Summer Gaming Challenge 2017!

We all like challenges right? I know I do. So yearly for the past few years, I've participated in the Summer Gaming Challenge.

What the heck is that, you might ask? Well, the Summer Gaming Challenge is a yearly event held over at the Racketboy forums, and it's a challenge to play 10 games that are considered classics over the summer. It's a nice little thing!

You might also ask what the heck counts as a classic? Well, honestly that depends on you, really. Since Racketboy is a retro gaming forum, they tend to focus on retro games that are considered timeless, or at least considered quite good--think along the lines of Super Metroid or Mega Man X or something like that. Others also mix well-received, more recent games on the list as well. I personally do this because as my backlog whittles down, I have less games on it that are considered 'absolute timeless classics', so I have to take a few more liberties with my modern games. So really it's up to you!

So, when does it start? That also depends on you. If you are still in school, you might start after your spring semester ends and go until the fall semester starts (while I'm no longer in school, this is mostly the method I used, as it lets me both start and end sooner). Or, you can pick the first day of summer to the first day of fall, or something simple like June 1-September 30. Or anything in between really, as long as you keep it somewhat in the summertime time-frame. :p

Anything else? That about covers the gist of it! If you want to participate, go ahead and post your list (or if you want help, just ask), and keep us updated on your progress! I personally like writing up my thoughts in blog posts about the games in the challenge afterwards, but I don't think most do. Do what you want! :D

I'll post my own completed list in the upcoming days, as I set my start date to this Sunday but I'm having trouble balancing genres and systems (so many RPGs, lol). Post away!

Oh heck yes, bring on the challenges! We've got so many going on, I love this haha. I'll definitely participate... thinking I might do the first day of summer to the first day of fall, so I have some time to plan it out. Probably not gunna go full retro, but I am going to try to do 10 games that I don't use for the other challenges going on round here.

Good idea! I've got so many classics to discover. Too many games out there!

First thoughts:
---

Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES)
Crash Bandicoot (PS1)
The Curse of Monkey Island (PC)
Die Hard Arcade (SAT)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (SNES)
Unreal (PC)

+

thinking of buying some RPG on the Steam summer sale (Arcanum, Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment?)
strategy - not one of my favourite genres, but perhaps time to go outside my comfort zone?
what are considered classic racing games?

I'm down, though I'd be mostly playing DOS classics.

Here's a few.

1. Space Quest 6
2. System Shock I & II
3. Sanitarium
4. Phantasmagoria
5. The Dig

Sounds fun! I am in. My definition of classic is 10 years or older games. I will start early June and stop late August.

1. Halo: Combat Evolved on Xbone
2. Halo 2 on Xbone
3. Halo 3 on Xbone
4. Metroid Prime on Wii U
5. Metroid Prime 2 on Wii U
6. Metroid Prime 3 on Wii U
7. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD on Wii U
8. Jak and Daxter HD on PS3
9. Sly 2 HD on PS3
10. Metal Gear Solid 3 HD on PS3

Okay, I think I've got something of a list together. Like Humlon I typically consider 10 years to be the cutoff so I'm trying for that. Remasters/re-releases on newer platforms I'm going to count for this, and I'm going to try to not use any of these for the other challenges going around... but might do some crossover if I end up being in a time pinch.

1. Donkey Kong Country, SNES
2. Red Faction, PS2
3. Banjo-Kazooie, N64
4. Jak II, PS3
5. Dead Rising, Xbox 360
6. God of War, PS3
7. Spyro the Dragon, PS3
8. F.E.A.R., PC
9. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, PC
10. Beautiful Katamari, Xbox 360

MIGHT end up having to switch some out later on. I didn't actually look at the average time to beat all of these, so I don't know if I chose well. But that's for later on haha.

I'm keen for this however my backlog consists purely of PS3, PS4 and vita games, possibly the odd PS2 remaster that was released on PS3. If you're happy for me to put any game down that's in my backlog regardless of whether it's a classic or not then I'm in

I'm keen for this however my backlog consists purely of PS3, PS4 and vita games, possibly the odd PS2 remaster that was released on PS3. If you're happy for me to put any game down that's in my backlog regardless of whether it's a classic or not then I'm in

A lot of my games are remasters and re-releases, as I only have modern Nintendo and Sony platforms (barring Switch). Go for it if you want to join in! I'm not a stickler for the rules too hard, though you might want to see which games in your collections might be older remakes/remasters and try to priorities :)

@ Classic racing games - Realistic racing games? First thing that comes to me is Gran Turismo and Need for Speed. Arcade-y stuff, F-Zero and Mario Kart. My knowledge of the genre isn't really the greatest, though.

Here's my tentative list so far. At first, my list had 5 games I needed to play on PS3 and they were ALL RPGs, which flat out wasn't going to work out... I don't have constant access to that console, since it's downstairs. So, in no real order...

Earthbound (SNES via Wii U VC)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS)
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition (Steam)
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (PS2 via PS2 Classics)
Suikoden II (PS1 via PS1 Classics)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii)
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS)

So I'm missing two games, but I'm having trouble not overwhelming myself with both PS3 games I can't play regularly, and RPGs. xD So many RPGs. I'm trying to see if I can justify putting Trails in the Sky: First Chapter on here... technically it's older than some of the games I've put on the list already, but it's still a somewhat new series to the West. From there, I'd probably have to resort to one or two PS4 games, I was thinking maybe The Last of Us Remastered and Tearaway. Hmm... the main thing is I don't want to have to buy new games for the challenge, so I'll probably have to bend the rules a bit :p

I may attend this one, but I'm not sure which games to go with. So far my picks are:

4 Resident Evil (PS2)
Dark Cloud (PS2)
Gex (PS)
God of War II (PS2)
Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
Mother 3 (GBA)
Psychonauts (Xbox)
Rayman (PS)

I'm not sure what my last game is would be. I was thinking Persona 4, Metal Gear 2, or Splatterhouse. I might change a few of my picks, but I have until June 21.

A lot of my games are remasters and re-releases, as I only have modern Nintendo and Sony platforms (barring Switch). Go for it if you want to join in! I'm not a stickler for the rules too hard, though you might want to see which games in your collections might be older remakes/remasters and try to priorities :)

@ Classic racing games - Realistic racing games? First thing that comes to me is Gran Turismo and Need for Speed. Arcade-y stuff, F-Zero and Mario Kart. My knowledge of the genre isn't really the greatest, though.

Here's my tentative list so far. At first, my list had 5 games I needed to play on PS3 and they were ALL RPGs, which flat out wasn't going to work out... I don't have constant access to that console, since it's downstairs. So, in no real order...

Earthbound (SNES via Wii U VC)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS)
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition (Steam)
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (PS2 via PS2 Classics)
Suikoden II (PS1 via PS1 Classics)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii)
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS)

So I'm missing two games, but I'm having trouble not overwhelming myself with both PS3 games I can't play regularly, and RPGs. xD So many RPGs. I'm trying to see if I can justify putting Trails in the Sky: First Chapter on here... technically it's older than some of the games I've put on the list already, but it's still a somewhat new series to the West. From there, I'd probably have to resort to one or two PS4 games, I was thinking maybe The Last of Us Remastered and Tearaway. Hmm... the main thing is I don't want to have to buy new games for the challenge, so I'll probably have to bend the rules a bit :p

Digital Devil Saga is technically 2 games, unless you're only planning on playing the first one? It's so good, and ends on such a cliffhanger, I doubt you'll be able to resist jumping straight into part two.

This sounds like a nice idea. Could get me into playing some more old-ish games, which I always want to do, but rarely get to :D.
I guess I'll do the June 1st - September 30th time frame.
I tried to pick games I didn't pick for the other challenges and games that are at least 10 years old, soo here's my list (for now):

1. Mega Man 2 (NES) 1988
2. Gargoyle's Quest (GB) 1990
3. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GB) 1992
4. Wario Land II (GB) 1998
5. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (GBC) 2001
6. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (GBC) 2001
7. Golden Sun (GBA) 2001
8. Pokémon Sapphire (GBA) 2002
9. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA) 2003
10. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA) 2004

Digital Devil Saga is technically 2 games, unless you're only planning on playing the first one? It's so good, and ends on such a cliffhanger, I doubt you'll be able to resist jumping straight into part two.

Oh yeah, I keep... forgetting... to buy part 2 when it goes on sale for some reason. So I only have part 1 for now, lol! But it's quite possible I'll beat part 1 and add 2 later :D

This'll be a good excuse to get through some games I've been saying I'll get around to for years. I'll probably use June 1 to September 30 as my time frame, but with my rate of completions I don't know if it'll take a full 4 months (even including some of the longer RPGs I have in mind). Here's what I'm thinking right now:

Chrono Trigger
Advance Wars
Fallout
Morrowind
Xenoblade Chronicles (by all means, a modern classic)
The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
Bard's Tale
Secret of Mana
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Sonic the Hedgehog 1/2/3 & Knuckles (counting them all as one)

I might swap some of them out while I mull it over. Other contenders are The Legend of the Dragoon, The Longest Journey, Yakuza, Metroid Prime 2/3, Thief, Diddy Kong Racing, and Sanitarium. And I'll probably think of even more... not an easy choice to narrow down.

Huh, KerfMerf, you just reminded me that I haven't played Xenoblade Chronicles yet... I should probably add that one to my list!

So I was going to start this Sunday (so today), but considering that I really just want to get Persona 5 out of the way before starting, I'll likely wait until June 1 like most everyone else. I have technically started Digital Devil Saga already, but given how limited my PS3 time is, there's no way I'll beat it before I fully begin. It'll mess up my Four for Four this month, but ah well, it'll be okay.

For now, this is my set list, and the backups in case I end up hating something, lol:

Earthbound (SNES via Wii U VC)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS)
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition (Steam)
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (PS2 via PS2 Classics)
Suikoden II (PS1 via PS1 Classics)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii)
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (Steam)
Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)

Backups:
The Last of Us Remastered (PS4)
Breath of Fire IV (PS1 via PS1 Classics)
Deadly Premonition (PS3)

I would have added The Last of Us to the main list, but to be honest, I don't know if I like that game...? So it's in the backups lol. I have six RPGs, which is a lot, but if I'm focusing on them it'll probably be okay. I never have beaten all ten games before, though... maybe this year will be a first :p

Sounds like a cool idea, I will definitely try this.

1. Thief Gold
2. Banjo Kazooie
3. Megaman X
4. Donkey Kong Country
5. Super Mario 3 (Never beat it without warp whistles before)
6. Super Mario Sunshine
7. Morrowind
8. Doom
9. The Legend of Zelda
10. GoldenEye 007

I think I will start May 19 till August 19th. I will see what I can accomplish.

Bumping this up because it's getting close to June 1st, aka the time most of us are going to begin. Don't forget to post updates in here every once and a while and keep us updated :D

Super cool idea! Instead of making a list for myself, I decided to have my boyfriend make me a list and, then I made a list for him. I'm super biased when it comes to choosing classics, so having someone pick what they consider "essential" led to a lot of titles I wouldn't have normally consider. Basically, what it came down to was all our personal favorite games that the other hadn't played... XD

My list (the one he made)
1. Spyro 2
2. Diablo 2
3. Jak and Dexter: Precursor Legacy
4. Paper Mario
5. Borderlands
6. Ape Escape
7. Katamari Demacy
8. Fallout 3
9. Patapon
10. Pikmin 2

His list (the one I made)
1. Banjo Kazooie
2. Earthbound
3. Chrono Trigger
4. Donkey Kong Country 2
5. Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga
6. Super Metroid
7. Okami
8. Psychonauts
9. Majora's Mask
10. Xenoblade Chronicles

Oooo, I really like that idea for a list! :D Maybe I'll get my boyfriend to to something similar like that for me just for funsies sometime... :p

I will need to make a list in the next day or 2, 1 of which will be final fantasy VI as I just started that an hour ago.

I decided to join this challenge, sooo here's my list!
[June 1 - September 30]

Alien Storm
Driver
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Growl
Half-Life
Max Payne 2: the Fall of Max Payne
Medal of Honor
Space Invaders DX
Tomb Raider II
Zone of the Enders

I want to clear my backlog so I´m in. I´m bringing my recently bought 3ds on vacation so I´l be focusing on that, when I come back I´m going to start the new Zelda :) . If I finish half of the list or xenoblade I will be more than happy.

mario 3d Land 3ds 7h
xenoblade chronicles 3ds 68h
shovel knight 3ds 7
starfox 64 3ds 3h
super metroid 3ds 8h

Zelda BOTW wii u 41h
pikmin 3 wii u 15h

South park stick of truth pc 12h

assasin's creed brotherhood ps3 15h
The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection ps3 16h

I decided that I'm going to do my list early because I don't want to wait until summer starts.

4 Resident Evil (PS2)
Dark Cloud (PS2)
Gex (PS)
God of War II (PS2)
Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
Mario is Missing (SNES)
Mother 3 (GBA)
Patapon (PSP)
Psychonauts (Xbox)
Rayman (PS)

I've started God of War II and Patapon. Not really liking Patapon.

I decided that I'm going to do my list early because I don't want to wait until summer starts.

4 Resident Evil (PS2)
Dark Cloud (PS2)
Gex (PS)
God of War II (PS2)
Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
Mario is Missing (SNES)
Mother 3 (GBA)
Patapon (PSP)
Psychonauts (Xbox)
Rayman (PS)

I've started God of War II and Patapon. Not really liking Patapon.

I enjoyed all the patapons... for a while. They get repetitive in the boring way really quick once you have to grind levels to be able to afford things.

Humlon, here with a new account. I just finished Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition, with my brother like the good old days. The first 3 missions are classics but after that things get a bit repetetive (you mean that I should go through the same room like 15 times in a level!?I). The Labyrinth was easily the worst part. The final mission was pretty good though.
I would rank the missions like this:
The Pillar of Autumn 9/10 Great start
Halo 10/10 This is the mission I remember liking it the most and I still think it is great
The Truth and Reconciliation 9/10 Great atmosphere on this one.
The Silent Cartographer 7/10 Good start but gets repetetive
Assault on the Control Room 5/10 Copy paste the same room, because why not?
343 Guilty Spark 6/10 The level that introduced the floods. Has some great moments, but I think the flood are boring to shoot at, compared to the covenant.
The Library 3/10 Killing flood in a repetetive neverending library. This is the part that makes me never want to play the first Halo game again.
Two Betrayals 4/10 Go back to the rooms and backtrack the fifth level. That sounds fun right?
Keyes 6/10 it is like the third mission but less exciting.
The Maw 8/10 The first mission but they actually changed some parts and the ending is great.

The story is not even worth talking about since it is garbage in my opinion. Some parts that they remastered made the game not feel as atmospheric (why did they change the dark swamp from the sixth level to a Bright forest?) and there are way to many shiny new details, which I prefered being just a grey wall and not have hundreds of tiny lights on it.
Overall I give the game a 6,6/10. Play the first 3 missions and the final one. The rest is pretty bad/mediocre.

Completed
Halo: Combat Evolved

Playing
Final Fantasy X

Not started
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Metroid Prime
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Final Fantasy XII
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Due to me being not sick enough to be debilitated, but sick enough to not be able to go to work, I've managed to finish my first Summer Gaming Challenge game already, Super Mario Galaxy 2.

I'll be writing a blog post later, but my short thoughts are basically... I like it and enjoy the level design, as well as the addition of Yoshi. However, I can't shake the feeling I liked 1 more. Perhaps the planet hopping novelty wore off for me? Regardless, it's a pretty good game.

I had planned on starting the challenge with at least one of the RPGs, but I had just beaten both Persona 5 AND NieR: Automata... I needed a different genre for a bit, heh. I'm planning to get back into Digital Devil Saga, though, as I'm going to move my PS3 back upstairs. Forget the people that want to use it, they can play PS4 instead or something. :p I kind of want to start Xenoblade instead, but I'm thinking that getting through some games I already have progress in is a better idea right now.

So here's the list again, with quick updates (I'll edit my blog posts into the list as I write them):
Earthbound (SNES via Wii U VC) - Progress from before the challenge (Beat Frank)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS) - Started
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition (Steam)
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (PS2 via PS2 Classics) - Started
Suikoden II (PS1 via PS1 Classics)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) - Finished
Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii)
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS) - Progress from before challenge (Second island)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (Steam) - Progress from before challenge (Chapter 2)
Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)

I'll be back sooner rather than later :p