Summer Games Challenge 2014

[BoneSnapDeez]

I personally know more people that have played that game than something like MULE.

That's because nobody played MULE.

[alienjesus]

Only problem with emulation and gog is that I don't like playing many video games on my computer....I'd rather play them on a console and a thing like everdrive is not the route I'd take...

Dsheinem does this every year, it's a long running tradition. He makes his argument, I don't always agree with what he thinks counts and what doesn't. You don't have to either. This is just for fun, and you can choose whatever you want.

The thing about it is his critique does make people reconsider their choices - even though I stand by Cybernator, I have been considering other options to swap in instead of it that are definitely more classic - just longer (Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy X), more difficult (Blaster Master, New Zealand Story) or ones I've played before and didn't like (Rayman - and for what it's worth, I feel a game I've tried before and clearly didn't enjoy doesnt belong on this list). But the point is it can encourage people to try stuff they're avoiding in favour of easy options.

If you don't have the library to fill out a list, don't worry about it. If you don't want to emulate (I certainly don't, I only ever choose games from my own backlog) then don't.

[dunpeal2064]

We all know Dsh just likes to argue. No reason to make it seem all righteous

Seriously though, the thread is about playing games you've never played before. Trying to get people to change the game that they've never played to another game they've never played does not seem to accomplish much to me.

The way its gone about is also odd. If you want someone to open up and try new things, why would you then try to force specific games on them? Why should Darsparx play MULE instead of YuGiOh? Who knows, because we aren't actually talking about the games.

If he swapped YuGiOh, a game no one here has likely played, for Mega Man 2, a game that is so played and talked about that it hardly needs revisiting, everything would have been gravy. How does this help one to expand his taste?

[ExedExes]

I personally know more people that have played that game than something like MULE.

That's because nobody played MULE.

March wasn't that long ago....

[dsheinem]

but it isn't meant to be JUST a backlog killing thread. That's not interesting. The thread is meant to both hit the backlog and increase knowledge/appreciation of game history by hitting on/discussing those games that people always hear about but shamefully haven't played. I don't care about hearing someone's experience with Kirby 64 or Quest for Camelot, I do want to know what they think of their first engagement with the original Metroid or Sonic.

[dunpeal2064]

YOU aren't interested in hearing about Kirby 64, but someone that grew up on the n64 may very well be interested. Its a game I've heard about often enough to fit that criteria, and if someone loves Kirby and hasn't played it, why should it not be on their list? Because it isn't relevant to particular members (that admittedly are not participating in this thread)?

Why is Metroid automatically more intersting? What if I have played Super Metroid, Metroid II, and Metroid Fusion? Is it still a classic that we all want to hear one's opinion on? To me, not at all, I'd much rather hear about Kirby 64 from that particular member, than hear about a game that itself is barely relevant to that person.

Stuff like Metroid and Sonic are easy. Where would you place something like God Hand? How about Dodonpachi, a game Darsparx has likely never heard of? Should he consider it a classic and play it, because we say so? Why does he not get the opportunity to force us to play his favorite GBA games? Because we are leet Racketboyz who know what real classics are?

[Cronozilla]

Yeah, I'm not changing shit.

I get the argument, but I don't think it applies to most people here. The common classics are games I already liked and played before showing up in this community. (Which means I'd be replaying games I already played. That's not the point of this either.)

Everything on my list is stuff I haven't given much thought about playing before, and I chose them specifically for this. It sounds like that's what this is really about.

I think, if anything, if you wanted to increase appreciation and knowledge of old games, you'd want people to avoid the well known classics, since they're the most commonly sought after and played.

[Violent By Design]

Yeah, it's a little hard defining a classic. It's like sure, FF7 is really famous and all, but is it really anymore of a classic than Radiant Silvergun? It's more famous and will be higher in magazines, but all that means is that it is more popular.

Like Tom Cruise said above me, would I consider God Hand a classic? Sure would, a cult classic, but a classic none the less.

It's a fun topic to debate, but ultimately the word classic means nothing, it means even less than calling a game "good" or "bad".

I also consider this forum to be a connoisseur forum, people here have dig deeper in video games than the average fellow who posts on IGN or Gamefaqs. On here, a game like Policenauts is considered well known and not a hidden gem, therefore it should be a classic to us. Games like Okami and Earthbound are supposed to be hidden gems, but on here, who the hell would think that?

It would be like if I went on a movie connoisseur forum and posted this, and someone would think the only movies that are appropriate are films like the Titantic, where as putting something like The Passion of Joan of Arc would be too niche, when amongst that specific community it wouldn't be niche at all.


So yeah, I think about any game fits this list. I think people are pushing it when they are putting games that came out this year though, like someone wanted to play Last of Us last year, hey save that for the games beaten thread!

Das my take on it. I think it is ultimately more interesting to see someone expand into something they never tried before than anything else.

[Violent By Design]

Also, none of the games I picked made the wall of shame. I'm the best!

[alienjesus]

Let's not turn this into a crappy argument like every other fun thread we have had on this site. You don't agree with Dave's thoughts, then don't change your list. I would say that the point of this challenge IS to play highly regarded classic games, and not just anything on your backlog. It was never meant to be a way to just clear out whatever you have lying around.

You want to do that, that's fine. Either do it for this and don't start arguing about it, or do it elsewhere as something that's not part of the summer challenge. Simple.