June hurt. A lot. Although I didn’t spend a lot of money ($63.75), I only finished 2 games worth $20.00. With the year already halfway over, heading into July with only a +2 advantage isn’t the most positive of omens. Let’s hope the rest of the year turns things around! Anyway, the format, as with previous updates, is Game Title (Platform, Purchase Price, Play Time).

Games purchased (-9, $63.75 spent):

1. Lego City Undercover (Wii U, $5.00)
   The Lego games — and the work of Traveller’s Tales in general — have been hit or miss with me in the past, but I’ve heard great things about this one. Having played through and thoroughly enjoyed Grand Theft Auto V earlier this year, I’m eager to try this, a more family-friendly open-world action game.
2. Picross e4 (3DS, $6.00)
   This was mainly a purchase for my wife, who loves all things Picross. I didn’t even know that these eShop versions existed until I just happened upon them while browsing through the store a few weeks ago. So far, a thumbs-up from her, so things are looking good!
3. Aban Hawkins & the 1001 Spikes (Wii U, $6.50)
   Nicalis is one of my favorite indie developer/publishers — responsible for the excellent 3DS versions of Cave Story and VVVVVV — and it didn’t take much beyond its weird trailer to convince me that I’d be buying this on day one. Just started it, and it’s fantastic.
4. NES Remix 2 (Wii U, $10.00)
   After giving the first NES Remix a second chance, I ended up really liking it, so picking up the second one was a no-brainer. Game selection looks better, and there are a number of changes and improvements to it that should make it an even more enjoyable trip down memory lane.
5. Far Cry 3 (PC, $7.50)
   And then came the Steam Summer Sale, which unfortunately accounts for this and most of the remaining games below. I’ve never played any of the Far Cry games, but I’ve heard really good things about this particular installment. The trailer shown at E3 for Far Cry 4 looked intriguing, so I might as well get educated on what this series is all about.
6. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (PC, $3.75)
   A total impulse buy, I have no idea what this is about, except that everyone who has played it says it’s one of the coolest things from 2013. Looks like it’s chock-full of ’80s and 16-bit nostalgia, so that sounds like it’s right up my alley.
7. New Super Luigi U (Wii U, $17.50)
   I’ve been waiting for a good price on the retail version of this New Super Mario Bros. U DLC, and I finally found one. The original game was one of my favorites on the Wii U, and is up there with New Super Mario Bros. Wii as my favorite of the “New” series.
8. Spelunky (PC, $3.75)
   Took me a while to finally buy this, and the Steam Sale made it possible for a great price. I played a good chunk of the non-HD version years ago, so I’m looking forward to losing myself in this enhanced version.
9. BattleBlock Theater (PC, $3.75)
   Another impulse purchase based on a friend’s recommendation. It’s a platformer by The Behemoth (Alien Hominid and Castle Crashers), which sounds like a winning combination to me!
   
   

Games finished (+2, $20.00 value):

1. NES Remix (Wii U, $15.00, 15 hrs.)
   Although I still can’t get over how bad the controls are in games like Ice Climber, Urban Champion, and the original Mario Bros. (non-Super), this is still a great compilation that will make you look at the NES era in entirely new ways. I’m glad I gave it another chance, because I ended up really enjoying it. Overall: B+ (Review Link)
2. DuckTales (NES, $5.00, 4 hrs.)
   This is a short game, but it’ll definitely take you several playthroughs to extract everything there is out of it. But even after that, you’ll likely come back for more. This is a unique, fun platformer that proudly does its license justice. Good graphics, great music, fun gameplay, and nonlinear level design. Overall: B+ (Review Link)

And with that, we head into the second half of 2014! If E3 is any indicator, it’s going to take some serious willpower to make it through the rest of the year in positive territory.