True Confessions

[Dire 51]

We all have games (and systems) we love. But in some cases, our first exposure to them was the exact opposite. I have two stories to share...

Ghosts 'N Goblins (NES). I played the game at Wedge4Life's place for the first time in the late '80s, and I hated it. Absolutely loathed it. I hated it so much, that a couple of years later, when I was with a friend of mine shopping for a new game for his new Genesis, I tried to talk him out of buying Ghouls 'N Ghosts because I knew it was the sequel to Ghosts 'N Goblins. I really hated Ghosts 'N Goblins that much.

Luckily, he didn't listen to me. As a result, I ended up opening The Ghoul Realm years later. And nowadays, I enjoy the hell out of the NES Ghosts 'N Goblins, despite its insane difficulty.

I'm a huge NES fan. I'd even go as far as to say it's my favorite console of all time, but that wasn't always the case. Back when the NES originally debuted in the US, I was a devoted Atari fan. Nothing could tear me away from my 2600 (and later my 7800). I saw the NES, and wasn't impressed. Of course, then everyone at school started talking about it and trashing anything Atari-related. I stuck to my guns... I said that the NES put too much into the graphics and I wasn't interested in it. You guys can have it, I'll stick with my Atari, thank you.

Blind fanboyism gone mad? Could be. Keep in mind, I didn't actually PLAY the NES while making these statements. Once I did play the NES for the first time, thanks to Wedge4Life, I was intrigued. After spending a bit of quality time with games like SMB, Top Gun, Track & Field II and Iron Tank, I was really starting to come around. Then I played Contra for the first time, and that did it. I had to have an NES of my own. I still loved the Atari, though, and kept buying games for both the 2600 and 7800. I believe it was at this time that I realized I didn't need to be devoted to one system only and just owning that one - having more than one opened up a much bigger world of gaming.

On a minor, yet related, note - the first time my brother, sister and I went to rent games for our brand new NES, I recall picking up the boxes for both Castlevania and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, looking at the screenshots on the back, and thinking that both games looked incredibly stupid. Makes me wonder why, just a few months later, I asked my parents if they would pick up one of the two for me when they said they were going to buy me a new game. To this day, I have no idea why I asked for either game, considering my earlier reaction to them. At any rate, they came back with Castlevania, which quickly became my favorite game. It still is, after all these years. Glad I didn't stick to my original opinion and gave it a chance...

[The Great Dane]

I used to be the exact same way with anything Sega. I was always a big Nintendo fan ever since I first got an NES back when I was about 6 or 7. Then, I later got an SNES for Christmas. I had been hearing good things about Sega but never really was interested in any of their systems. Then when the Saturn came out I noticed that Sony was debuting a brand new system called the Sony Playstation and everyone was saying how great it was going to be. Going on my previous feelings towards Sega I got a Playstation for my birthday a little while after they launched the system. Then when the Dreamcast came out I had heard that the PS2 was going to come out shortly after the Dreamcast. So, once again, I had no interest in Sega.

Now, I love Sega. The Dreamcast is one of my favorite systems, actually. I kinda wish that I hadn't been so stubborn on trying out other systems and games.

[Crush Crawfish]

Hmm...let's see:

Well, the first time I played The legend of Zelda for NES, I absolutely hated it. It was confusing, and I had no idea where to go or what to do. Eventually, after playing (and loving) the GB & SNES Zeldas, I went back to it and realized what a great game it was.

I also hated Monster Party for NES and Mystical Ninja for N64 when I first played them, but now they're two of my favorite games ever.

[Sotenga]

I used to be a Nintendo fanboy... *bawls like a baby* I'll never shun you now, my precious Genesis!

I used to oppose Battletoads, but it grew on me over time... then I went back to hating it, only this time, the difference was that I was trying to beat it. Still can't believe that I accomplished THAT mission, though to say that it wasn't a real tough would be bullshit in its purest form. However, I can't deny that it was a worthy challenge, and I feel honored to have accomplished it.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Here goes..

Well for starters I use to flat out HATE RPGs and any type of strategy or text heavy game. I simply loathed them. However, that all changed back in 93 or so when I decided to try FF2 again. Heh, good thing I did.

Another game was Grandia 2. I freaking hate this game, even to this very day I don't see why everyone praises it. The original was, and still is the superior game in my eyes. I mean, Grandia 2 was short, it didn't have the little perks that grandia had, the battle system, although good, didn't feel as tight as the first game, and the story was just trying to be another "me too" Final Fantasy dark drama. I just will never get it I guess.

[The Great Dane]

Here goes..

Well for starters I use to flat out HATE RPGs and any type of strategy or text heavy game. I simply loathed them. However, that all changed back in 93 or so when I decided to try FF2 again. Heh, good thing I did.

Another game was Grandia 2. I freaking hate this game, even to this very day I don't see why everyone praises it. The original was, and still is the superior game in my eyes. I mean, Grandia 2 was short, it didn't have the little perks that grandia had, the battle system, although good, didn't feel as tight as the first game, and the story was just trying to be another "me too" Final Fantasy dark drama. I just will never get it I guess.

Similar thing happened with me as well. Like you, I hated RPGs, even though I had never actually played any before. Then when Suikoden 1 was released for the PSX I was at Blockbuster Video renting some games. I saw that game and I looked at the back and it sounded interesting. I thought "what the hell?" So, I rented it. Well, Suikoden and Suikoden 2 are now two favorite games ever. I am also completely open to different types of games now.

I'm still not that huge RPG fan, but I like quite a few of them, though, just not everyone I come across. Also, now, before I say that a game genre is crap I actually try it out first then I give my opinion