Pure progress this week as pretty much anything that got a Black Friday discount I put on my Christmas list, so I won't be seeing those for a month while wish list titles can wait until I get paid tomorrow.

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Neptunia: Sisters vs. Sisters (PS5)

Originally I was planning to do a run of Wild Arms 2 on PS5 as a practice run for my Let's Play on the PS1C version, but instead the Let's Play was my practice run for the current casual run of the PS5 version. Made a good chunk of progress through it and will finish it this week.

Also started The House in Fata Morgana on Vita and am making steady progress in it. It was a bit of a slow start, but is getting better as more of the overall picture becomes clear.

No new releases on the horizon for this week, but I'll likely get some wish list titles as mentioned.

Good progress this week against buying a few guilty pleasure games that aren't counting against the backlog, as well as one more received as an early Christmas gift from a Black Friday deal.

New Titles:
- Sword Art Online: Last Recollection (PS5)*
- Sakura MMO Extra (PS5)*
- Mystic Gate (PS5)*
- Sakura Alien (PS5)*
- Sakura Alien 2 (PS5)*
- Anime Dream (PS4)*

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Wild Arms 2 (PS5)
- Beat and 100%'d Anime Dream
- Beat The House in Fata Morgana (Vita)

Started Little Witch Nobeta for my next casual console title and will be taking it slow and steady, but it's still fairly short and I may finish it up this week too if time permits. And, though I did reach the true ending in The House in Fata Morgana, it's still a compilation title with its prequel, follow-up, and bonus stories, so there's still plenty left that effectively doubles the length of the main game. So I think it'll take another 2 weeks or so. Have started its prequel story, A Requiem for Innocence.

Nothing on the horizon for new releases that I'm picking up this week. With a bit of luck, there'll be an influx on Christmas.

Pure progress this past week as I'm waiting to get paid before picking up any possible wish list items on sale. Otherwise I hit the goal I set for last week.

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence (Vita)
- Beat and 100%'d Little Witch Nobeta (PS4)
- 100%'d The House in Fata Morgana: Reincarnation (Vita)
- Beat and 100%'d The House in Fata Morgana: Short Stories (Vita)
- 100%'d The House in Fata Morgana: Dreams of the Revenants Edition (Vita)

With everything in the Fata Morgana compilation done, I freed up the space it took up on the Vita and downloaded+started Yumeutsutsu Re:Master since I'd purchased that and its direct sequel a while ago. So VNs on the Vita will continue to get some love for the next couple of weeks.

Not entirely sure on what to start next for console gaming, but may focus on 1-2 this week that are estimated to take 10 hours or so before diving into something big. Also currently debating on what to do for my 400th PSN Platinum.

Managed to eke out positive progress this week as I only really had time for one quickie while most of what I bought isn't counting against the backlog. Once I finish up a huge work project that kept me busy all weekend, I can get back to gaming.

New Titles:
- FX Unit Yuki: The Henshin Engine (SwitchDL)*
- Xuan Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains (SwitchDL)
- Koumajou Remilia II: Stranger's Dream (SwitchDL)*
- Sixtar Gate: STARTRAIL (SwitchDL)*
- Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy (Vita)*
- Operation Babel: New Tokyo Legacy (Vita)*

Progress:
- Yohane the Parhelion: Blaze in the Deepblue (PS5)

Been making slow progress on Yumeutsutsu Re:Master when I've had the time and energy but am likely still in the first half. I might be able to reach a route ending if I end up with more time. But that will be my primary focus until I can fire up another console game, which will likely be Monochrome Mobius or Atelier Ryza 3.

Unless a really good deal pops up, I'm actively avoiding buying new games this week.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Made technical progress since I did buy one game on Steam where the discount will end before I get paid, but it's another version of one I've bought before and not counting against the backlog.

New Titles:
- ONE. (Steam)*

Progress:
- Beat Yumeutsutsu Re:Master (Vita)

Still have 3 routes on Yumeutsutsu so I'll continue that while deciding on a console game after seeing what the Christmas haul brings in later today. That and wish list purchases after I get paid means I don't expect positive progress for the final week of the year.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Got the Christmas influx to list so this'll be a big one. Despite that, I managed to eke out positive progress near the end, especially with most of the wish list titles not counting against the backlog to preserve my sanity.

New Titles:
- Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania Edition (PS5)
- Sonic Superstars (PS5)
- Super Mario RPG (Switch)*
- WarioWare: Move It! (Switch)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince (Switch)
- Metro Quester (PS5)*
- Berzerk: Recharged (PS5)*
- Haunted House (PS5)*
- Akai Katana Shin (PS4)*
- ONE. (SwitchDL)*
- Astlibra Revision (SwitchDL)*
- Picross S9 (SwitchDL)*
- Seventh Lair (SwitchDL)*
- Harmonia (SwitchDL)*
- Amairo Chocolate 2 (Steam)*
- Jinshin (PS5)*
- Phoenotopia: Awakening (PS4)*

Progress:
- 100%'d Yumeutsutsu Re:Master (Vita)
- Beat and 100%'d Yumeutsutsu Re:After (Vita)
- Beat and 100%'d Koumajou Remilia II: Stranger's Dream (SwitchDL)
- Beat and 100%'d Super Dodge Ball (NSO)
- Beat and 100%'d The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (NSO)

Obviously I don't plan to get anything new this week.

My short-term plan is for my 400th PSN Platinum to also be my 16,000th trophy and my 2800th Complete on Backloggery overall. The tricky part is I only need 36 more trophies for 16,000, so I found a pair of games with Platinums that will reach that goal. Until then, I have 10 more non-PSN games to play to up the Completion count, starting with Super Mario RPG.

Final Backloggery progress for 2023: +176

Quite a bit more of a sane week this past week as the only new title I received was a Steam gift that I'm not counting against the backlog. Otherwise, it was pure progress.

New Titles:
- Duck Game (Steam)*

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Demon's Tier+ (PS5)
- Beat and 100%'d Super Mario RPG (Switch)
- Beat and 100%'d Parascientific Escape: Cruise in the Distant Seas (3DSDL)

Currently no plans on buying anything new this week either and I can likely get through a few more titles as I'm finishing up the Switch version of Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster and aim to start the second game in the Parascientific Escape trilogy. As for beyond that? Currently undecided.

Pure* progress again this week since what I did buy were wish list titles that are double-dips of other games bought previously, so they aren't counting against the backlog.

It was also definitely a, "Play what I wanted to," week and this week will likely be the same.

New Titles:
- Yggdra Union: We'll Never Fight Alone* (SwitchDL)*
- Crystal Project (SwitchDL)*

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster (SwitchDL)
- Beat and 100%'d Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster (SwitchDL)
- Beat and 100%'d The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (NSO)
- Beat and 100%'d Cruis'n Blast (Switch)

Getting closer to my 2800th Completion goal on Backloggery, so I'll be doing some more Switch games and maybe the second Parascientific Escape game this week to get closer to that.

The only expected release for this week is Another Code: Recollection since I made sure to pre-order that last night.

Truly pure progress this week courtesy of my copy of Another Code: Recollection not shipping yet, so I was able to blitz through some more NSO titles and reach my first gaming goal of this year with my 400th PSN Platinum trophy also being my 16,000th trophy overall and 2,800th Complete on Backloggery.

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Super Metroid (NSO)
- Beat and 100%'d Fire 'n Ice (NSO)
- Beat and 100%'d Castlevania Legends (NSO)
- Beat and 100%'d Dreams of a Geisha (SwitchDL)
- Beat Picross S9 (SwitchDL)
- Beat and 100%'d RWBY: Arrowfell (PS5)

Working on 100%ing Picross S9 for my "on the go" title and have finally started Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten for my console focus. Also wanting to take some time for recording/streaming projects and maybe watching some new movies depending on how absorbed I get into Monochrome Mobius.

If I get paid this week (hard to say given how weird my pay schedule can be), I'll pick up some wish list titles on sale.

It's a "calm before the storm" this past week as I did make a little progress where I could, but the floodgates of new releases also begin this week.

Progress:
- 100%'d Picross S9 (SwitchDL)

Undecided on my next "on-the-go" title as I haven't had time to think about it, but for console focus I'm still working on Monochrome Mobius and would say I'm about halfway through the story. Hoping to have more time for that this week.

I should finally see my copy of Another Code: Recollection this week alongside Granblue Fantasy Relink, Persona 3 Reloaded, and who knows what else as I can pick up some wish list titles on sale once my paycheck gets deposited later today.

Picked up some wish list titles and a few new releases, but I ended up breaking even courtesy of not all of them counting against the backlog.

New Titles:
- Secret of Mana (Vita)*
- Swapshot (PS5)*
- Knights of Grayfang (PS5)*
- Touhou Shoujo Tale of Beautiful Memories (PS4)*
- Another Code: Recollection (Switch)
- Persona 3 Reloaded (PS5)*
- Granblue Fantasy Relink (PS5)

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten (PS5)

I'm undecided on what to focus on next, so that's probably a sign to take a break from gaming this week and work on some other projects I'm behind on, plus a good opportunity to start recording my next secondary projects since my video backlog runs out soon. Doubly so as I'm not expecting any new releases this week either (of course always subject to change).

I took it easy this past week and didn't start anything new nor did I purchase anything new so I could get some writing done. Planned recording sessions didn't happen over the weekend as I was also sick for the latter half of the week, but I was able to play some Mario Kart 8 and Ocarina of Time Randomizer co-ops with friends.

I may focus on some low-hanging fruit titles this week so I don't get too distracted from more planned recording and will be picking up at least 2 Steam games after I get paid.

Not a good week for gaming for me as I didn't really have time for anything and only did a quick re-read of a mini VN on a separate platform in order to break even on progress.

New Titles:
- Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost (Steam)
- Dungeon Travelers: To Heart 2 in Another World (Steam)
- Dragon Quest Builders (Steam)*
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch)*

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Sakura MMO (PS5)

I have a few more of those mini-VNs with multiple versions/trophy stacks that I can quickly re-read through in a gaming "In case of emergency, break glass" situation, but things have calmed down for this week.

I'll likely focus on Mario vs. Donkey Kong for handheld and aim to do more of Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost and am having a lot of fun with it. I currently don't expect any new releases this week, but am gearing up for FF7 Rebirth at the end of the month.

Nice progress this week as it's positive even if I did count the one game I picked up on a good Amazon sale against the backlog.

New Titles:
- Archetype Arcadia (PS5)*

Progress:
- Beat Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost (Steam)
- Beat and 100%'d Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch)
- Beat Touhou: New World (PS5)

Mario vs. DK was my "on-the-go" handheld title, so I'm looking for the next game for that, probably Secret of Mana remake on Vita. I need to play through Marisa's route on Touhou: New World for her ending and the Platinum trophy, so that'll take a couple more days.

Going to pick up some with list titles as well as FF7 Rebirth with this week's paycheck, so I've got to stay on top of progress as best I can.

Felt like a fairly standard week as I finished up a couple of games while picking up one expected new release and a couple of wish list titles on sale, though none of them are counting against the backlog, so it's positive progress.

Of note is that I'm not counting FF7 Rebirth is because of the simple reason that I never count ports or remakes of games I've already beaten in the past.

New Titles:
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5)*
- Genso Chronicles (PS5)*
- Apex Heroines (SwitchDL)*

Progress:
- 100%'d Touhou: New World (PS5)
- 100%'d Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Line (Steam)

Unicorn Overlord is this week. I'll find something to do until then.

Can't say if it's burnout or just being focused on my current writing project, but I just haven't had a lot of motivation or even interest in gaming for the past while. Did another "quickie replay" to avoid negative progress, and that's about it.

New Titles:
- Unicorn Overlord (PS5)

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Sakura MMO 2 (PS5)

Got a bit of a switch-up this week as the new Contra is releasing sooner than expected and one potential title that I had on my list for the 15th got pushed back to June. I'll probably grab some wishlist titles when I get paid as I got some word-of-mouth recommendations that sound fun.

Got a big one today as I picked up several wish list sale titles along with a couple of others that I wanted, but also knocked out some low-hanging fruit and more double-dip titles so I could free up some space. It's positive progress as I'm only counting two of the new ones against the backlog.

New Titles:
- Sword of the Vagrant (PS4)*
- Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival (SwitchDL)*
- PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (SwitchDL)*
- LUNARiA -Virtualized Moonchild- (SwitchDL)*
- Maid of the Dead (SwitchDL)*
- Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons (SwitchDL)*
- White Wings (PS5)*
- Criss Cross (PS5)*
- Sakura Succubus 7 (PS5)*
- Penny's Big Breakaway (PS5)
- Contra: Operation Galuga (PS5)

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Sakura MMO 3 (PS5)
- Beat and 100%'d Kuroi Tsubasa (PS4)
- Beat and 100%'d The House in Fata Morgana (PS4)
- 100%'d Criss Cross

Criss Cross ended up being one of the most unintentionally funny mini-VNs I've read in a while as its horrible translation put it in "So bad, it's good" territory.

Going to work on Ys VI on Steam this week for a Let's Play and knock out some more of those smaller titles in between. Legend of Legacy HD and Princess Peach: Showtime are the expected releases for this week too.

Fairly balanced week this week with positive progress as I knocked out some more low-hanging fruit before I start something big this week.

New Titles:
- Crypt Stalker (SwitchDL)*
- Princess Peach: Showtime! (Switch)
- The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered (PS5)*

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Sakura MMO Extra (PS4+PS5)
- Beat and 100%'d White Wings (PS5)

Not expecting any new releases this week that I'm aware of off the top of my head, but picking up a few others off my Amazon wish list. Aiming to start DBZ: Kakarot for a console focus and something on Switch/3DS/Vita for handheld, but undecided on what, after getting some videos edited.

Good week for pickups as I got some digital and physical wish list titles both on and off sale while getting to play what I wanted to.

New Titles:
- Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection (PS3)*
- Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes (PS5)
- Fortunate Duo: The Lucky Mercenary and the Jewel Princess Knight (SwitchDL)*
- Grandia HD Collection (PS4)*
- Heroine Anthem Zero 2: Scalescars Oath (PS5)*
- Air Twister (PS5)*
- Paint By Pixel (PS5)*
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PS5)*
- Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! Love for These Clothes of Desire! (PS4)*

Progress:
- Beat and 100%'d Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - Trunks: The Warrior of Hope (DLC)
- Beat Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PS5)

Was hoping to finish up the Platinum for DBZ: Kakarot before today but didn't quite make it as I'm still enjoying content in the game not related to the Platinum trophy itself. I'll likely continue with the remaining DLC stories as well while getting back to recording videos.

No new games on the horizon for this week but, as always, that could change.

Well this past week was mostly Dragon Ball Z-oriented as I finished up DBZ: Kakarot and all of its DLC entries to thoroughly 100% the game by completing the entire Z Encyclopedia, which required not just completing each story but prepping for and fighting all of the superboss challenges. So thoroughly positive progress overall.

New Titles:
- Freedom Planet 2 (PS5)

Progress:
- 100%'d Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PS5)
- Beat and 100%'d Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - A New Power Awakens: Part 1
- Beat and 100%'d Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot -Bardock- Alone Against Fate
- Beat and 100%'d Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - The 23rd World Tournament
- Beat and 100%'d Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - A New Power Awakens: Part 2
- Beat and 100%'d Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - Goku's Next Journey

Going to take a step back and aim for a shorter title or two this week but haven't quite decided what to focus on yet. Nothing new on the horizon either so it should be a bit more quiet.