We're on the verge of finishing up the very first series of Backlog, my ongoing attempt to clear my library of dusty, unfinished games. I started things out with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and, no doubt due to my exceptional skill in being knocked off trains, I'd say it's been at least somewhat entertaining. But being on the cusp of victory, such as it is, means we must begin looking for the next kingdom to conquer.
That's where you come in. Rather than just picking one of the many games off of my shelves and subjecting you to my whims, I figure we can be democratic about this. I have compiled a list of five candidates for the next series of Backlog.
Now, you could choose not to vote. That's an option too. But don't come crying to me once I fire up this 4-dimensional mass accelerator I've been building and you're all forced to tune in to Destructoid's Justin.tv channel every weeknight at 10pm Pacific to watch what other people chose for you.
A Boy and His Blob (Wii)
Developed by Wayforward
Released October 13th, 2009
I'm a big fan of David Crane's original A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia conceptually, but the execution of that particular title makes it hard to love. That's why I was so excited to watch the development of Wayforward's take on the unlikely paring of metamorphic alien and jellybean-packing tyke.
It's one of the cutest games made in recent memory and I had quite a bit of fun in the brief bit of time that I've spent playing it. One on the list I'm very much looking forward to enjoying in earnest.
Parasite Eve II (PS1)
Developed by Squaresoft
Released September 12th, 2000
Back in the heyday of the PlayStation, Squaresoft was doing a lot of really interesting games that tried experimenting with a variety of mechanics. Parasite Eve attracted me in part because of its take on active elements in a traditional RPG battle system and also because of its creepy pseudo-scientific explanation for why things go so terribly wrong.
It's sequel didn't fare nearly as well, but I picked it up anyway and I honestly can't remember playing through more than an hour or two. With as much fun as the first one gave me, it's worth giving the follow-up a second chance.
3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3)
Developed by From Software
Released May 11th, 2010
Apart from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Alundra, both of which I've completed multiple times, the genre of adventure games which 3D Dot Game Heroes is a love letter to is one I routinely fail to finish. They either run on too long or, well, they're the same thing I've seen a dozen times before in other Zelda clones.
3D Dot Game Heroes has a lot of charm going for it, which may help to push me along. And then there's you guys of course. And I suppose with a game like this, there could be some opportunities to play with some rather creative designs on a nightly basis. Food for thought.
Killer 7 (Gamecube)
Developed by Grasshopper Manufacture
Released July 7th, 2005
If there's a game which launched Suda Goichi and Grasshopper Interactive into the public eye, it would be Killer 7. Its weird and disjointed storyline wound up being both a blessing and a curse when I tried to play it, and confusion over how to progress ultimately defeated my attraction to the game.
But it's too weird to forget about and I hate knowing that I never saw this one through. With your assistance, this can be done.
Yakuza 3 (PS3)
Developed by SEGA
Released March 9th, 2010
I played the first Yakuza game for about the first two-thirds and I was really invested in its story and characters. Unlike most of these stories, this one ends because my save game was corrupted and not because I saw something shiny out of the corner of my eye. I have no idea what happened to my copy of that first game.
Fast-forward to today. I've attempted to play Yakuza 3 no less than three times with no success. I can't seem to get into the pacing and while I'm still interested in the characters, an hour of cinematics from two games isn't having enough of an effect on me. But I know there's a great story being told and I want to experience it.
So that's the lot. You guys comment below as to which of the games you would most like to join me in playing on the show. I'll tally up the votes sometime tomorrow and the new series will start on Monday night (10pm Pacific).
Contest:
9:00 PM on 01.06.2011 | 
Then Killer 7 for it's weirdness.
After that Parasite Eve 2 and A boy and his blob
3D Dot is a good game, but suffers a lot from pacing. So it's best to be at last
It's the better of all Yakuza that were localized until now.
I'd love to love a Boy and his Blob, but will the graphics are amazing, the gameplay isn't always as good as it could have been. The controls feels slow and too imprecise for the challenges, and some of the latter levels seems a bit "cheap" and "amateur". It's still a good game, but I can't bring myself to finish it, because the frustration too often overweight the fun.
As to 3D Dot Game Heroes, I totally suggest playing it... with a guide. You can blaze through most of the game, but by the end, it seems impossible unless you perform a precise sidequests and actions that I couldn't have guessed by myself. It's like real "old-school" games, I guess.
It might be because I played it longer ago, but I can't find something I really dislike in Killer7. It's clearly not for everyone: it's a love it or hate it game. In my case, I loved it!
Get high, a boy and his blob?