PixlBit

I downloaded every 2000s era game I owned digitally on Xbox and started going through them. I added a bunch to my wish list as well in case a sale comes up. 

Pinball Arcade - Only three tables published in the 2000s in the collection: High Roller, Harley Davidson and Ripley's Believe It Or Not. I played them all and will play them again off and on during November. 
Spyro Reignited Trilogy - Spyro: Year of the Dragon. This came out in 2000 for the Playstation and was the third Spryo game, the last made by Insomniac Games. I really liked it, maybe more than the previous two. I got farther in it than ever. I beat the second boss I gave up on the first time. I did, however, become annoyed by picky jumping mechanics. Some jumps seem easy and some make you hit them pixel perfect. It's a bit inconsistent. But, I'm reinstalling the game to give it more time. 
Diablo II Resurrected - I've played this game to completion already but what achievements are left? Ones for playing on Hell difficulty and Hardcore mode. I rolled up a few more characters but each of them got killed in an instant against a sudden appearance of a stronger foe. It's like, your cruising along just fine and then suddenly this slightly stronger foe rips your health like you were an annoying fly. I feel Hardcore mode would be incredibly difficult and Hell difficulty takes at least one playthrough and a lot of farming for better equipment - not impossible but very time consuming. I think next time I might just do a normal playthrough just for fun, but not right now. 
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series - Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. A 2001 game for your PS2. I used to own the original, but now I just have it in this remastered digital collection. I love it, but I also get real tired of repeating segments I have trouble with. Repetition... not my thing. I'll return though 'cause I love throwing enemies with my Wind Ring. 
Phantom Dust - A 2004 OG Xbox exclusive, the remastered version being on current Xbox. It's an interesting strategic action game. It kind of reminds me of the Nier Automata in some ways. Mostly you are firing "mind bullets" (as I call them) or psychic projectiles at enemies along with defensive moves. I found the combat a bit tricky though when I got into more serious battles. It has a cool distopian future world though - maybe call it psychicpunk instead of cyberpunk? Character animations remind me of God Hand too - some kind of Japanese-style marionette-looking jank going on there (hard to describe).  
Serious Sam Collection - Serious Sam: First Encounter - The first Serious Sam game from 2001. I played it on PC back then and the on Xbox when it came there. I've played it many times since then and now it's remastered in this collection on current systems. I tried to get a few achievements I have left. One for Serious difficulty - impossible! And another for Survival mode - also incredibly difficult even after I read some suggestions on strategy. I considered just a fun god-mode replay of the campaign but decided against it. I got new stuff to check out. 
Doom 3 - I've bounced off this one Doom game I haven't finished so many times. I really dislike the constantly dark environments. But this time, I managed to stick with it, and I am determined to finish it.
The low light levels throughout are a challenge. They certainly add to the scare level. I literatly jumped once when an Imp appeared out of the dark to attack me. Monsters pop out of nowhere or from literal closets behind you way too frequently. You don't get a map and so the maze of corridors and departments in this Mars base facility get very confusing. I nearly quit over the section with the teleporters because I couldn't tell where to teleport even with a map attached to the control panel. I managed at the last moment to hit the right pad by luck and proceeded on to actual Hell, where I am now. It will be very satisfying to finally beat this game after so many years of trying. 
Capcom Arcade Stadium - Progear - A 2001 shmup by Cave, the bullet-hell kings. I love the steampunk graphics, old planes with future weapons. It's, as you'd expect, devilishly hard. Too bad, because I love the upgrades. How can I break this game? I should get into those settings and make it easier. I want to see all the graphics. 
Atari Flashback Classics Vol 3 - Yars' Return - A 2005 revision of Yars' Revenge. Instead of fighting against one force field protecting the enemy, you have four making a square around it. I found it tricky to get your special blast off without getting hit by it. I wasn't too pleased by it. 

A Leftover From Last Month

Ghost Pilots - This is a 1991 SNK arcade game ported to the NeoGeo and now digitally available on today's consoles. I got it on sale for $4. It's a vertically scrolling shooter like the 194X series except you fly a seaplane. Graphics are amazing but it's hard. I need to find a way to undermine all the gameplay of these old arcade quarter munchers to make them more playable, and so I can actually beat them and see all the amazing graphics. 

And that completes all the stuff I plumbed this week. I'll be continuing with Doom 3 next week and trying to get through my GBA and PS2 collection for more trade bait.