you insult her intelligence, you do know half her current videos are jokes, right? I don't recommend Trish for everyone, but she is a lot of fun.

1. grav3yardgirl

Her name is Bunny, too! Honestly, she annoyed me a bit at first, but I thought, "Her name is Bunny, so I have to watch one of her videos!" So I did, and I fell in love. Bunny is probably the most unique person on this list, both in terms of fashion and personality. She also suffers from depression and anxiety, and I think that's one reason why I connect with her on a deep level. To be honest, I'm not liking a lot of her recent videos, they seem to be aimed more towards what her viewers want to see rather then what she wants to make, and she always says certain phrases because that's what her viewers want. But her videos from about two-three years ago…I must have watched her old videos at least five times each. Like I said, it's not always about the content, but about having someone there, talking to you. My love for this girl is endless. I want so badly for her happiness. I'd recommend checking her out, maybe watching some of her outfit of the day videos first.

New Pokemon Games Announced!! Top Ten Advances Made By Ruby and Sapphire!!

I'm writing this on my phone, so apologies if something looks weird.  EDIT: Updated to be a list!

If you haven't heard the news, Nintendo announced two new Pokemon games today - remakes to the game's third generation, Ruby and Sapphire!! 

Maybe you're jumping for joy at the news, or maybe you're groaning because third gen was your least favorites. People have some pretty strong opinions about Ruby and Sapphire, both positive and negative. Me? The internal battery in my copy of Sapphire has run dry from playing it so much, and I'm even doing another run through right now! While Silver was my first and favorite Pokemon game, Sapphire is a close second. Yet I can see why people could dislike it. Being on a new, more advanced system, they tried a lot of new things - from music, to Pokemon design, to game mechanics - which were very different from the previous two games. Some things worked, and some didn't. 

Later tonight, I'm going to edit this post with my top ten favorite innovations made in third gen! Stay tuned! Right now I'm at the dentist office for fiancé, so I can't add too many images or do fancy editing, but later tonight I shall!! I just wanted to start this post now to share the news!

Okay, top ten time! Now, this is going to be a top ten of advances and changes made in Ruby and Sapphire only. It's no secret that Emerald added the Battle Frontier and such, and Fire Red and Leaf Green made their own contributions, but this is strictly going to be about the first two games to generation three. Also, I'm going to be listing my personal favorite advances, not necessarily the best. Trust me, if you didn't like Ruby and Sapphire, I already know a few of these you're going to disagree with very strongly. Also also, this is in no particular order.

10. Secret Bases

Introduced in Ruby and Sapphire were these little notches in the wall, weird patches of grass, or odd trees that could have the move "Secret Power" used on and turned into your very own secret base! There you could place PokeDolls, furniture, and other decorations however you wished and make a little place of your own. Pointless? Yes. But still fun. You could even see your friends' secret bases if you mixed records with them. This was highly expanded on in Generation Four with the Underground Routes and all that introduced. Will we see these again with the new remakes? The possibilities for new improvements and such are endless!!

9. Weather

One of the main plots of Ruby and Sapphire included weather change, and there was even a weather Pokemon introduced! With the introduction of Abilities (which will be mentioned next), weather also played a huge part into how certain Pokemon performed. And you know, it's just kind of cool to run through a rain storm.

8. Abilities and Natures

 This is probably one of the biggest changes Ruby and Sapphire introduced, or rather, one of the most important. It seems nowadays people are always breeding for that perfect nature and hidden ability (hidden abilities were introduced in Generation Five, however). Abilities were an extra little thing that could play a big part in your battle. They could help you or hinder you. Some abilities were pretty basic, such as the increase of critical attacks when your HP was low, others were a bit more useful in that they could boost the Pokemon's speed after each turn or cure them instantly from and status-changing effects. Natures were like a little boost and a little hit at the same time, as your nature increased one stat a tiny bit, and reduced another a tiny bit. Natures also determine the Pokemon's personality, and what sort of flavors they like. 

7. Running Shoes and Different Bikes

Running shoes are the greatest. You get them super early in the game so you can travel faster and encounter more Pokemon quicker. Yet you're not quite as quick as on a bike, which makes the character easier to control. While in the third generation, players were not allowed to run inside of buildings, which can be very frustrating, it's a very useful function. In the remakes of Silver and Gold, there was even a button which could be pressed so that the player did not have to constantly hold the B button! And then there were the bikes...which I know are a subject of controversy. Yes, it frustrating to have to constantly change bikes to access certain areas. Yes, the Mach bike is hard to control. But, I think it's cool, and I love the silly hopping you could do with the Acro bike! This is another feature which has not reappeared in subsequent games (though in one game you could change the speed of your bike) and I'm interested to see if it will be implemented in the remakes.

6. Two Different Teams

This one's more of something that I just find pretty cool. Whereas the previous two games had the same villain, these games not introduced one new baddie, but two! Much like the types of Pokemon you find in the wild being dependent on which version of the game you chose, the evil organization does as well. But the other team is still in the game you choose, just in a different role! And though I'm not talking about in this list, you face them both in Pokemon Emerald! Rad!

5. New Berries and PokeBlock Making

There were loads of new berries introduced in Ruby and Sapphire, berries with cool looks and names. Some of these berries only had one use - making PokeBlocks! PokeBlocks increased the condition of certain Pokemon conditions, which was useful for contests. They also were used as bait in the Safari Zone. And you know, they were just pretty darn fun to make. 

4. Contests

Love them or hate them, you have to admit that contests were something new and innovative for the games. I...I really don't have anything else to say on the matter.

3. The Art Changes!!

Again, love it or hate it, nostalgia goggles or no...you have to admit the art was an improvement (and of course I'm not saying you can't like the old art, I like it too, but...). You could actually tell what was what! Every Pokemon also had their own sprite in the Pokemon menu or in the Boxes now. The colors were bright and crisp, animation was smooth...it fully utilized the new system. And the designs? Again, this is my own opinion, but I LOVE them.

2. The Music

I matched the colors! Anyway...I actually LIKE the music in this game. Yes, the horns. Yes. Horns. I know. It can get a little...horns...but they were trying something new. Did it appeal to everyone? No. Is it the most memorable? Perhaps not to everyone. Is it a step in the direction of improvement? Yes.

1. A Darker Plot

In Generations One and Two, we had a similar side plot of Team Rocket taking control of everyone with their Pokemon. They kidnapped Pokemon, cut off their tails, lied, cheated, etc. In Ruby and Sapphire, we introduce two new teams who also want to control everyone...but not just everyone, the world. They want the whole world to see their way. And doing this nearly ends the entire world. While not a "shock" or anything by today's standards, it's still a big jump from just stealing Pokemon. Will they stick with the same plot in the remakes or give it an alteration? We'll have to wait until November to find out!!

Top Ten Video Games I Love, But Never Finished!!

This idea came to me while me and the fiance were listening to video game music. This is the first top ten on my blog! It's "The top ten games I love, but have never actually bothered to finish!" I often don't finish video games for a number of reasons, be it boredom, frustration, or something else. For this list I'm excluding games that technically cant be finished, such as Animal Crossing. Also, since I do love a lot of these games equally, these aren't in too much of an order c_c

10. Final Fantasy X

Ten for number ten, heehee! Anyway, I didn't know much about Final Fantasy when I got this game with the "Greatest Hits" label on it. This game probably had the most advanced graphics at the time for any other game I had, and I thought it was the most gorgeous thing. I instantly had to download the soundtrack because I loved the opening song so much. And for a while I was steadily going through the game without much trouble. But I was a much younger gamer when this game came out and didn't know that you had to level grind in Final Fantasy games. So there eventually came a point where I faced a midboss…and I failed epicly. I probably could have gone back and grinded a bit, but instead I got frustrated and stopped playing. I can't for the life of me remember what part of the game I was in now.

9. Bayonetta

Ah, Bayonetta. I fell in love with the character as soon as I saw her. Sexy and powerful, she was an inspiration. I first played the game on the 360 (admittedly, the better version) at an ex's house, but eventually bought the game for the PS3 that I was borrowing from a friend. When the time came to give the PS3 back…it broke. Totally not my fault, t was just a coincidence that it broke after I gave it back!! When I moved in with my fiance, I had the opportunity to play again, but I really didn't want to have to play through all I had done again. Like FFX, I also highly recommend the soundtrack to this game!

8. .hack Series

I hadn't heard of .hack until I heard some younger high school friends talking about it. I thought the concept was really intriguing - an MMORPG without the MMO. Perfect for a shy person like me! My friend let me borrow the first game and I was hooked. I actually did beat the first game relatively quickly. I got the second game for myself and…like FFX, I neglected to level grind. The time came where any level I could beat, I'd only gain 1 exp per enemy, and anything one level above that would murder me instantly. I would like to replay it one day, as well as play the sequel games.

7. Chrono Trigger

 I was really excited to get this game for my birthday some years ago. A "real" RPG. I found myself getting stuck often and not sure where to go. And then I got another new game, put this one down…and then when I picked it up again, I had no idea where I was or what my objective was, and I did not feel like starting from the beginning. 

6. Legend of Zelda Windwaker

I'm going to be honest, I've maybe only played ten minutes of this game. But I've seen it played and read up on it a lot, so I do know a lot of what happens. It's so gorgeous and I loved Phantom Hourglass, so I know I'll be finishing the HD remake sometime soon!

5. Persona 3 FES/Personal 3 Portable

I got Persona 3 FES as a recommendation from an ex-friend, and I fell in love. But like with other games, I neglected to grind, and then got frustrated when I couldn't beat the bosses. But I picked it up again once I got a PSP, and was really happy I could be a girl. Even though your character never says a word, other then what you tell him or her to, I felt more connected, and also felt more at ease flirting with the guys instead of pretending to be a guy flirting with girls, haha. I got pretty far in P3P, maybe about halfway through. It was another case of getting other games and neglecting older ones. One day. One day.

4. Super Mario World

One of my first games was the port of Super Mario Brothers on the Gameboy Color, so naturally, I had to get the Super Mario World port for the Gameboy Advance. And honestly, I'm not too good at Mario games. I have to replay levels over and over and over before advancing, but I do eventually advance. And once, I got farther then I ever had. And then…I lent the game to my friend. And she deleted the save file…I was heartbroken and I've never gotten back to that point again.

3. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

This was actually my first Final Fantasy game! I loved how cute everything was and I replayed the first bits over and over, trying to get the right combination of characters and skills and such. But even with level grinding, I got to a boss I could not beat and put the game down.

2. Paper Mario

I'm cheating a bit here, because I'm playing this one currently…sort of, I have taken a month-long hiatus from it. But this game is just awesome, as I talked about in my monthly favorites. It's a Mario game I'm actually good at, and everything is just so cute. But I came to the Forever Forest and…well, for those of you who have played it, you can see why I stopped there. Pretty much, you need a walkthrough to get through it, or else I don't see how you would know which paths to take. And walkthroughs are readily available online, but…I took a break from it, and just haven't picked it up. But I will! I am determined!

1. Any first-gen Pokemon game

Yep. You read that right. I have never once beat a generation one Pokemon game. I didn't have an original Gameboy, so I was just stuck watching the show until I finally asked for a Gameboy Color. My first Pokemon game was Silver, and I didn't get Blue until much later. And…I just didn't finish it. I asked my mom to buy me a copy of Yellow from eBay…and it got lost in the mail, or stolen from our mailbox. Then I got Fire Red and got all the way to the eighth gym and…just stopped. I acquired both an English and Japanese version of Yellow, but again, never finished them. Why? I have no clue. It's like I get stuck on what to do or something, even though I know what to do. But! I'm currently doing a Nuzlocke run on my Japanese Yellow, so hopefully this time I will get to the original Elite Four! Of course, having played Silver, I have technically played through gen one…but of course, that doesn't really count, haha.

So, there are my top ten games I love but haven't finished. I have even more games I haven't finished, and I hope that I can get better about that. I want to be a successful gamer (?) and actually finish what I start. Wish me luck!

~Bunny