Blog:ThunderKat's Five Satisfying Gaming Triumphs

It has been around 23 years since I first picked a controller, and gaming has become a part of my DNA since then. I have played many games since the early days of the PlayStation 1, and have done a few things that I can be proud of. Here, I shall run down 5 of my favourite achievements in gaming, in no particular order.

5. Conquering "Stormy Ascent" in Crash Bandicoot
I love Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy and I herald it as my favourite remake of a classic game from my childhood, so naturally I was excited to see what the previously cut level, "Stormy Ascent" would look like with modern graphics. Needless to say, I understand why the level was cut from the original game. First time I played it, it was hell; it was the first time in years that I had lost so many lives in a single level in any Crash Bandicoot title. The playthrough of the game I did earlier tonight though? I managed to conquer that level, completing it in around 7 minutes, and without dying once! To overcome what I consider to be the most brutal level in Crash Bandicoot history, I can't be more satisfied with that than I am right now.

4. Playing Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) to completion
Not much to say about this one, since I have made a blog post about this game already. To sum this up, after possessing multiple copies of Sonic '06 over several years, I finally decided to play this game to completion, and that includes getting all 180 gold medals. This one is quite low since you don't get a reward for doing this task, but I can at least say I have bragging rights from completing it.

3. Completing Crash Bandicoot 100% for the first time
I cannot for the life of me remember when exactly I fully beat the original Crash Bandicoot, but dammit I still remember doing so. As it was among the first video game I owned, I was intent on beating it 100% one day. It may have taken me several years to do so, coming back to it occasionally, but sure enough, I managed to do it. Crash Bandicoot may not have been the first game I fully completed, but it is one I will never forget.

2. Completing WipEout HD's Campaign on Elite difficulty
The WipEout series is one of those racing franchises that not many people seem to know about. HD though is one of my favourite racing games, for that blistering sense of speed, and for having some of the best visuals of any racing game; the game itself is also quite challenging yet so satisfying at the same time. Things really get hard on Elite difficulty, where the opponents are relentless, fast, and accurate. Combining the Phantom speed setting and Elite AI, you would need lightning quick reflexes, total track memorisation, and effective item management. To see all 8 campaign grids filled with nothing but Elite gold medals is nothing short of satisfying, knowing that all that practise has paid off.

1. Beating Uncharted 2 on Brutal mode
I personally think Uncharted 2 is the best game in the series, with 4 being a close second, and to play it in 1080p/60fps on PS4 is a joy. The new stuff added in certainly made the Nathan Drake Collection a worthwhile purchase too, but the new "Brutal" difficulty spoke for itself; 2-3 bullet deaths, insanely accurate enemies that are also total bullet sponges, and ammo that's more scarce than in a zombie apocalypse. The game was indeed brutal, I lost count on how many times I died, to the point where I actually rage quit the game for several months at Chapter 22 because the game was that bloody hard. Once I came back and finished the game, I was pleased that it was over, and to see that gold trophy pop up on screen to cement my victory made the pain worth it.

