Do You Have Any Unpopular Gaming Opinions?

[BoringSupreez]

I'd also argue that the PS2/Dreamcast/Xbox/Gamecube generation had this wonderful feeling around it that effected game development. (I also feel like it bled into the 7th gen a bit, but different discussion.) Such off the wall ideas getting the green light. Violence and sex in games get more ramped up, even if sexual elements were still kept down quite a bit more than violence. A sort of neo-eXTREMe feeling to some of the games/advertisements. Huge ass, important E3s. A whole lot of excitement of "look what we can do now with games!"

Now its less about "what can we do that we haven't before" and more about "what will sell without infringing copyright" caused by a myriad of problems.

The whole copyright situation is more of an issue with Japanese game devs than the rest of the world. So many great Japanese IPs are stuck with crappy companies these days.

[marlowe221]

I think there are far more similarities than there are differences when it comes from the PS2/Xbox generation to now.

You said you could just play "their modern descendants", but what's the modern descendant of Michigan: Report from Hell on PS3 or PS4? Are there modern descendants of games like Graffiti Kingdom, Front Mission 5, King's Field: the Ancient City, Haunted Ground, Disaster Report, God Hand, Super Galdelic Hour... on PS3 or PS4?

My point is, there were a lot of very unique games on the PS1 and PS2, but less so on the PS3, and certainly fewer to come on the PS4. While genre franchises do carry over, I think if you ignore the PS1 or PS2, you are going to be missing out on some truly esoteric classics.

On the other hand if you're not interested in idiosyncratic exclusive games, then it hardly matters.

You keep lumping the PS1 and PS2 together. If you go back and look, I'm only talking about the PS2 generation. To me there is a pretty big difference between the two when it comes to libraries.

The uniqueness was on the decline in the PS2 era in my opinion. The unique games were on their way out at that time.

I'm not saying that there are NO unique games on the system and that it's ALL early versions of what we see on the Xbox One/PS4 - just that it is MOSTLY early versions of modern console gaming.

To me, there aren't enough unique titles on the PS2 or Xbox to justify owning one of those consoles today. I certainly enjoyed my original Xbox and GCN at the time though (and the GCN today as well).

The PS1 is a totally different animal, in my mind, than the PS2. They may both be Sony consoles, but they always seemed very different to me.

But hey, this thread is supposed to be for unpopular opinions!

[BogusMeatFactory]

You keep lumping the PS1 and PS2 together. If you go back and look, I'm only talking about the PS2 generation. To me there is a pretty big difference between the two when it comes to libraries.

The uniqueness was on the decline in the PS2 era in my opinion. The unique games were on their way out at that time.

I'm not saying that there are NO unique games on the system and that it's ALL early versions of what we see on the Xbox One/PS4 - just that it is MOSTLY early versions of modern console gaming.

To me, there aren't enough unique titles on the PS2 or Xbox to justify owning one of those consoles today. I certainly enjoyed my original Xbox and GCN at the time though (and the GCN today as well).

The PS1 is a totally different animal, in my mind, than the PS2. They may both be Sony consoles, but they always seemed very different to me.

But hey, this thread is supposed to be for unpopular opinions!

Oh man... I love you Marlowe, but I couldn't disagree more. I know that this is the unpopular gaming opinions, but I am actually incredibly curious to understand more why you feel this way. I always feel that people disregard or dislike systems, because they just don't see the games that appeal to them specifically. I was a diehard Sega Dreamcast fan during that era and I wouldn't be seen dead with a PS2 at the time (which also happened to be the last time I was a crazed gamer wars participant), but now, I find the PS2 has some of the most unique and interesting titles out there period.

Maybe it is simply a matter of not knowing what is out there that might appeal to you? What types of games do you like? I am a fan of the quirky and strange, so games like Graffiti Kingdom, Magic Pegel and Dark Cloud 2 get my jibblies in a mince. Other, more mainstream games like Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper etc. all seemed to improve on the flawed formula that the Playstation 1 had for platformers.

Now, I am not saying that the PS2 is better than the PS1 by any means, but that generation of games was home to some of the most intriguing games that I feel will never be replicated again.

Seriously...I made a dick that walked on its balls with big veins that shot lightening spray that seriously sounded like someone peeing on a roll of paper towel. That is how powerful a game Graffiti Kingdom is.

[bryan_65]

Seriously...I made a dick that walked on its balls with big veins that shot lightening spray that seriously sounded like someone peeing on a roll of paper towel. That is how powerful a game Graffiti Kingdom is.

Too much free time you had there.

[Exhuminator]

You keep lumping the PS1 and PS2 together. If you go back and look, I'm only talking about the PS2 generation.

The reason I did that, is because you said:

I never had much experience with the 32-bit era at all; I just kept playing my SNES up until got a PS2. So I guess I don't miss that stuff since I never got into it to begin with. I have always been more of a 8/16-bit guy.

Those statements lead me to believe you didn't play the PS1, so I wanted to be sure to iterate that the PS1 had plenty of unique games as well. Some 32-bit era games which don't have PS3 or PS4 era analogs.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Seriously...I made a dick that walked on its balls with big veins that shot lightening spray that seriously sounded like someone peeing on a roll of paper towel. That is how powerful a game Graffiti Kingdom is.

Too much free time you had there.

This game is seriously the definitive creature creator action game. The stuff you can make is insanely varied and an unskilled art person lime myself canake very convincing and interesting things like said penis. I am not joking the thing shot our lightning shots as well and when they fired the head would recoil back in hilarious fashion.

But in all seriousness the ps2 was a part of that wild west, anything goes generation of games. You had the absurd, the quirky and the outright deranged. Many established franchises were shaking things up(I'm looking at you breath of fire) and big name developers were taking chances on innovative and interesting titles that again will never be seen by a big name developer now.

Those were good times.

[marlowe221]

Oh man... I love you Marlowe, but I couldn't disagree more. I know that this is the unpopular gaming opinions, but I am actually incredibly curious to understand more why you feel this way. I always feel that people disregard or dislike systems, because they just don't see the games that appeal to them specifically. I was a diehard Sega Dreamcast fan during that era and I wouldn't be seen dead with a PS2 at the time (which also happened to be the last time I was a crazed gamer wars participant), but now, I find the PS2 has some of the most unique and interesting titles out there period.

Maybe it is simply a matter of not knowing what is out there that might appeal to you? What types of games do you like? I am a fan of the quirky and strange, so games like Graffiti Kingdom, Magic Pegel and Dark Cloud 2 get my jibblies in a mince. Other, more mainstream games like Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper etc. all seemed to improve on the flawed formula that the Playstation 1 had for platformers.

Now, I am not saying that the PS2 is better than the PS1 by any means, but that generation of games was home to some of the most intriguing games that I feel will never be replicated again.

Seriously...I made a dick that walked on its balls with big veins that shot lightening spray that seriously sounded like someone peeing on a roll of paper towel. That is how powerful a game Graffiti Kingdom is.

That game certainly does sound unique!

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the PS2 during its day, as well as the Xbox and GCN. That was actually the first generation that I ended up owning multiple consoles (I had them all but the Dreamcast).

The point I was trying to make was that there is not much point in me owning one today. At this point in my life, there has to be a pretty sizable number of games I want to play for me to consider it worth it to invest in a retro console that I don't already own.

Sadly, the percentage of video game titles that I was really interested in went down sharply when the 2D era came to a close.

But the genres of games that I tend to like in the post-3D landscape have generally gotten much better as time as gone along. For example, third person action/adventure games. In my opinion, third person action games were better on PS3/360 than they were on PS2/Xbox. The animation was better, the controls got better, and of course the graphics got better too. Maybe I missed it, but I never played a third person action game on the PS2 or Xbox that was the equal of Uncharted 2 on PS3.

But I think it really depends on what kind of games you like to play. If someone is a JRPG fan, then they are really doing themselves a disservice if they don't own a PS1 and a PS2, even in 2015. But I'm more of a WRPG guy myself.

The reason I did that, is because you said:

I never had much experience with the 32-bit era at all; I just kept playing my SNES up until got a PS2. So I guess I don't miss that stuff since I never got into it to begin with. I have always been more of a 8/16-bit guy.

Those statements lead me to believe you didn't play the PS1, so I wanted to be sure to iterate that the PS1 had plenty of unique games as well. Some 32-bit era games which don't have PS3 or PS4 era analogs.

I did play the PS1 and N64 quite a bit through friends/relatives but it is true that I never owned one of those. I never had a Saturn either.

But you will get no argument from me on the 32-bit era being unique. In fact, I think it's the most distinctive of all the console generations we have had so far (for better or worse)! That was an interesting time as Sony, Nintendo, and Sega were all trying to figure out the transition to 3D, polygonal games.

If anything, I would tend to think that the 32-bit era was far more unique than the PS2 generation.

If it came down to it, I would rather own a PS1 than a PS2 these days. But again, there just isn't enough that interests me on either console for me to invest in them at this point.

[BogusMeatFactory]

What are some of your favorite action/adventure games out there today. I would agree that a lot of the early PS2 games like the first Ratchet and Clank have issues with camera, but a lot has improved.

I am not really arguing against your disinterest in the system really. I am only really asking, because I do feel there is a lot of potential in the system that people do forget about and maybe by just talking this out, it may spark some interest in other folks.

As for Action/adventure games that I personally enjoy on the system that stand out are the entire Ratchet and Clank Series, the Sly Cooper series, the Jak and Daxter series, the Prince of Persia Series, the Viewtiful Joe series, MDK 2, Beyond Good and Evil, the Dynasty Warrior Series, Dark Cloud series, the ..//hack series, Devil May Cry series, Onimusha series and so much more!

Also if anyone wants a rundown of what these series contain, just let me know and I can elaborate.

Also, there is a really peculiar series out there on the system that I love, even though it is absolutely obtuse, awkward and unusual and that is the Way of the Samurai series. It is a small-scale sandbox game with an unusual combat system. The game revolves around a very simple event and based on your actions, the course of events change to different endings. The game is so strange and I highly recommend for people just to experience, because it is just... weird.

[Forlorn Drifter]

I'd have to check to be sure, but isn't Way of the Samurai a series? I also believe there is some sort of offshoot where its the combination Western/Samurai style.

[Xeogred]

Way of the Samurai is a series, yes. Very strange games, only played the first two but I dug them. I've been meaning to check out the new ones.

As for the discussion, I think the PS2 is amazing and has quite possibly the most endless list of awesome games on it.

I don't want to sound like Sony fanatic or anything, but over my years of gaming their consoles have been the longest lasting to me by far. I was a bigger fan of the N64 growing up (more of a Nintendo kid in general), but haven't had the N64 out in over a decade, yet the PS3 is around and lets me still play my PSX stuff, which still happens, and I still often buy PSX games off and on. I also own probably 50 games on the PSX, and only 10 or so on the N64 (though I sold a lot back in the day when I was still sadly trading in games).

Next gen, I was more into the Gamecube and Xbox. My first exposure to this era was with the Dreamcast actually, my parents rented one for one of my birthdays which was cool. Then we got the "family PS2" and my dad had a weird gaming phase with SSX Tricky and some other random games. But it was mostly my system. Despite that, I kind of liked the other two more... but fast forward to now, I only have about 10 games on the Gamecube, and 10 on the Xbox as well. But I have about 60 PS2 games and still want way more.

Then I was more into the 360 for a few years when it was around... I had a PS3 for awhile before it finally clicked, but when it did I happily boxed up my 360 and haven't had it out in years. I own a ton of 360 games though since I was doing Gamefly then, but my PS3 collection has been swiftly catching up and I've doubled dipped rebuying some stuff on the PS3 so I can play it on there instead.

So finally after three generations, I saw the pattern, got the PS4 instead of an Xbone and I'm not even sure I'll bother with an Xbone at this point. The PS4 has been awesome to me. The exclusives and Japanese-esque games are already adding up.

The SNES controller was basically perfection to me, and the main Playstation controller was basically an evolution of that and feels like a natural extension of my body. And thankfully, the revamp that finally happened with the PS4 design is actually pretty awesome, it's different but still familiar enough. It's super slick. The N64 controller? The Gamecube controller? The original Xbox hamburger controller? Yikes... I don't miss them.

For a modern setup, I have a PS2, PS3, PS4, and Wii U hooked up, and that's like everything I could ever want usually. Definitely need some more retro action though whenever I have the space or get a house, then maybe I will finally bust out the N64 and some others.