Ever Fallen In Love With A Game You Thought You Couldn't Be Arsed With?

[WingedIncubus]

It was 1992 and I was 12. I went to my usual video game rental store and I saw that weird cover on a NES game with a samurai helmet with no face. The game was "Nobunaga's Ambition", by KOEI. I read the box and it involved playing the role of a Japanese feudal lord, but I was it was all stats, the quintessential spreadsheet strategy game. But it costed only 5 bucks, so I said what the hell, badgered my stepdad to lend me the money, and bought it, sure I was wasting money away and that I'm gonna hate this game anyway.

I then read the manual intro back home, retelling the incident at Honnoji and the death of Oda Nobunaga (and his young page)... and I was hooked. Remember, I was only twelve, I didn't know all that shit by then. There were no "Samurai Warriors" games to tell the Western world these events at the time.

I then fired the game... and I was blown away. Especially the fact that all 50 daimyos had their units with their historical flag! And the game was gritty, you lose, you die! Assassinations (when you succeeded, you had a pixeled image of a ninja planting a frigging katana in a sleeping lord's belly! On 8-bit!), revolts, coups d'État, ninjas, warring, pillaging... it was love at first sight. I played this game nonstop for three years, even bringing it with me when I was away from home.

By then I bought myself a Super Nintendo... and found myself replacement wives with "Nobunaga's Ambition : Lord of Darkness" and "Pacific Theater of Operations II". Best KOEI games ever...

I still fire those on my emulator, from time to time... and god it brings me nostalgia and childhood memories of a time when I was a real glass-eyed, shy, utterly pathetic nerd, and the only lifeline I had from my hellish high school life and shitty family life was playing video games.

Even now, me being 30, grown up, all "jock" and womanizing, I absolutely f****** love these three games. It hasn't changed a bit, I still love these games WAY more than the tripe video games coming out these days... only Paradox' "Europa Universalis" series managed to make me that hooked again.

 

[The_Deleted]

Guitar Hero 3 - all i had ever heard before i played it was "DONT PLAY IT! ITS JUST FAKE GUITAR MEANT TO MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A DOUCHE AND IDIOT!" now im all into Rock Band 2, looking to buy Rock Band 3, and am just in LOVE with the concept of rocking out to my favorite tunes without having to spend years learning the ACTUAL song on guitar XD

Thank you!!!!

Fallout 3 - i only got to play 1 hour of it... but i WANT IT SO BAD NOW!

Don't know if you're based in the UK, but for what it's worth, Argos are selling it for £5 and, if you have a PS3 and sign up to the PSN+, you might still be able to get all the DLC for free. But that might have been an offer for the release of NV.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

I have quite a list for these games that keep me stuck to the screen until I lose sense of time and realize it's time to sleep as I get bloodshot eyes because of it.

Gothic series

Dragon Age Origins

Mass Effect 1&2

GTA IV

CoD 4 MW2

Fallout 3 & NV

 

[velcrokidneyz]

assassins creed, it started slow, but once i got into it i loved it! got all 1000 gamer points on 1 and 2. i will tell you that i will not be "arsed" with this new one, im waiting for the 3rd actual one.

 

[SextusMaximus]

At the moment I'm having this relationship with The Saboteur. I bought it on an impulse cause I needed something to play, but now I really enjoy skulking rooftops like a drunken Irish ninja and murdering Nazis.

I agree; Loved that game after my Mum bought it for me for Christmas one time. Thought it would be shit, but LOVED it - despite the reviews.

Then yesterday I watched Inglorious Basterds >> Need to play this again ;D

Glad you mentioned that film. When I first started my rooftop tour of Nazi stealth deaths, I had Aldo's voice in my head going "we're gonna be doin one thing, and one thing only. Killin Nazis!"

I've clocked 10 hours on the game since you mentioned it XD

 

[Armored Prayer]

At the moment its Black Ops.

At first I was just going to be a cheap version of MW2. But then a friend brought it over and we decided to sample the multiplayer. It was fucking amazing, and I now love the game.

 

[Ekonk]

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.

And here I was thinking that vampires were cheesy and overdone. Thank you, Troika games, and may the Flying Spaghetti Monster bless all your ex-employees.

 

[JoJo]

Fallout 3, my brother owned it for months and repeatedly tried to persuade me to play it before I played it on a whim when I was bored... and I liked it even on that first hour of play! Kept playing, and after about ten or so more hours I began to truly appreiate the massiveness and immersion which is that game. Now one of my alltime faves!

 

[Deacon Cole]

Bioshock. I wasn't in love with the idea of a first person shooter. I haven't been able to play many since the original Doom since I do not get along with a mouse. But I actually enjoyed the game. Not just that, some subtler things in how the game was designed and played I really, really appreciate. I also like how it's an RPG without stats. Stats can go fuck themselves.

 

[DeeWiz]

I can't remember one for a video game, but IRL it was paintball. I just never understood it, i could see the point of airsoft stuff, but not paontball, i thought it was useless and for retards. Then 2 of my friends where playing and I thought what the hey, never looked back, bought my own gear by the end of the month.

 

[ayylamao]

FFX, I saw my brother playing and thought "wow, that looks like crap", then one very boring day I put it on and 100 odd hours later I thought "damn, I love this game!".

Bought it again a few months ago and it hasn't lost it charm. (I haven't played in ages though, I am enjoying MP too much at the moment)

Metalg gear solid 4...I had never even heard of the series before but it was $20 and i needed something. It ended up becoming my 2nd favorite game and now i own the Mgs collection (First 3 games in the series.) I'm goona be playing through them all one after another soon. It's goona be awesome

Did you get the special editions or just the plain old MGS 2 and 3? I have MGS3: subsistance, that was hard to find cheap ... I say cheap, it was £42.

Next is MGS2: substance, thats only £18 ish though.

The MGS Series I first played at my friends house, then i got into it and bought every one on the psp. it was Awesome.

 

[Ryokai]

Jedi Knight 2--started off as a poor shooter with low graphics--but pushed through it and got my lighstaber and then it was AWESOME.

 

[DustyDrB]

I've never heard the phrase "couldn't be arsed with" before...
but from the nature of your post, I guess it means "Ever Fallen in Love with a Game You Shouldn't Have Fallen In Love With?"[footnote]Yep, Buzzcocks gone video game[/footnote]

I generally hate first-person shooters and multiplayer-only games, so Team Fortress 2 seems like a horrible fit for me. Buuut I've put in over 200 hours since May and am still loving it despite the annoying new trading system. Demomen, unite (except for those Red ones. They can step on a sticky).

 

[pretentiousname01]

[img src="http://www.pcdistrict.com/modules/productcatalog/product_images/150184-little-red-riding-hood-s-zombie-bbq-4820.jpg" /img]

I played it first in the name of science. Totally blown away.

Constantly recommending it in the diamond in the rough style threads.

 

[AnAngryMoose]

TES4:Oblivion.

Same for me

Me three. I tried it so many times at a friends house. I fell in love with it when I chased off the Black Horse Courier flinging fireballs at him. Good times...

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

Viva Pinata and Bayonetta for me. Both were pleasant surprises.

 

[Gigaguy64]

When i first heard about Fire Emblem i thought ehhhh.

i had never really liked strategy games and the Permanent Death system kinda put me off.

But once i played it i fell in love, and im still in love.

 

[Iwata]

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty.

I ignored the game for ages because of the shitty reviews it got, but once I played it, I liked its simple charm.

 

[Ckeesy]

At the moment I'm having this relationship with The Saboteur. I bought it on an impulse cause I needed something to play, but now I really enjoy skulking rooftops like a drunken Irish ninja and murdering Nazis.

Yeah, that game it a lot better than I thought it would be. I think it's underrated.

I agree. I've been playing it for around 30 hours and I'm still enjoying just going around blowing up freeplay targets. I can't believe some of the poor reviews I've seen for it, since it's probably one of the most entertaining games I've played all year.