---What games?
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Metroid Prime 1 and Ninja Gaiden HP1
--How long?
Nocturne took 70 hours with almost all the sidequests, secret bosses and the secret ending.
Metroid Prime took about 25 hours with 78% of the scans.
Ninja Gaiden Hurricane Pack 1 took about 30 hours.
--What did I think?
I enjoyed them both thoroughly. It's amazing how much MP feels like a 2-d Metroid game and I really enjoyed the music and graphics. I don't know anything about Retro Studios or why Nintendo picked them, an unknown developer based in Texas, to make Metroid 3-D, but they have proven themselves and I can't wait to see their first original game(or the next MP game.) Every last detail was just right-- even the jumping parts weren't too bad. It was interesting to see what Samus looks like in the end. When you die in Super Metroid or Metroid Fusion, she looks like a blond pornstar, but in MP she looks more like a regular woman.
My only complaint about the game is the room BEFORE the last boss with the metroids that split and can only be klilled with certain guns-- they attack you while you climbing up a tower to the final room and it's seriously one of the more frustrating parts of a game that I've had to play.
Nocturne was a damn good rpg. I really liked fusing monsters and breeding them for specific skills. The atmosphere of the game is just plain creepy but with an artistic edge, much like Killer 7(they are both cel-shaded and weird.) The story takes a while to develop and doesn't really pick up until 2/3 of the way through the game, but once it does, it really grabs you, if you've been paying attention. It rewards those who stick it out, but it drags you through a mile of dirt first by forcing you to learn the systems of the game as well levelling up, discovering bosses weaknesses(which usually involves replaying the boss) and
getting chased by demons(including Dante from DMC, who tries to kick your ass like 3 times before he joins you at the end of the game.) After all that, you get to the philosophical part, where you have to choose how to re-create the world...kinda like KOTOR, but much different(side note: the SMT series was the first to let you choose your path and get different endings!)
NGHP1-- It's
ing hard. It's NG, but harder, with more moves, an extra weapon, different enemies. The AI is so amazing. The enemies really work together to kill you and that puts the pressure on to learn all the ins and outs.
There's nothing I don't love about it, I'm a total NG fanboy. Okay, maybe some of the boss fights were a little ridiculous...
--What did I do with them afterwards?
All 3 are back on my shelf. They are definitely keepers that I'll revisit, especially Nocturne to see the different endings. I'll hold on to NG, since it seems like NG Black will be different from the original and the Hurricane Packs...so it'll be like having 4 different versions of the game.