VGMania: Year One

The first year's a-wrap! Let's try to double these numbers by next year :)

I have reviewed a total of 300 games:
14 for the Game Boy / Game Boy Color
37 for the Game Boy Advance
65 for the Nintendo Entertainment System
14 for the Nintendo 64
13 for the PC
9 for the Sony PlayStation
19 for the PlayStation 2
28 for the PlayStation 3
1 for the PlayStation Portable
10 for the Sega Genesis
84 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
6 for the Xbox 360

Highest-rated GB / GBC title: Wario Land - Super Mario Land 3 (8.7)
Lowest-rated GB / GBC title: Star Wars: Yoda Stories (3.3)
Total GB / GBC average: 6.5

Highest-rated GBA title: Final Fantasy VI Advance (9.4)
Lowest-rated GBA title: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (3.0)
Total GBA average: 6.8 

Highest-rated NES title: Super Mario Bros. 3 (9.2)
Lowest-rated NES title: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1.1)
Total NES average: 6.5 

Highest-rated N64 title: Super Mario 64 (9.6)
Lowest-rated N64 title: Yoshi's Story (6.0)
Total N64 average: 8.0 

Highest-rated PC title: Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (9.6)
Lowest-rated PC title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (2.5)
Total PC average: 7.1 

Highest-rated PS1 title: Final Fantasy VII (9.8)
Lowest-rated PS1 title: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (8.5)
Total PS1 average: 9.1 

Highest-rated PS2 title: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (9.7)
Lowest-rated PS2 title: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 (6.8)
Total PS2 average: 8.6 

Highest-rated PS3 title: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (9.6)
Lowest-rated PS3 title: Final Fantasy XIII (6.6)
Total PS3 average: 7.9 

Highest-rated GEN title: Earthworm Jim 2 (8.8)
Lowest-rated GEN title: Batman Returns (5.5)
Total GEN average: 7.5 

Highest-rated SNES title: Final Fantasy VI (9.7)
Lowest-rated SNES title: The Rocketeer (1.8)
Total SNES average: 6.5

Highest-rated X360 title: Mass Effect 2 (9.4)
Lowest-rated X360 title: Gears of War (7.8)
Total X360 average: 8.7

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RANDOM STATS

This blog has been hit a total of 13 380 times. The most hits are from May, 2011. Fans of Star Wars and Disney out there, maybe?

The single most read entry is Top 20 SNES Games. The most read review is that of Final Fantasy VII. As a matter of fact, 6 out of the Top 10 entries are reviews of Final Fantasy games. You seem to know your games!

The most awkward search engine entry I've bumped into: "lulu +fantasy +cleavage". Whatever works for you pervs. :D

The three countries with the most readers are the United States, Finland (no surprise there), and Denmark. Thanks, kiitos and tak.

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ANSWERS TO RANDOM FAQ

How many games are there left on "THE LIST"?
I love making stats, but not that much. It's really hard to say, but the number's somewhere between 1 200 and 1 400. Trust me, I'm not running out of material any time soon.

But, you have already written 300 reviews and it's been a year.
To be more precise, I have published 300 reviews. Nearly every review published in August 2010 was previously written, between 2008 and early 2010. I'm not quite the nerd I have perhaps made myself out to be. ;)

Will there ever be a definitive end to the Mario / Castlevania / etc. reviews / marathons?
I've been on the Mario franchise's case once again for the last week. It was a conscious choice, because I wanted to return to some classic franchises that include games I first reviewed on this blog. To the actual question, my answer is yes. There aren't too many Mario games left for me to review, however I sincerely doubt this ongoing marathon would be the last Mario-thon. As for other franchises such as Castlevania, I think the end is coming a bit sooner. 

What's the best game you have originally started to play just to write a review of it, and did not expect to become a fan?
That's one damn easy question. Mass Effect 2, bar none. I was really surprised by it. Overall, there haven't been that many games I haven't played before creating the blog, at least not many nearly as great as Mass Effect 2.

Will there be another "RPG time", perhaps by the end of the year? The Final Fantasy marathon was superb.
Thanks, I'm quite proud of that one myself. Yeah, I believe so. Many readers are asking for an Elder Scrolls marathon, but I think that's a thing of the not-so-near future. Since I will most likely buy Skyrim, I think that game will be reviewed individually, and the rest of the series later. However, I have thought of reviewing it in a bundle with some other RPG's, both well-known and some obscure ones. There are still lots of good RPG's for me to review, from all times.

Are there any conclusive ratings you regret giving? Ever considered re-reviewing such games?
Plenty of 'em. I have quite enough games on my plate to consider that option. I've changed a lot as a writer, a critic and a player during the last three years, and there are definitely a lot of old reviews I regret writing altogether. This doesn't only concern bad games, but also good ones which are perhaps not quite worth of their very high conclusive ratings. 

Do you still think Attack of the Killer Tomatoes deserved the all-time lowest rating on the blog?
Oh, hell yes. 

How about Final Fantasy VII, which holds the all-time highest rating?
It's my favourite video game of all time. Did it deserve a 9.8? I don't know, but I had to separate it from every other game in the world. To me, 9.7 is pretty much the top rating. As I've said before, there is no perfect game. Until there is, 9.9 and 10 will remain untouched. Will a game come and equal Final Fantasy VII in my books? That's perfectly possible, and I'm rooting for Mass Effect 3.

You only reviewed WWE games in your professional wrestling marathon. How about those classic WCW games?
At least three WCW games will be reviewed at some point. Right now, I have no interest in them.

I'm with the minority that still loves rhythm games and I would love it if you would do a rhythm game marathon.
Well, I think that if I don't do it this year, I never will, since my enthusiasm towards the genre is steadily fading into nothingness. You'll probably get your wish by the end of the year.

Will you review more movies and music? 
Yes to the movies, probably no to the music. I reviewed the discography of The Black Mages as a part of the Final Fantasy marathon, there was no other reason behind it and it didn't feel comfortable. I've been planning to return to music journalism, but right now, I'm only interested in writing about games, and I don't really have time to write anything else. Movie reviews are definitely coming, but I've been a really, really lazy movie watcher lately.