Tackling My Gaming Backlog: May Check-In

The further I venture down the rabbit hole, the more I realise that my mission to get through my gaming backlog is doomed to fail. A year was too small a target. I did not expect to clear all of my backlog, but I figured I could put a significant dent in it. However, I am now realising the enormity of this task, and the perilous realisation has crept upon me. However, I live in hope and will persist for the rest of the year.

Gaming Backlog: May Check-In

This month has been the most successful of the year so far. I managed to get through eight different games, and six of them were from my backlog. If I can maintain this pace for the rest of the year, I may be able to tame the backlog somewhat, but that is easier said than done.

Here are the games I played in May 2025, along with my brief thoughts on each.

Hotline Miami — PS5 — 4h 21m — 8/10

It has taken me far too long to play Hotline Miami, the controversial indie gem that broke the boundaries with its arcade-style progression and deeply philosophical story. Hotline Miami sees you controlling an unnamed protagonist who receives telephone calls from unknown sources, ordering him to carry out hits in an assortment of locations. At first, the narrative seems very straightforward. Still, the further you get into the story, the more you question character motivations and the more you think about why you are committing these horrific acts of violence.

Hotline Miami is one of the fastest-paced, adrenaline-fuelled games I've ever played. Split-second decision-making and reactions are key to succeeding. One missed button input or movement punishes you. One-hit kills are at the core, and it makes Hotline Miami one of the most difficult games I have played for a long time. The difficulty may deter some players, but it never felt unfair, and every death felt like my own fault. You have to get comfortable with the knowledge that you will die countless times, getting through the four-hour adventure.

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (Phantasy Reverie) — PC — 5h 50m — 8/10

This is a remaster of the original Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, a cult-classic PlayStation 1 game from 1997. This game is part of the Phantasy Reverie collection that consists of Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. As a big fan of the PS1 and old-school collectathon platformers, I had high hopes for Klonoa. I ended up loving the game, but MY GOD, it has one of the most heartbreaking endings I have ever seen in a mascot platforming game.

You control Klonoa, a cat-like creature who, along with his best friend Huepow, must stop the evil Gadius from engulfing the world in darkness and flooding it with nightmares. Door to Phantomile is a 2.5D platformer that manages to stand out from other PS1 platformers, such as Crash and Spyro, and it's great that Klonoa got another chance in the spotlight.

I cannot say more about the game without spoiling the narrative. If you haven't played Klonoa, I highly recommend it but be prepared for the ending.

What the Clash? — Apple Arcade — 5h 6m — ?/10

Stay tuned for my full-length review of What the Clash?, coming soon to Gaming Australia.

Katamari Damacy REROLL — Nintendo Switch — 4h 40m — 8/10

This is another game that I got when I first bought my Nintendo Switch five years ago. It has taken me far too long, but I've finally played and finished Katamari Damacy REROLL, one of the most psychedelic, stressful, and strangely euphoric games I've ever played. If any of you have played a Katamari game before, you will know exactly what I mean.

Katamari Damacy REROLL is a remaster of the original Katamari Damacy, which came out on the PlayStation 2 in 2004. You play as a prince, forced to rebuild stars and planets in the galaxy to please the King of All Cosmos after he destroyed them. Every stage sees you rolling up a Katamari and grabbing every single thing you can around the map. The goal is to roll the Katamari to a certain diameter before the timer runs out.

The gameplay is just as insane as the game sounds, and the sheer amount of destruction and chaos you can cause is hilarious and satisfying. The controls themselves are clunky, and it did take me a while to get the hang of them, but once you do, you can have so much fun rolling around the map and jamming to the absolutely brilliant soundtrack.

WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames! — Nintendo Switch — 1h 31m — 8/10

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames is often called one of the best games ever made for the Game Boy Advance. I was excited to check it out finally, but I had no idea what to expect. When I finished the game, I was thoroughly delighted, and it gave me a newfound appreciation and knowledge for video games that primarily consist of mini-games.

Mega Microgames is the first game in the WarioWare series, and I was previously unaware of its influence. The game feels like a culmination of both the remix levels in Rhythm Heaven and the entire progression of Dumb Ways to Die. The reaction-based mini-games are all absolutely wonderful, and the game was a lot harder than I expected it to be. I wish the game were longer, though. I beat every level and the main story in just over 90 minutes, and it felt like I was only getting started in the game. Despite that, Mega Microgames is an absolute joy, and I look forward to playing more WarioWare games.

F-Zero X — Nintendo Switch — 1h 28m — 8/10

This month was very Nintendo-themed, and we are continuing this with F-Zero X, a game many people consider the best in the F-Zero franchise. I have never played an F-Zero game before, so this was my introduction to the franchise, and I was thoroughly impressed.

F-Zero popularised the idea of anti-gravity racing games, a sub-genre that went on to inspire the Wipeout series. F-Zero X was the first 3D entry in the series, made possible thanks to the Nintendo 64. The amount of speed you can get in this game is staggering. Balancing the boost gauge and your vehicle's fragility was very challenging, making F-Zero X one of the hardest racing games I have played in a long time. Every time I won a race, it was by the slimmest margin, and I lost plenty of races whilst experimenting with different vehicles.

Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 — Nintendo Switch — 7h 26m — 5/10

This was the only game this month that I decided to put down without finishing. Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 is a game I used to play on the Wii during my childhood. I poured hours into the game, but I never managed to finish it. After hearing about the remaster for modern systems, I decided to give the game another go on the Nintendo Switch. 

After the first few hours, I was having a great time, and the typical charm of Lego video games was there. However, the further I got into the game, the more I felt disappointed. The bosses are extremely basic; there are no vehicle levels like in other Lego games, and every level feels the same. Because the game was painfully easy, I was left extremely bored and decided to move on to something else. It's a shame because I remember loving the game as a kid, but it didn't grab me this time.

Puffies — Apple Arcade — 3h 2m — ?/10

Stay tuned for my full-length review of Puffies, coming soon to Gaming Australia.

Gaming Backlog: Summary

May was an eventful month for my gaming backlog, and I loved every game, apart from Lego Harry Potter. 

In total, my gaming time for 2025 is currently at… 277 hours and 13 minutes!

Gaming Backlog: New Additions

Several games found their way into my gaming backlog this month. The Steam and PlayStation sales were too good to resist.

• A Short Hike (PC)

  
  

• Batman: The Telltale Series (PS5)

  
  

• Batman: The Enemy Within (PS5)

  
  

• Black Mesa (PC)

  
  

• Burnout Paradise: Remastered (PS5)

  
  

• Catherine: Full Body (PS5)

  
  

• Penny's Big Breakaway (PC)

  
  

• Risk of Rain Returns (PC)

  
  

• Risk of Rain 2 (PC)

  
  

• Superhot (PC)

  
  

• Titanfall 2 (PS5)

  
  

• Unravel (PS5)

  
  

• Unravel Two (PS5)

  
  

• The Walking Dead: A Telltale Series (PS5)

  
  

• The Walking Dead: Season Two (PS5)

  
  

• The Walking Dead: A New Frontier (PS5)

  
  

• The Walking Dead: The Final Season (PS5)

  
  

• The Walking Dead: 400 Days (PS5)

  
  

• The Walking Dead: Michonne (PS5)

  
  

• Watch Dogs 2 (PS5)

Gaming Backlog: Closing Thoughts

It is now winter, and the impending arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to take up a lot of my time this month. I do not expect June to be as big a month for my gaming backlog, but I will do what I can. I will return at the beginning of July to summarise my gaming activities for this month. Until then, happy gaming, everyone, and remember to give your gaming backlog the love and attention it deserves.