January 2010 Monthly Gaming Analysis

The results shown below are of course based on the combined data from the Daily Game Log which should provide a clear indication of a game's usage frequency. Bear in mind that even if a game is played twice or more during a particular day, it would still register as 1 in the Day Count column below. In a sense, "merits" are given based on how often a particular game can make me play it again throughout the entire period of the month on a daily basis. A game that makes a gamer play it over and over again or at least spend a lot of time with it... Isn't that what we mostly want from a great game? I don't think it's really fair to count all the way down to the number of hours played since some games only require a short amount of time to properly serve their purposes.

OVERALL BREAKDOWN:



Total Games Played: 40

January was seemingly destined for Bayonetta dominance but I found myself fleeing into the deepest regions of the galaxy instead. Bayonetta was reduced to being merely a booty-call instead of a sure thing, landing second place last month compared to the original Mass Effect. Of course the reason why Mass Effect was able to secure most of my play time was because I wanted to be able to transfer a character from the original adventure into Mass Effect 2. Replaying the original again had its up and down moments: The character conversations were still fun but the side quests were a bit distracting though I am glad to have completed them after seeing the impact they have on the sequel.

Last month marked a beginning to another adventurous year of my journey into video gaming but it also marked the death of my dearest friend, Ccelia. The hospital visits during the final days leading towards her passing were difficult to bear. Whenever I was sitting down in the waiting room, I would play a little bit of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow just to take my mind off the overwhelming sadness that filled the air. It didn't help much of course but it was a quick and easy way to escape the punishing reality of that moment. 3 weeks have passed since we've lost Ccelia and though the absence of her presence is felt everyday, the grieving process seems to be nearing its end.

Best New Game of the Month:
Mass Effect 2 (Personal Computer)

Unexpectedly Forgotten New Game of the Month:
Spectrobes: Origins (Nintendo Wii)

I Missed You I Want You Game of the Month:
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Nintendo Wii)