"Classic" games you never understood the appeal of

[JSoup]

To be fair, the DS version of Mario 64 is horrible.

[Haoie]

Oooh I got 1! Secret of Mana. Can't stand it at all.

I got spoilt by Seiken Densetsu 3.

[substantial_snake]

Oooh I got 1! Secret of Mana. Can't stand it at all.

I got spoilt by Seiken Densetsu 3.

Seconded, I can't stand Secret of Mana for more then 20 minutes.(Final Fantasy Adventure was one of my favorite GB games though)

Another more modern game would be God of War. I've tried to get into the series a few times but it always ends up falling flat. Its pretty amazing visually the first time you do something, an then it just becomes a bit of a chore doing the same thing over and over again.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

I'll have to stir up some controversy. The Zelda series... I've always been a Mario fan myself. Never got into Zelda. Time to break out Twilight Princess for another go... again?

The 3D Sonic games. He just got lost once Sonic became even pseudo 3D.

[kupomogli]

I didn't think of this before while I was posting games, but another game which is widely loved and one of my least favorite games of all time. Majora's Mask. Quoting another post I just made.


Majora's Mask though? I only got to keep the first mask and a little bit after that, but that was all I needed to play to know the game is complete garbage. Have to do fetch quests, like hide and seek, find the faeries, etc, etc,and then if the time runs out do it all over again until you memorize the locations. Get past the first part, get the mask, go back inside, and you have to figure out what again, and still with limited time. What a piece of shit.

[Icarus Moonsight]

...I totally agree with you on SMB64...

I felt the exact same way about SM Sunshine and have no interest of ever doing another 3D Mario title, period.

Mario Galaxy 1/2 is the cure. As a fellow 64/Sunshine WTF? person, at least give it a shot.

Never understood the popularity of the Rush series myself. It's mediocre all over.

[Singletriad]

Mario Galaxy 1/2 is the cure. As a fellow 64/Sunshine WTF? person, at least give it a shot.

Never understood the popularity of the Rush series myself. It's mediocre all over.

I love SM64 and Mario sunshine, but I HATE the Mario Galaxy games.

[skaar]

Goldeneye 64 was never that good.

[Ballermann2D]

Final Fantasy from VI -> current... and most Square games in general (Chrono Trigger, etc.)
Ocarina of Time (it IS good but in my opinion not the best in the series, let alone best game ever)

[spongerob]

Goldeneye 64 was never that good.

Agreed

[Ballermann2D]

i really loved the singleplayer in Goldeneye - i even do now
but the multiplayer sucked even then compared to PC games played in network

[TonyTheTiger]

Kid Icarus.

I don't think it's a terrible game by any stretch but I think it's easily the weakest of Nintendo's NES/GB era franchises. I consider the long absence evidence proving my point.

The SaGa series, too. In this case I think the games really are just plain terribad.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I love SM64 and Mario sunshine, but I HATE the Mario Galaxy games.

Somebody had to. :D

[Emperor Megas]

And here I figured I was only one of maybe 5 gamers in the world who never liked Mario64.

[Kitsune Sniper]

And here I figured I was only one of maybe 5 gamers in the world who never liked Mario64.

I played it when it was new. That game drew me away from the N64. I couldn't stand it.

[kupomogli]

And here I figured I was only one of maybe 5 gamers in the world who never liked Mario64.

There are probably only five people who actually like it. Everyone else just says they like it because it's Mario.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

There are probably only five people who actually like it. Everyone else just says they like it because it's Mario.

More than 5 review sites gave it good reviews in 1996 alone. I will say a significant number of people dislike SM64, but it's like that with any classic game. Personally I love SM64.

[buzz_n64]

There are probably only five people who actually like it. Everyone else just says they like it because it's Mario.

Wow. I guess I'm one of the five who like it. Oh wait... umm.... Didn't Super Mario 64 sell over 11 million copies (not counting the DS version), and was the #1 selling game for the Nintendo 64. But, I guess those people just bought it because it's Mario, yet many people speak up on their true dislike for Super Mario Sunshine.

[Steven]

I will say a significant number of people dislike SM64, but it's like that with any classic game.


Super Metroid would like a word with you.

SM is one of those rare gems that hardly ever gets blasted in any shape or form.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

Super Metroid would like a word with you.

SM is one of those rare gems that hardly ever gets blasted in any shape or form.

Never played Super Metroid. Off to play it on Retro Uprising because I don't have the SNES cart... :/

[Aussie2B]

Don't bother giving kupomogli a serious reply. He's just trolling like usual.

Trashing Super Mario 64 has actually become the "cool" thing to do around here lately. Supposedly, if you like it, you're just blinded by hype, the fact that it has Mario, etc. etc. It's physically impossible for anyone to GENUINELY like Super Mario 64.

[Baloo]

Super Metroid would like a word with you.

SM is one of those rare gems that hardly ever gets blasted in any shape or form.

I've gotta admit, I dislike Super Metroid. Then again, I don't like any of the Metroid games, as I stated in my first post.

Super Mario 64 on the other hand is fun. Super Mario Galaxy however bored me to tears.

[allyourblood]

I have never played a Mario game from the principal series (1, 2, 3, World, 64, Sunshine, Galaxy, G2, NSMB DS & Wii) that I didn't enjoy immensely. I thought Sunshine was an absolute blast and a real visual feast.

The only Mario game I don't really care for all that much, and I don't really consider it a true Mario game at all, is Yoshi's Island. I play it for a bit once or twice a year, and each time it goes right back on the shelf within an hour or so.

Mario 64? I play about half the game once a year. Still super-fun, despite the occasionally infuriating camera system.

[Steven]

I've gotta admit, I dislike Super Metroid. Then again, I don't like any of the Metroid games, as I stated in my first post.


Dislike it as in:

A. You see it as a mediocre game and just don't like it

or

B. It just wasn't your cup of tea, but not necessarily a low quality or average game

For the people who dislike SM, most of them fall into category B. Rarely have I met folks who fall into category A. Even the SM dislikers will credit it as a quality game, just something they didn't see eye to eye with though, for whatever reason

[goatdan]

Mario Galaxy 1/2 is the cure. As a fellow 64/Sunshine WTF? person, at least give it a shot.

Hunh. Noted.


Never understood the popularity of the Rush series myself. It's mediocre all over.

Now it's my time for a suggestion of a cure. I never understood the popularity of the early Rush titles, and even though I love nearly all of what Atari Games did, I always found those mediocre. Rush 2049 though is absolutely mindblowingly good, in my opinion the best racing game ever made, period. The Dreamcast version is stellar too.

I *will* one day own the arcade game.

[allyourblood]

Rush 2049 though is absolutely mindblowingly good, in my opinion the best racing game ever made, period. The Dreamcast version is stellar too.

This is correct. The DC version is one of my go-to arcade racing games.

[goatdan]

This is correct. The DC version is one of my go-to arcade racing games.

In 2005, I worked as a tech manager. On a whim, we decided to bring in a bunch of video games for our Christmas party. There was a PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and on a whim I brought in Rush 2049.

It ended up becoming that every Wednesday night for the next year was "Rush League" and everyone bought their own VMUs to store their profiles on. It was that amazingly fun. There was probably 15 of us in the league too.

The only other game that I think came close to it was Hydro Thunder (and the pseudo sequel H2Overdrive which just recently came out), but neither of these has a home version that may actually improve on the arcade experience. Rush on the Dreamcast did that.

[allyourblood]

In 2005, I worked as a tech manager. On a whim, we decided to bring in a bunch of video games for our Christmas party. There was a PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and on a whim I brought in Rush 2049.

It ended up becoming that every Wednesday night for the next year was "Rush League" and everyone bought their own VMUs to store their profiles on. It was that amazingly fun. There was probably 15 of us in the league too.

That's awesome! I'd kill for something like that around here. Racing games are very hit-or-miss for me: the physics, control, track design, sense of speed... it all has to be exactly "right" for me to enjoy it. Rush 2049 just nails it in all regards. A friend and I used to play Need for Speed III for days on end, and this game pretty much replaced that.

I'm gonna play a few races tonight. :)

[Icarus Moonsight]

When I was watching a gameplay vid for 2049 DC, Hydro Thunder immediately came to mind. They're very similar, save the land/air water/air durr-ference.

In other words, looking good and I'm on it. Thanks. :)

[Sunnyvale]

i really loved the singleplayer in Goldeneye - i even do now
but the multiplayer sucked even then compared to PC games played in network

I agree the multiplayer wasn't up to par with Duke Nukem on the PC, but that is why that game is popular still, for the most part. Lots of people who are more casual retro gamers want a handful of N64 games: Mario, Zelda x2, Starfox, Smash Bros, and Goldeneye. I would actually rank it above Smash Bros in terms of popularity in that particular group of gamers.

[Sunnyvale]

Super Metroid would like a word with you.

SM is one of those rare gems that hardly ever gets blasted in any shape or form.

The only complaint I've ever heard about SM is the price tag. "Why isn't it $5 like Street Fighter II?"

[Icarus Moonsight]

Because no one wants SF2 on SNES when you can have Turbo or Super SF2 for not much more. The JPN SFC version of Super Metroid I have seen sell real cheap, CIB, and it has english text selectable. NA and JPN is the exact same build as far as the ROM AFAIK. The going rate might have changed since then though, if only for the beating USD has taken in exchange rates.

[Emperor Megas]

I've never heard of Rush 2049. I'll have to look into it. The ONLY racers I enjoy are cart and arcade style; I don't like racing sims at all.

[Sunnyvale]

Because no one wants SF2 on SNES when you can have Turbo or Super SF2 for not much more. The JPN SFC version of Super Metroid I have seen sell real cheap, CIB, and it has english text selectable. NA and JPN is the exact same build as far as the ROM AFAIK. The going rate might have changed since then though, if only for the beating USD has taken in exchange rates.

I agree, totally. I was saying it is the only complaint I ever hear (from newer gamers). Comparing the SNES port of SF2 with Super Metroid is all but sacreligious.

[goatdan]

I've never heard of Rush 2049. I'll have to look into it. The ONLY racers I enjoy are cart and arcade style; I don't like racing sims at all.

It's total arcade racing at it's epitome.

Unless you happen to see an H2Overdrive, which may be arcade racing at it's true epitome. Although I absolutely adore Sega Super GT and Outrun (old and new style) too...

But, this is supposed to be about games that everyone else likes that you don't, so I'll toss in the Mario Kart series as one I don't get why people like. I loved the SNES game, but the N64 game was SO ridiculously rubber-band-y, and the series seems to be not based on skill but lucky 90% of the time that I just can't get into it like the first one.

[allyourblood]

But, this is supposed to be about games that everyone else likes that you don't, so I'll toss in the Mario Kart series as one I don't get why people like. I loved the SNES game, but the N64 game was SO ridiculously rubber-band-y, and the series seems to be not based on skill but lucky 90% of the time that I just can't get into it like the first one.

Oh, and on that note, I'll add the Mario Party series. I know board games in general often come down to the luck of a dice roll, but there's still often a modicum of skill required in order to advance. In the MP games, there are too many stupid opportunities to have a massive lead simply pulled right out from underneath you at a moment's notice.

Despite some of the fun mini-games, the potential to have a victory completely robbed from whoever is in first place leaves me scratching my head: why would anyone subject themselves to that sort of frustration?

[RP2A03]

Despite some of the fun mini-games, the potential to have a victory completely robbed from whoever is in first place leaves me scratching my head: why would anyone subject themselves to that sort of frustration?

I never had that problem. Either I steal my way to a massive lead and keep it or I'm behind until the last five turns where I manage to buy four stars in two turns putting me in the lead. Then I steal a few stars from everyone for good measure. Yeah, I'm that guy.:evil:

[theclaw]

I agree, totally. I was saying it is the only complaint I ever hear (from newer gamers). Comparing the SNES port of SF2 with Super Metroid is all but sacreligious.

I thought that in Japan alone the first SNES port of SF2, remains the single top selling individual SKU in Capcom history? Not even counting any other country's sales of that version.

[old man]

I can't stand the NES version these days. It's way too stiff. Maybe cool back then, but so not cool today.

Dig the Genesis and SNES versions though. Even though they're hard, I think they're a lot more playable and genuine classics of their time. Shooting vertically in GEN and being able to double jump in the SNES version made the old GnG formula so much more fun and playable. Also I feel the SNES version is actually not as hardcore tough as many like to claim. I can make decent progress on it, and have played MUCH tougher games


If I had to pick one it would be the Genesis one. I like the multi directional firing. The double jumping in the SNES game comes off as stiff and awkward. I always wind up landing on an enemy.

[Dire 51]

I actually liked Kid Chameleon,it has A certain charm to it.But yeah Vector man and Cosmix Zone are nothing to brag about.I would also throw in Eco The Dolphin.The game is confusing as hell,and gets boring in about two minutes.
Yeah, I never understood the appeal of the Ecco games either. I guess someone likes them though, which is why Sega keeps putting them on the Genesis compilations too.

I too must state my dislike of Super Mario Kart; however, it's the SNES game I can't stand. From what I remember of it, it's too slow, too unresponsive (why... can't... I... turn... QUICKLY?!), and it pales next to other SNES racers like F-Zero. Didn't mind Mario Kart 64, though. Never played the others.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Blue Shellfare

[Zing]

Super Metroid would like a word with you.

SM is one of those rare gems that hardly ever gets blasted in any shape or form.

I recently played through Metroid and Metroid II. I gave Super Metroid a try, but I quit relatively early. I owned and played through the game back at its release, but I didn't remember much. All I know is that I didn't enjoy it this time.

There are a few raw complaints I have, such as the muffled sound effects, but my main problem is that I just didn't "feel" it thematically. In the first game, I actually felt like I was on an unknown, strange planet that was once inhabited by an ancient race. I was on my own with a specific mission and it was up to me to accomplish it. In Metroid II, I had a similar feeling, despite the linear gameplay. I was a stranger on a strange, ancient world.

Super Metroid feels so sterile. Overproduced. I am supposed to be on the same planet as the first game? Suddenly the space pirates set up a whole new lair, and had plenty of leisure time to set up dozens of passages and statues that act as doors? I felt like a rat in a maze. More specifically, I would say I felt like it was all just part of a "test". Kind of like the classic D&D rogue being thrown into a maze of traps by his guild leader to test his skills. It felt like the world was constructed solely for me to play through it, as opposed to me being an unwanted intruder.

[j_factor]

Yeah, I never understood the appeal of the Ecco games either. I guess someone likes them though

*raises hand*

I like them a lot, at least the first two. I can see why a lot of people don't like them, though. They're pretty hard, and they have a lot of "how do I get past this?" type moments, although that's kind of the point of the overall game design. They're challenging in both the direct sense of enemies attacking you, and the indirect sense of tricky puzzle solving. You have to appreciate being challenged in both ways at the same time. Which I do, which is why I love these games.

If there's a different reason for not liking Ecco, I'd like to hear it.

[Griking]

I don't like the original Pitfall! game. It's boring and very repetitive, and it seems to never end. I find the sequel Pitfall II for the Atari 5200 the only game in the series I find enjoyable.

The entire Final Fantasy and Pokemon series; although, I must admit I'm biased against RPGs.

Space Invaders, boring, too mechanical and plain.


I think that a lot of the classics like Pitfall, Qix, etc... that people include in this list are unfairly being slammed because they just don't compare to modern games that have much better graphics and a lot more depth. I don't think that people who weren't around to play these games in the 80s can really understand what gaming was like at the time. Even though simple flash and cell phone games of today are much more more advanced and have much more depth than the older classics at the time they were the shit.

[Griking]

Back in 1978 when Space Invaders came out, it was the sh!t though, at least IMO. I mean, there was nothing like it. Arcades were few and far between and usually filled with pinball and mechanical type games. Space Invaders was the first actual "video game" I ever played. They had one located at my grandmother's racquetball club. It was the only game there, they just stuck it next to the juice bar. I was 8 years old. Playing it for me was like a religious experience, I was BLOWN away. And later on the 2600, it was one of Atari's best done ports probably ever. It acually exceeded the arcade version in pretty much every way, which may have been the only time the 2600 managed such a feat.

This kind of mirrors the post that I just made. While I admit, I can't play space Invaders any more because i'm spolied by other casual games at the time Space Invaders was rediculously popular. I remember going into my local bowling alley at the time and waiting over an hour just for a chance to play a game.

[Edmond Dantes]

I discovered Qix relatively recently and I love it. Not a favorite by any means but its a nice way to waste some time.

[Icarus Moonsight]

*raises hand*

Dreamcast/PS2 version count? I literally played the game for hours just looking at the scenery, exploring and swimming around jumping and all... Totally forgot that I had things to do. The shark boss battle at the 2nd location (IIRC) was gripping too. Once I got over the initial wow factor, game wasn't that fun anymore. I had a similar reaction to the original Ecco, but it didn't hold for near as long. Jumping face first into rocks and hearing the dolphin scream kept me going a few more minutes at least. Filet-o-Fish... Mmmm.

[Sunnyvale]

I thought that in Japan alone the first SNES port of SF2, remains the single top selling individual SKU in Capcom history? Not even counting any other country's sales of that version.

I wasn't aware of it's popularity in Japan. All I know is if you dumped quarters into SF2 and were damn good at it, and then bought the SNES port, you felt screwed. Prioirty changed, the screen is larger, combos didn't work the same... Looks good, but not quite the same game.

[HappehLemons]

I really don't like Secret of Mana at all.

[Doonzmore]

*raises hand*

I like them a lot, at least the first two. I can see why a lot of people don't like them, though. They're pretty hard, and they have a lot of "how do I get past this?" type moments, although that's kind of the point of the overall game design. They're challenging in both the direct sense of enemies attacking you, and the indirect sense of tricky puzzle solving. You have to appreciate being challenged in both ways at the same time. Which I do, which is why I love these games.

If there's a different reason for not liking Ecco, I'd like to hear it.

Not to mention having to keep an eye on your air gauge or else you'll start to suffocate and lose health. I loved the mood and the atmosphere in the first one. The music added a lot to the effect. For as good as the music is in the Genesis version though, the Sega CD one trumps it in every way. Check out the title screen music, composed by the great Spencer Nilsen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCiLK-9pgJs

IIRC a lot of the missions had similar goals, so I didn't get stuck in the game too often. I'll have to get around to playing The Tides of Time someday.

As for my response to the question, a lot of FPS are just not my cup of tea: Halo, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, etc. The only ones I have ever gotten into are Geist (Gamecube), The World is Not Enough (N64) and Chronicles of Riddick (Xbox).

[kupomogli]

I literally played the game for hours just looking at the scenery, exploring and swimming around jumping and all...

I started up Ecco and played about a minute. Wow, this is amazing, jumping out of the water and such. It looked pretty awesome. Played a little bit longer. This is boring. Haven't went back since.

[Aussie2B]

I wasn't aware of it's popularity in Japan. All I know is if you dumped quarters into SF2 and were damn good at it, and then bought the SNES port, you felt screwed. Prioirty changed, the screen is larger, combos didn't work the same... Looks good, but not quite the same game.

The SNES release of Street Fighter II was insanely popular in the US too. It dominated the charts in Nintendo Power for a very long time, crushing stuff like Super Mario World and Zelda 3, and, after it came out, there was a flood of wannabe fighters on SNES seeking a piece of the pie. The game was also regarded as a technical marvel for the SNES back then. I think most gamers understood that there was no way that a home console would exactly replicate SF2, but they were very impressed with how close the SNES release could get. I'm sure that there were some diehard arcade players that just couldn't tolerate anything that couldn't live up to the original version, but the vast majority of gamers were very happy with the SNES version of SF2.

[j_factor]

Dreamcast/PS2 version count? I literally played the game for hours just looking at the scenery, exploring and swimming around jumping and all... Totally forgot that I had things to do. The shark boss battle at the 2nd location (IIRC) was gripping too. Once I got over the initial wow factor, game wasn't that fun anymore.

I'm so-so on that one. It's an absolutely gorgeous game (the DC version a little moreso), but the gameplay doesn't work as well in 3D. It's still tolerable, but doesn't live up to the greatness of the first two IMO.

And the less said about Ecco Jr., the better.

[NoahsMyBro]

I've got a feeling I'll be shot for saying this, but I never really saw the appeal of Doom.

I played it, it was OK, but I didn't think it was the greatest thing since electricity. Around the time Doom was enormously popular a slightly newer game, Descent, was my cup of tea.

[leatherrebel5150]

Reading some of the earlier posts I here alot of hate for the N64. I never understood this I love my N64 and everyone I knew in the days of N64 had one except for one of my friends and we felt bad For HIM because he had a playstation. My friends still come over and we have N64 nights. There are quite a few fun games on the system other than the standard ones. I don't know maybe me and my friends like it for nostalgic reasons.

[Ballermann2D]

i love my N64 too - even though i just bought one again a few months ago after selling mine in 2001 or 2002.
Whereas one of the only PSX games i could still play today is Wip3out (which is imo still the best in the series and one of the best 5 racing games i have ever played) - most of it's other games have aged pretty bad (shmups, safe for maybe R-Type Delta) or there are simply better sequels on newer incarnations of the PlayStation

seems to be a subjective thing though, since many other gamers use the exact same reasons if they talk about their most loved systems.

though my personal favorite system will still remain the almighty Dreamcast (forever i guess)

[Nature Boy]

First thing that came to mind: I tried "Katamari Damacy" on PS2 when it came out and found it dreadfully boring. I've never understood the hype on that one at all.

It's fun reading people complain about the old stuff like Metroid. At the time, the fact I had no way of knowing where to go next never phased me a bit. Mind you, I had nothing else to do at the time being all of 15.

Now I definitely love stuff like Metroid Fusion more, where you can still search around for hidden paths but where you have to go next is laid out for you. A much better design IMO. Although I personally don't hold that against the older games, because nobody did that really.

[Sunnyvale]

The SNES release of Street Fighter II was insanely popular in the US too. It dominated the charts in Nintendo Power for a very long time, crushing stuff like Super Mario World and Zelda 3, and, after it came out, there was a flood of wannabe fighters on SNES seeking a piece of the pie. The game was also regarded as a technical marvel for the SNES back then. I think most gamers understood that there was no way that a home console would exactly replicate SF2, but they were very impressed with how close the SNES release could get. I'm sure that there were some diehard arcade players that just couldn't tolerate anything that couldn't live up to the original version, but the vast majority of gamers were very happy with the SNES version of SF2.

I can understand that. It was immensely popular, no doubt. I was one of those die-hard arcade players you spoke of, and I was very frustrated. Like buying a 360 with original XBOX guts, I felt I had been misled through the appearance. But many of my friends love it still, and the skills from one do transfer to the other. Just don't try any of the advanced coin-op combos/tricks, and you won't get frustrated. Like Mario 64 for the DS, close, but not to the discerning player.

[j_factor]

The other thing I didn't like about Street Fighter II on SNES was that by the time it came out, Champion Edition had been in the arcades for like six months. If you're not going to release a home version earlier, why not skip the original and go right to CE? It felt like Capcom was intentionally holding back.

[Sunnyvale]

The other thing I didn't like about Street Fighter II on SNES was that by the time it came out, Champion Edition had been in the arcades for like six months. If you're not going to release a home version earlier, why not skip the original and go right to CE? It felt like Capcom was intentionally holding back.

Absolutely! Capcom is one of those companies (Microsoft *ahem*) that had no problem insulting your intelligence to garner a quick buck or quarter. As for the holdout on Championship Edition, that was half my frustration; The arcades were full of Championship Edition, and I liked the first one still. I ended up with neither O_o

[Stringfellow]

I've got a feeling I'll be shot for saying this, but I never really saw the appeal of Doom.

I played it, it was OK, but I didn't think it was the greatest thing since electricity. Around the time Doom was enormously popular a slightly newer game, Descent, was my cup of tea.

I always liked Doom but Descent frustrated the heck out of me.

[goatdan]

First thing that came to mind: I tried "Katamari Damacy" on PS2 when it came out and found it dreadfully boring. I've never understood the hype on that one at all.

I agree with this. I generally try to play a lot of the popular talked about games at least somewhat, and 99% of the time even if I don't like it, I understand why other people do. Katamari I've tried in probably three different formats and I have never understood why anyone likes it. It's quirky, but I just don't get it.


It's fun reading people complain about the old stuff like Metroid. At the time, the fact I had no way of knowing where to go next never phased me a bit. Mind you, I had nothing else to do at the time being all of 15.

Now I definitely love stuff like Metroid Fusion more, where you can still search around for hidden paths but where you have to go next is laid out for you. A much better design IMO. Although I personally don't hold that against the older games, because nobody did that really.

On one hand, I think it is fair to hold that against the older games because even back in the day, that sort of design was annoying and sloppy. Having said that, I don't really feel that Metroid is horrible at that sort of explorative gameplay, at least not when compared to many of the other games of the day. I thought they actually captured that spirit pretty well with the Metroid Prime games, while also giving you slight pushes in certain directions.

I think it's worth saying though that I cannot put the rose colored glasses on and play nearly any NES title that I didn't own back in the day. Gameplay was clearly MUCH less refined, and games that I used to trudge through because it was kind of cool although really long don't get a second chance today.

I will toss out there Back to the Future 2 & 3 as a game that a lot of people hate, but it was one I had back in the day and I used to keep my system on for weeks at a time trying to play through and beat it. Never came close, but to this day I want to sit down and beat it -- probably via emulation, because I have no desire to keep an NES on for days at a time (and yes, I still own the cart) -- but just haven't done it yet... The fact I feel like I need to make paper maps or something of all the levels is what is really holding me back from doing that.

When I was younger, making paper maps to beat a game was a cool idea. Now, that just sounds like work...

[bangtango]

I will toss out there Back to the Future 2 & 3 as a game that a lot of people hate, but it was one I had back in the day and I used to keep my system on for weeks at a time trying to play through and beat it. Never came close, but to this day I want to sit down and beat it -- probably via emulation, because I have no desire to keep an NES on for days at a time (and yes, I still own the cart) -- but just haven't done it yet... The fact I feel like I need to make paper maps or something of all the levels is what is really holding me back from doing that.

When I was younger, making paper maps to beat a game was a cool idea. Now, that just sounds like work...

Like you, I put a lot of work into trying to beat Back to the Future 2/3. I made it as far as 1/3 of the way through the Old West. It was a very interesting game with all of the mini-game stuff and the whole 1955/1985/2000-whatever thing.

Plenty of little design flaws but I still enjoy it to this day.

[Zing]

When I was younger, making paper maps to beat a game was a cool idea. Now, that just sounds like work...

I still love paper maps. It was a major part of the fun in my recent Metroid and Crystalis playthroughs.

[retroguy]

Myst


THIS, GODDAMNIT, THIS

That entire fucking series is nothing but a glorified screensaver. THE ENTIRE SERIES SUCKS, BUT EVERYONE WHO ADORES IT CAN'T ADMIT THEY BOUGHT A $60 SCREENSAVER SIX OR SEVEN TIMES OVER.

Couldn't solve any of the puzzles, huh?

I never saw the appeal of Defender. They intentionally designed to game so that no one could even begin to master it until after they've alreadly dumped a shitload of quarters into it. One of the creators even bragged in an interview that when the game first came out, the average time to game over was 60 seconds or less. I'll play Asteroids, thanks. Just as difficult, but much MUCH easier to get the hang of.

[Platinum]

RPG's, Zelda games (except the original), Final Fantasy...

I would also say Halo, but that isn't very old, only ten years.

[genesisguy]

RPGS in general. I've bought a few for the SNES and always end up selling them.

I've found it difficult to get in the SNES library in general. I loved the NES as a kid and still do. I was educated on the Marios, Zeldas, Castlevanias, Contras, Mega Mans, and all the other classic Nintendo titles. I still enjoy playing them to this day. When I got back into retro gaming a few years ago I started collecting all the 16 bit SNES classic titles and probably 9 times out of 10 they go to eBay. It is not that they are "bad" games but more so that I always like the NES version better and for example let's say if I'm going to take the time to play a Mega Man game it's going to be 1-6 on the NES over Mega Man X.

[NE146]

I never saw the appeal of Defender. They intentionally designed to game so that no one could even begin to master it until after they've alreadly dumped a shitload of quarters into it. One of the creators even bragged in an interview that when the game first came out, the average time to game over was 60 seconds or less. I'll play Asteroids, thanks. Just as difficult, but much MUCH easier to get the hang of.

While what you're saying is true somewhat.. the appeal of Defender I think is the feeling you get when you have total control mastery. At the time it felt like you had a lot of firepower under your hands. Yeah you had to spend a lot of money to get good at it, but you did feel rewarded LOL

I don't know.. just my thought :)

[skaar]

While what you're saying is true somewhat.. the appeal of Defender I think is the feeling you get when you have total control mastery. At the time it felt like you had a lot of firepower under your hands. Yeah you had to spend a lot of money to get good at it, but you did feel rewarded LOL

I don't know.. just my thought :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noInPy0b6vY

[Deadman]

I'm not looking to pick on anyone or troll or anything like that here, but after reading through this entire thread I have a question. What are the ages of people posting? I say this because I read that people didn't get the appeal of Space Invaders? Galaxian? Asteroids? Battlezone?? If you weren't at least 10-12 years old at the time that these classics were released, then of course you wouldn't see the appeal in these games. My kids will play some classic arcade games for like 3 times, then move on - not realizing that their Dad used to stand in line, with quarters lined up on the marquee of Asteroids just to get a SHOT at playing!! It's easy for me to say I don't find the appeal of Pokemon because I'm an old-fart who didn't grow up with it, but my boys LIVE for this stuff - cards, games, collectibles, statues, and the cartoons - all of it.

I can say that I never found the appeal of early Zelda, FF and other RPG's, because when those games began to show up in the mid-80's, I was in high school and was still addicted to the fast and furious shooters, pinball, and other crazy arcade-style games. As a matter of fact, I still don't get the appeal of most RPG's to this day! Just not my thing! I won't buy any Fallout, JRPG's, Final Fantasy, or other modern RPG's either because I don't see the appeal at all.

[NoahsMyBro]

I'm not looking to pick on anyone or troll or anything like that here, but after reading through this entire thread I have a question. What are the ages of people posting? I say this because I read that people didn't get the appeal of Space Invaders? Galaxian? Asteroids? Battlezone?? If you weren't at least 10-12 years old at the time that these classics were released, then of course you wouldn't see the appeal in these games. My kids will play some classic arcade games for like 3 times, then move on - not realizing that their Dad used to stand in line, with quarters lined up on the marquee of Asteroids just to get a SHOT at playing!! It's easy for me to say I don't find the appeal of Pokemon because I'm an old-fart who didn't grow up with it, but my boys LIVE for this stuff - cards, games, collectibles, statues, and the cartoons - all of it.

I can say that I never found the appeal of early Zelda, FF and other RPG's, because when those games began to show up in the mid-80's, I was in high school and was still addicted to the fast and furious shooters, pinball, and other crazy arcade-style games. As a matter of fact, I still don't get the appeal of most RPG's to this day! Just not my thing! I won't buy any Fallout, JRPG's, Final Fantasy, or other modern RPG's either because I don't see the appeal at all.

Yo Deadman! I think you're in my head, dude - get outta there!

Seriously, I think the above is spot-on. I was a kid in the 70's and was amazed, blown away, mesmerized, fascinated by videogames. When I first saw Breakout at the movie theater, and a Pong system on our home TV, it was like magic. These were the neatest things ever.

As the tech evolved, and through my teenage years in the 80's, games like Asteroids, Galaxian, Star Castle, etc... were very, very fun. There were unusually hard games - Robotron, Defender, Sinistar (hmm, all Williams....), but they oozed quality, and when you mastered one you felt tremendous accomplishment.

I skipped home videogames through most of high school, and when I was shown games like Mario Brothers and Zelda, I just didn't see the appeal. The 'combat' in Zelda is so slow, and so easy, it seemed like a joke. I just didn't get it.

So I think Deadman is probably right that appreciation of certain games or genres might depend on a person's age, and his/her environment during the game's time period.

And, on a side-note - Myst was far more than a screensaver. It had gorgeous visuals, yes, but also had some clever puzzles, and I'm a fan of the game. :p

[Gameguy]

I'm not looking to pick on anyone or troll or anything like that here, but after reading through this entire thread I have a question. What are the ages of people posting? I say this because I read that people didn't get the appeal of Space Invaders? Galaxian? Asteroids? Battlezone?? If you weren't at least 10-12 years old at the time that these classics were released, then of course you wouldn't see the appeal in these games.
I'm in my early 20's and I like those games, I first played most of those on some PC compilations around 8 years ago and at the time I kept playing them for weeks. I had Space Invaders on Gameboy earlier than that and it was one of my favourite games. I'm kind of surprised that people here don't like them.

[buzz_n64]

I'm not looking to pick on anyone or troll or anything like that here, but after reading through this entire thread I have a question. What are the ages of people posting? I say this because I read that people didn't get the appeal of Space Invaders? Galaxian? Asteroids? Battlezone?? If you weren't at least 10-12 years old at the time that these classics were released, then of course you wouldn't see the appeal in these games. My kids will play some classic arcade games for like 3 times, then move on - not realizing that their Dad used to stand in line, with quarters lined up on the marquee of Asteroids just to get a SHOT at playing!! It's easy for me to say I don't find the appeal of Pokemon because I'm an old-fart who didn't grow up with it, but my boys LIVE for this stuff - cards, games, collectibles, statues, and the cartoons - all of it.

I can say that I never found the appeal of early Zelda, FF and other RPG's, because when those games began to show up in the mid-80's, I was in high school and was still addicted to the fast and furious shooters, pinball, and other crazy arcade-style games. As a matter of fact, I still don't get the appeal of most RPG's to this day! Just not my thing! I won't buy any Fallout, JRPG's, Final Fantasy, or other modern RPG's either because I don't see the appeal at all.

I'm soon to be 28, born in 1983. I guess the time that I grew up in late 80s/90s does influence the games I enjoy, but I do enjoy MANY games older than me. Space Invaders is not one of them, but I will gladly play Galaxian (played for hours on end on my Atari 5200 as a child), Dig Dug, Galaga, Asteroids, Qix, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. The think the appreciation for Space Invaders is solely because it was something new, a new experience for everyone at the time, but that doesn't automatically make is a great game, but perhaps a footnote in history. Many people may like or not like Super Mario 64 for the same reason. SM64 was a "open" area 3D platformer with a new camera system that brought Mario into 3D. It was a technical achievement for the time, but some may argue weather or not is a good game or not.

[exit]

I don't really like Crystalis all that much, I tried it back in the day and wasn't too impressed, I tried it again more recently and my opinion remains the same. My main problem with it is the grinding factor, I have to level up 2 or 3 times so I can move to the next area....to grind some more and then some more to successfully defeat a boss. I mean I absolutely loved the first two Ys games and while you had to grind at times, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it is in Crystalis.

God of War - I had to force myself to play through the first game and while I did enjoy God of War II a lot more, I'm still not a very big fan of the series.

Sonic Adventure - Played it when I finally got a Dreamcast a few years ago and found it to be pretty boring.

[bangtango]

I'm not looking to pick on anyone or troll or anything like that here, but after reading through this entire thread I have a question. What are the ages of people posting? I say this because I read that people didn't get the appeal of Space Invaders? Galaxian? Asteroids? Battlezone?? If you weren't at least 10-12 years old at the time that these classics were released, then of course you wouldn't see the appeal in these games. My kids will play some classic arcade games for like 3 times, then move on - not realizing that their Dad used to stand in line, with quarters lined up on the marquee of Asteroids just to get a SHOT at playing!! It's easy for me to say I don't find the appeal of Pokemon because I'm an old-fart who didn't grow up with it, but my boys LIVE for this stuff - cards, games, collectibles, statues, and the cartoons - all of it.

The age thing is a very important factor, no doubt.

What I'd also be interested in learning is which version of the "classic" stuff that some of these people were playing.

If they are playing some of these games on a "classic games" compilation, released on the likes of the GBA or PS1, then some of those opinions should be taken with a grain of salt. Especially if it was one of those compilations with piss-poor emulation which ruined many of the original games.

PS1 had an Activision compilation that wasn't too well received. Would any Sega fan suggest that a gamer introduce himself to the Genesis library via Sega Smash Pack for the Dreamcast?

What if some of these folks had never played the arcade version of a particular game and are basing their opinion of the game on some crappy port for the Intellivision, Colecovision, PS1 (via a compilation), etc.?

Might also be worth finding out the options they are using.

For example, I've known people who say "classic video games from the 70's and 80's are too easy and there is no challenge." Meanwhile most of them are playing these titles on the 2600 in Easy Mode with the most basic game variation from the cart. A chimpanzee could play stuff like Asteroids or Ms. Pac Man forever on the 2600 without losing all of their lives if using the proper set-up :roll: