Gamerpalooza?

Mr.Nice Guy

Nostalgic post coming up so I better whip out the sarcastic nostalgic smiley -> :rolleyes: ("ah memories")

I used to be a massive computer games fan. I grew up with the classic Game Boy and SNES systems, before moving on to the Playstation (I'll always appreciate my first PS game FF VII). Used to love getting the magazines and planning out my future purchases, checking out Digitiser on Channel 4, then later GameCentral. Even had an article printed there.

Sadly, I've felt the interest wane in recent years. It's been hard to find the hours to commit to the hobby. This was brought home to me recently when I found my dust-covered Nintendo DS stuck at the back of the press, as well as the other night being shocked whilst watching a gaming show on TV to discover that Street Fighter IV has been out for many months. I hadn't even been aware a childood favourite of mine had gone and got itself an updated version.

Just wondering has anyone else found themselves in this type of situation where they have been effectively passed by? It makes me quite nostalgic and sad and feeling a bit like Homer Simpson in that Hullapalooza episode where he finds the music scene has passed him by. Also what Abe says to him...

"I used to be with it, but then they changed what "it" was. Now, what I'm with isn't it, and what's "it" seems weird and scary to me."

I can relate. So tell me then, has anyone experienced this and is it possible to once again return to the gaming fold, much like Homer attempted to do musically in the above episode? Or is it impossible to recapture the gaming enthusiasm of your youth?

Overheal

Youre not hopeless. You just may appreciate catching up on the last 10 years. If you jump to now youll just get lost. Rather go find the timeline of epic gaming and follow its trail to the world of now, from the world of then.

heres a kick start: http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/the-best-games-of-the-last-decade/1175626

Honestly if you played FF7 youve played quintessentially the best one. 8 comes close and so does 10.
Half Life, if youve been avoiding it, is well worth the play through. As is Halo.
Many gamers still swear on the manuals to Age of Empires and Civilization
WoW is fun but tread lightly or you may miss out on another 5 to 10 years of your gaming life.
Zelda games are essential play for Any Gamer. Metroid prime is a good blend between FPS and RPG. or so I thought at least.
Oblivion is impressively deep. I still have my save files on a backup HDD somewhere. Must get back into it at some point. Too big.
Gran Turismo is The Racing Game.
Ace Combat is the Fighter Jet series to end all Fighter Jet series.
If you still have a SNES (or a wii, heck) I insist you try Mario RPG.

this is not exhaustive of course :pac:

Jazzy

im not gonna lie to ya, but your gonna have to take a cannonball to the gut to get back into it

K.O.Kiki

Another thing that lists kinda doesn't say, but should:
GET A PS2.

While we may kinda hate it, its massive library is chock-full of goodies.

BlitzKrieg

is it impossible to recapture the gaming enthusiasm of your youth?

From the ps1 era to now? No not at all, its not a major leap. Sure the graphics are updated and online play has come along quite a bit, but the basics are pretty much the same.

I say someone who hadnt played a PC game since the late 90's might feel out of place, mostly because things have progressively scaled back in mainstream pc in the way of complexity, and while the rare title like Arma might show up that is very complex, its usually frowned on by the industry as a game should be accessable today.

Which sums it up really, developers are trying very hard to make games much more accessable, so if anything going back in now you will probably find the majority of the titles are simpler and easier then the ones when you stepped out. There's alot more hand holding.

Mr.Nice Guy

Cheers for teh replies, chaps. I should point out I was still an enthusiastic gamer during the PS2 era so that's another generation I've experienced. I recall the Playstation/Sega Saturn/N64 era and then the next generation afterwards with the Dreamcast/PS2/GameCube/Xbox era, but it's around this point where I fell out of the loop. The whole PS3/Nintendo Wii/Xbox 360 generation is what has passed me by. I've actually never played the Nintendo Wii believe it or not.

To go back to what Overheal said it's this part of the timeline I got lost. I do have access to a PS3 but I don't think I've been near it in over a year and it's just gathering dust. I think a spider is living in the box (seriously). :pac:

Any essential games I need to check out? I want to try this new Street Fighter game and it's been years since I've played a football game. I hear FIFA is now back to respectability which is cool because when I was last clued in they were a distant second to PES.

rizzla

I stopped gaming for a good few years awhile back. Maybe a year before the first God of War came out. It was the Wii that got me back into gaming, after that I picked up a 360 and then recently a PS3.

I don't play games as much as I used to about a year ago. I guess it just happens, you can get burnt out on gaming. Especailly FPS's.

Overheal

then we're on par because i have not bought into this gen. Wii though, i had flatmates with one, so it was natural that i burned through metroid 3. wii tennis is great fun too.

theres enough about 360 and ps3 that makes me wanna pass on both. might think about one in another year.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

How can you... stop gaming??? :eek:

TinCool

I certainly am not playing nearly as much games as I did say 5-10 years ago, coming from a person who started with VIC20's, C64's etc. I used to run out and spend my hard earned cash on the latest and greatest and constantly upgrading my PC to be able to play all the shiney new things.

Nowadays, I still have a decent rig which I use regularly and a PS3. I usually buy a game every couple of months. I'm currently playing Drakes Fortune 2 on PS3 which I must say is the greatest game I've played since GTA IV. I will also be purchasing Modern Warfare 2 on the PC when it gets released. It's a nice little pass time for me but I'm just not that in to it as I used to be. I guess growing older and change in personal circumstance (e.g. getting married) has changed my priorities. I find myself playing online poker quite a lot these days which doesn't reqiure any mad graphics card or the likes. I do like my 24" NEC monitor though.

L31mr0d

Stop watching TV. Replace TV with Gaming. Win.

Seriously, I was the same, I missed the late PS1 and all of the PS2/Xbox era due to traveling, education... etc. But when I got back into it I just stopped watching pointless TV in the evenings, and free'd up a good few hours for gaming.

I now only watch shows with the ads cut out (from the DVR or on the PC) which saves a good 15 minutes of every hour.

Vegeta

L31mr0d wrote: »

Stop watching TV. Replace TV with Gaming. Win..

While I'd love to do this, LOVE to, my girlfriend has other notions.

Its funny, my girlfriend loved Zelda the Minish Cap (sp?) but wont touch a console game.

I too am gaming way less but not by choice it's as a result of moving in with my girlfriend.

super_furry

Final Fantasy Dissidia is the first game to ever make me feel old. You know the way your parents or grandparents struggle when you try to get them to play a videogame? The way they struggle to comprehend what’s going on and more importantly, why? That’s exactly what the first Dissidia did for me.

I was expecting an Ehrgeiz update and got…..I dunno…..Dragonballz, crossed with chess, crossed with Parappa the Rapper with some infuriating and bizarre explanations and descriptions. What’s an Ex-mode, why’s it called an Ex-mode and what does it do? There's just so much crap thrown at you that makes zero sense that it's left me bewildered.

Doctor DooM

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Nostalgic post coming up so I better whip out the sarcastic nostalgic smiley -> :rolleyes: ("ah memories")

I used to be a massive computer games fan. I grew up with the classic Game Boy and SNES systems, before moving on to the Playstation (I'll always appreciate my first PS game FF VII). Used to love getting the magazines and planning out my future purchases, checking out Digitiser on Channel 4, then later GameCentral. Even had an article printed there.

Sadly, I've felt the interest wane in recent years. It's been hard to find the hours to commit to the hobby. This was brought home to me recently when I found my dust-covered Nintendo DS stuck at the back of the press, as well as the other night being shocked whilst watching a gaming show on TV to discover that Street Fighter IV has been out for many months. I hadn't even been aware a childood favourite of mine had gone and got itself an updated version.

Just wondering has anyone else found themselves in this type of situation where they have been effectively passed by? It makes me quite nostalgic and sad and feeling a bit like Homer Simpson in that Hullapalooza episode where he finds the music scene has passed him by. Also what Abe says to him...

"I used to be with it, but then they changed what "it" was. Now, what I'm with isn't it, and what's "it" seems weird and scary to me."

I can relate. So tell me then, has anyone experienced this and is it possible to once again return to the gaming fold, much like Homer attempted to do musically in the above episode? Or is it impossible to recapture the gaming enthusiasm of your youth?

I went through a big period of my life where games barely figured. I'd been gradually playing more, but when SF4 came out... that was it, no more TV

I have very little time for FPS /3rd PS (I'm just too damn slow to beat people at them) but there's plenty out there for the old schooler.

0ubliette

If you havent been caught up on gaming over the last few years then there has literally never been a better time for you to get back into it. Some of the best games of all time have been released in the last few years. Just get yourself a 360 and pick up Bioshock, Gears of war 1 & 2, Halo 3, Dead Space, The Orange Box, Call of duty 4 (even tho im not a big fan, everyone else seems to love it) and youll be set. And all those games are over a year old so you can easily pick them up for 10 - 15 euro 2nd hand

hooradiation

Maximo Straight Suds wrote: »

How can you... stop gaming??? :eek:

It's just a hobby, not a lifestyle choice.

Honestly, people could do with taking a break every now and again, cleanse the pallet.
I've done it for about two years and it made coming back much better, over saturation of any medium will slowly kill your love for it.

You know the people who are constantly whining that "games aren't any good anymore, there were better in my day, lazy dev, too easy, all graphics no gameplay HUUUUURRRRRRRRR"?
They aren't right in the slightest, they're just jaded and it's kind of sad.

L31mr0d

Vegeta wrote: »

I too am gaming way less but not by choice it's as a result of moving in with my girlfriend.

Well I live with my OH also and also game with people online who are living with their OH's. We'll usually watch whatever new shows are out that we both like and then I'll go off to game for a while. How is living with your girlfriend any different?

If she isn't going to play your games with you I don't see why you'd have to watch her TV shows with her.

Mr.Nice Guy

Ah it's good to see others have returned to the gaming fold. There's hope for me yet.

I think between now and Christmas I'll try and tone down my TV and internet use and devote a few hours a night to some games. Slowly try and work my way back into it.

I'll try and read up on the latest news like I used to do as well. Can anyone recommend any websites that they use to keep up to date with stuff? I would imagine the days of buying games magazines are dying out?

TinCool

L31mr0d wrote: »

Well I live with my OH also and also game with people online who are living with their OH's. We'll usually watch whatever new shows are out that we both like and then I'll go off to game for a while. How is living with your girlfriend any different?

If she isn't going to play your games with you I don't see why you'd have to watch her TV shows with her.

Touché. My other half usually goes to bed during the week around 10 or so and I'll happily stay up till midnight playing the PS3 or PC or watch a couple of episodes of whatever that I follow and she doesn't (i.e. Heroes, Lost, 24, Dexter, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Flash Forward, CSI etc).

If I have to sit through Eastenders, Strictly come dancing or whatever than she's got no problem with me doing my own thing when I have the opportunity to do so. Gone are the days where I can come home from work and plonk myself in front of the PC for 6 hours straight. So much to do but little time to do it in these days but there is a happy medium you just have to find it.

TinCool

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Can anyone recommend any websites that they use to keep up to date with stuff? I would imagine the days of buying games magazines are dying out?

Eurogamer or IGN are decent enough or the games forum on here is full of personal views about the latest games out there. It's good to get a non-biased opinion about things and you do get to read up on stuff that wouldn't necessarily be classed as mainstream.