Double-Dipped 2: More Games I've Purchased More Than Once Over the Years

Care for seconds? Exactly two months ago, I debuted a new article series right here on SuperPhillip Central: Double-Dipped! Here, I go into some detail about video games I've bought at least twice and tell you a little about my history with the games. With a second edition happening this morning, you could say that I'm double-dipping on the Double-Dipped series of articles! How meta!

I have six more games that I've done the (dis)honorable duty of buying more than once, but if you need to catch up on the first entry of Double-Dipped, look no further than this link. Now, with that out of the way, let's get to episode two!

Resident Evil 4 (GCN, PS2, Wii, PS4)

Let's start with a game that is my most bought game of all time! It's none other than one of my favorites I've ever played, despite its dark subject matter (I prefer more sunshine and rainbow fare, personally). Regardless, it's Resident Evil 4, and being one of my top ten games of all time, I'd be amiss if I didn't mention this bad boy on this article series. It's not just the fourth mainline installment in the Resident Evil series, but it's also a game I've purchased FOUR times!

You may ask, "Phil, what is your malfunction? Why buy the same game four times, even if it's one of your favorites ever?" The answer is this: each release I bought introduced something worthwhile to pick up a new version. The first time I bought the game was in 2005 and that was because, duh, the game was brand-new. The PlayStation 2 port that later released added new content in the form of a Ada's Assignment (thankfully Shinji Mikami's head is still intact with the rest of his body). Then, the Wii version--my favorite of the bunch--added motion control aiming and various gesture-based movement for quick-time events. Finally, the PlayStation 4 entry brought my favorite survival-horror game into HD with trophy support. Although Resident Evil 4 isn't the scariest of entries, seeing how many times I've purchased and played the game across all platforms is truly terrifying--even to me!

DOOM (PS4, NSW)

We go from repeated trips to the unfriendly Spanish countryside to a hellish version of Mars with DOOM's 2016 outing. The first time I played DOOM was on the PlayStation 4, and I absolutely had a blast with the game--ripping and tearing with both delight and glee, as well as uncovering each level's myriad secrets. The multiplayer, too, was a joy to play, focusing on deathmatches either solo or with teams. Then, DOOM surprisingly got announced for the Switch, and all my ripping and tearing could be brought along with me on the go. Sure, the visuals were caked with a Vaseline-like sheen, but it was otherwise DOOM in all its glorious, gore-filled splendor.

As much as I adored DOOM 2016 and bought the game twice, I doubt I'll do the same with the Nintendo Switch port of DOOM Eternal, for the simple fact that I am not in love with the multiplayer of Eternal as much as I was with the original DOOM. While I appreciate the new approach with two demons against one Doomslayer in Eternal, I'm just not thrilled with playing through that again. Plus, I just prefer the original campaign of DOOM to its sequel--though both game campaigns are great.

Saints Row: The Third (PS3, NSW, PS4)

Resident Evil 4 was a quadruple dip, but here's a game that is close to rivaling it--and it's not even a particularly favorite game of mine. It's just one that I enjoy playing through now and again, and like RE4, each version I buy introduces enough newness that it's overall worth it. I'm referring to Saints Row: The Third. Whether it's the original game, in which I earned every trophy in the PlayStation 3 version, or enjoying the game either docked or in the manner that sold me on the Nintendo Switch version: portable play, I saw myself returning to the gang-riddled streets of Steelport more times than I expected! The latest version of the game is a remastered one, and on the PlayStation 4 it's rather well done. In some aspects, it's more of a remake than a remaster, with its amazingly detailed environments and characters when compared to the original.

Super Bomberman R (NSW, PS4)

Bombs away! A launch title for the Nintendo Switch, Super Bomberman R was an enjoyable but overall disappointing return of Bomberman. The gameplay was smooth enough, but issues with the camera and a lack of content made for some buyer's remorse from this reviewer / blogger. However, the game would receive a steady flow of free DLC and an abundance of patches that would properly upgrade the game to tiptop shape. The camera was fixed, the AI in battle mode was made less frustrating and cheap, and the amount of content in both single player and multiplayer was boosted considerably. After having sold off Super Bomberman R's Switch version, I was now having seller's remorse! Thus, I picked up the game on the PlayStation 4, and further thus, my history of being a double-dipper continued with yet another game. What a blast!

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U, NSW)

Much like Captain Toad and his confidante Toadette, I was certainly ready for adventure. But no, not just once--twice, in fact! The Wii U original Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker brought the diorama-style bonus stage concept from Super Mario 3D World and turned it into a full fledged game, perfect for sessions both lengthy and bite-sized! Of course, Treasure Tracker was much more fleshed out, featuring copious amounts of tricks, twists, obstacles, enemies, and puzzles to solve in its miniature diorama levels. The main goal of collecting each level's Power Star was as clear as one of these prized trinkets shining in the night sky, but side goals and optional collectibles made for some fun replay value as well. The Nintendo Switch version brought with it a trio of new levels--and since launch, even more via paid DLC--but my main reason for picking up the game again was for the same reason I got a lot of Wii U games turned Switch ports: because I prefer to play on the Nintendo Switch hardware!

Hot Shots Tennis (PS2, PS4)

Wow! We're already at the final game on this second installment of Double-Dipped! Let's make it count, shall we! Hot Shots Tennis originally launched on the PlayStation 2 back in the day, and on the PlayStation 4, it launched as a digital title through emulation. Unfortunately, Sony opted not to continue this practice and cut it off really early in the PS4's life--closing the door for other titles to potentially be ported and emulated. Still, it was Hot Shots Tennis in a higher resolution and with trophy support, and the game had its original's tried and true gameplay. It was ultimately a winner in my book, and one that I routinely return to in order to get a match in here and there. It's also mighty challenging against the AI, as one failed serve or backhand could result in the game giving YOU the backhand--right across your unsuspecting face! Hot Shots Tennis is one of the rare games in which the second time around I had to get it digitally as opposed to my preferred method as both a collector and lover of all things retail, physically.

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That wraps up this second edition of Double-Dipped! Which games have you bought more than once, whether on the same platform or not? Let me know in the comments section below!

Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package (NSW) Review

Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package launched a little bit ago on the Nintendo Switch, giving Nintendo players a taste of the Saints Row series for the first time. A Nintendo 3DS game was in development early in the system's life, but that game never did live to see the light of day. Now, after all this time, Saints Row is on a Nintendo platform, and here's the SuperPhillip Central review of the third installment's Switch version.

The Saints go marching in onto the Nintendo Switch.

Up until Saints Row: The Third, the Saints Row series and Rockstar's own Grand Theft Auto games took a slightly serious approach to the open world, crime story formula. With the third installment of Saints Row, developer Volition opted to diverge from the serious route, going with a decidedly zanier and more ridiculous approach. No longer was the series rooted in reality--quite the opposite, in fact. Now, Saints Row: The Third reaches the Nintendo Switch with all of its previous separate DLC included right on the cartridge with Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package. You get everything you could ever want out of Saints Row's third entry, including some added problems.

You play as the fully customizable leader of the Saints gang, who since Saints Row 2, are now a gang of fame, literal celebrities in crime. They have their own comic book, their own series of clothing stores, and even a sports drink! The city of Steelport is the new setting for Saints Row: The Third, and every gang in the area wants to dominate it for themselves--from a highly computer-literate gang of Goths to a gang of steroid-crazed Luchadores. 

When the Third Street Saints go marching in, you know things are about to go down.

Starting out in Saints Row: The Third, the Saints are at a disadvantage. Streets are full of unfriendly faces, and the Saints' claim to Steelport is limited at best--and that's putting it nicely. Through completing missions--both story-related and optional--as well as purchasing properties with hard-earned money, the Saints slowly can stake claim in more of Steelport. It's pretty cool to chart the Saints' progress of claiming Steelport, with the gang just having a meager crib to work with at first, and then by the end of the game being able to control all of the bustling metropolis. 

Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
Apparently start a shootout with Steelport's finest!

Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package comes packed with content, as its secondary subtitle alludes. In the base game alone, there is plenty of activities to participate in and enjoy. There's, of course, the story-related missions, but there's also the immense lineup of side activities. I'm talking about activities where you destroy as much as possible on foot or in a friggin' tank, escorting a capable AI partner to their various drug deals, assassination missions, vehicle thefts, running into traffic to commit insurance fraud, destroying gang operations, finding money pallets, blow-up dolls, and drugs scatted around Steelport, and even an activity where you carefully drive around in a convertible with a very hungry tiger in the passenger seat. 

That laser beam is a bit too close for the leader of the Saints' liking.

Additionally, the DLC missions that come included in The Full Package feature three different side stories, such as following the trail of a cloned, hulking Johnny Gat, starring in a movie shoot with real life dangers, and participating in a murder-friendly game show where you perform dangerous tasks like rolling a giant ball of yarn while causing as much destruction as possible and blazing through the sky as you pass through rings and murder costumed mascots for money. 

Yes, those are zombies. (I told you this third installment got quite a bit zany.)

The Full Package on the Nintendo Switch offers two more modes for players as well--the game's version of a Horde mode ("cleverly" called Whored Mode), where you try to survive as many waves of enemies as possible, in addition to co-operative play for the campaign. The latter is available for online or local play, which requires each player to have their own Switch (unfortunately, there's no split-screen option to speak of). 

This luchador just got dunked on.

Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package received a "Day One" patch (I put that in quotation marks because the patch was delayed to a week after release), which made a buggy and near broken Nintendo Switch version of the game much more playable. I'm pleased with the overall quality of the game post-patch. The frame-rate is passable, but it can very much fluctuates in a noticeable manner at times--particularly when the action picks up and the screen is overloaded with enemies and explosions. The video capture function of the Switch for Saints Row: The Third is pretty useless as well, because it takes the footage of the game and turns it into a slide show frame-rate-wise. It's honestly much worse than what you have in the actual game.

Steelport has seen nicer nights, as evident by the billboard
 on the right not fully loading in until you approach it closely.

The controls of Saints Row: The Third work well enough save for one issue I've picked up on. Trying to sprint by holding down the R button doesn't always work. It seems eight times out of ten your character will actually starting running, but the other two times nothing will happen. It's pretty frustrating when you're at dangerously low health and the game won't register that you're hitting the sprint button. Other than that, vehicles take some getting used to and don't have the tightness of control that I would like--but that was an issue with the original Saints Row: The Third and not a new issue with this Switch version.

G...Gah. I-I'm sorry I called you "Baldy McSteroids."

In many ways, Saints Row: The Third is a product of its name, quite dated. This isn't just relegated to some design, presentation, or control-related features either. Perhaps now that I'm older and wiser, I find some of the humor and content in the game just reprehensible and juvenile when back when the original game released I found it amusing and entertaining. There are just flat out many moments in this Nintendo Switch run of Saints Row: The Third that I was just embarrassed and sometimes simply uncomfortable to be playing through them. 

And yes, those are guys in gimp gear pulling carriages in this chase sequence.
...No further comment.

That aside, as long as you know that Saints Row: The Third is very dated in many gameplay ways as well as some cultural aspects, you'll find that it's a really enjoyable GTA clone. It's one that's not afraid of having fun and not taking itself so seriously. (Though, again, some moments shine brighter than others.) With Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package, Nintendo Switch owners have a game that can fill that open world city-based void in the system's library--just so they also know that the level of polish and presentation isn't exactly of the highest caliber. Still, for the amount of off-the-wall fun one can get out of Saints Row's debut on a Nintendo system, The Full Package is worth taking to the streets of Steelport for, warts and all.

[SPC Says: B-]