FAQ

Okay, I'm really just making these up since I haven't been asked any questions yet, but this is what I imagine people might ask about.

Why not just use an existing service like Backloggery?

I originally surveyed a couple of sites like this, but I found that none of them met my needs. Instead, I looked at various Python web frameworks, picked one that seemed nice, and wrote this. The main layout is taken from the sample page of that framework; the icons were created from scratch to match the style of the Backloggery icons.

Dude, shouldn't you have some sort of login for this?/Won't people be able to edit everything?

The actual system only runs on my local machine; this is a read-only mirror (unless you are currently sitting at my local machine viewing this, in which case, I hope you're me.)

What does each status mean?

As a guideline, this is how I use the statuses:

• (null) is used for games that have no obvious measurement of completeness (e.g. Wii Sports (Wii)), or where true completion is effectively impossible (e.g.can ever be reached (e.g. Blue Sphere (GameCube) [Sega Genesis/MegaDrive]). Very rarely, I also use it to mark a game where completion is entirely possible, but where it does not make sense to do so (e.g. King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (German floppy) (PC), since I already completed King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (CD) (PC)).
• Unfinished games are games that I haven't beaten or completed yet. Some of these games may actually fall into the previous category; the reason they're listed as unfinished is usually because I haven't actually played them yet and aren't sure if they're completable.
• This is usually when the credits roll. There are a few exceptions where the credits roll before all content in the main game is revealed, e.g. Beat the Beat: Rhythm Heaven (Wii); I usually do not consider a game beaten until the "true" ending in that case. Games in this category still have some objective left which can reasonably be accomplished (e.g. a sidequest or achievement), which differentiates them from the next category.
• 100% completion achieved. These games have nothing new to offer: all the sidequests have been completed, all achievements are unlocked, etc. There are a few exceptions, such as Everyday Genius: SquareLogic (Steam) [PC]: it is not realistic to complete all 20,000+ puzzles, but the game has a set of achievements which instead serve as the completion criteria.

There are likely to be some additional exceptions to this rule; this is always done for a good reason.

Does Completed mean you're done with the game?

Only in the sense that there's nothing new for me to do, but it doesn't mean I necessarily stop playing it. It depends on the game.

Are you a completionist?

For some games, yes, but it depends on a large number of factors. If a game has achievements, I will usually try to complete these, but that's only a guideline and not a hard rule.

Why don't the totals on the front page add up?

That depends on which totals you're thinking of.

• The "total" column for a platform also includes games labeled .
• The grand total at the bottom only counts unique games; some games are registered under two platforms and contribute to the total of each one.

What's a compilation?

A compilation is a series of smaller games (subgames) which effectively form a proper title of their own. This is particularly the case with episodic games (e.g Tales of Monkey Island (PC)), where a number of smaller games are closely connected, or actual compilations like Super Mario All-Stars (Wii) [SNES] which consists of multiple games on one cartridge/CD/whatever. This does not include mini-game compilations, such as WarioWare, Inc: Minigame Mania (Game Boy Advance), because the individual games in such a title don't really stand alone.

For the totals, a compilation actually counts seperately from the games it contains. This is mainly because I haven't bothered doing anything about it, since it only has a minimal effect on the counts anyway, and it's good enough for my needs. (I could avoid that issue by using the (null) status, but I like being able to see the status on the entire compilation as well.)

What about objectives?

Objectives are a way for me to keep track of how close I am to beating/completing a game, and are particularly helpful when a number of criteria need to be met. For some games, e.g. Ys Origin (Steam) [GOG.com] you have to beat the game in many different ways, and it can be difficult to remember which you have previously completed - so I use objectives to track these.

Do you really have this many games?

It's pretty close! As of November 2012, I'm still missing a handful, and there may of course have been some changes since I last updated this mirror. On the other hand, as mentioned above, compilations do inflate the count slightly. I've also only added the games that I have access to; a few games have been sold over the years, or the disks/cartridges may have gotten lost, and those games haven't been added... if you count those, then I would estimate that the actual count should be a bit higher.

The current distribution of titles is as follows:

• 38 entries are "top-level" collections, and marked in bold in game lists
• 172 entries are contained in a collection (a small number are themselves collections, e.g. The King's Quest Collection (PC)) and marked in italics in game lists
• 1918 entries are not contained in a collection

All of the games here are legit, i.e. not pirated, but some games have been played via emulation, instead of on the actual system (e.g. the Apple II games).

What about free games?

I generally do not add free games, regardless of platform - but there are exceptions. This is something I decide on a game-by-game basis.