Someone left this as a comment on yesterdays article and much like Dewy Cox, this one line inspired all this. I somehow got off the subject and went into talking about several games, at length, and would invite you to take a read. If you want to.

No incentive to go back and play them at all, though they certainly were fun for a time.

I disagree with this sentiment strongly. As you can tell by that side bar on the right, most of the old games I played and owned I would say are still fun. If it was fun in 1990, how is it not fun in 2010?
Ducktales. Ducktales is so incredible, I doubt it will ever not be fun for me. I was never a huge fan of the cartoon, I was a Darkwing Duck guy. Something about Ducktales strikes me as an infinitely playable game. Darkwing Duck and the other Mega Man-but not Capcom created Disney games encapsulates that period of time so perfectly. How can you not want to experience that for yourself?

Just looking at this screenshot of Dragons Lair, a game that's the eptiphatamy of quarter munching and one and done, makes me want to play it again. If I had a copy within reaching distance, I would play it. This is the shortest paragraph in this article! It was barely even a sentence before I added this sentence and the previous one!



I had no idea there was a Ducktales two until a couple years ago. At which point I excitedly had to play it. Much like the first game, it's a unique platformer with lots of fun levels and even harder challenges in the jumps. Remember when games were challenging? And if you died, you dind't go back to a checkpoint, you had to restart the entire game! Back in my day, we would play the same game over and over and like it. Then when the new games came out and we had to wait between buying the next new game, usually the old systems are pulled out.

Even now, I'm working on Turbo Grafx-16, the forgotten third competitor during the early nineties. Known as the PC Engine in Japan, this thing has tons of games I've never played before. Some that I'd never seen before, like this Japanese Godzilla fighting game. Is it as easy to pick up as the 3D Unleashed Godzilla? Not at all. Is it still fun to play? Yes, in my opinion.

There's no reward for playing these games. I say I'll write about them for my blog, but that's horseshit. I just need an excuse to justify buying them. Not for myself, I'd buy all this stuff guilt free and play it constantly. Occasionally when I pick something up, I will write about it. But I have so many games that I play, the only real incentive is that I get to play all these games. Crap like Death by Degrees or Getaway Black Friday I bought and paid for. True hidden gems like Robot Alchemic Drive and Blood Will Tell, I managed to dig out from the bargin bin.



I found the action RPG Shin Megami Tensei in that same bin. Nobody wanted that game! It was unloved and in an unmarked box. I had no idea what to expect when I got it. Upon playing it, I discovered a love for Action RPGs that had been drowed and left for dead in a van down by the river by bright colorful characters and samey "let's save the world with friendship" plotlines. Because of my willingness to try something old, that was new to me, I found something I really enjoy. You might not care for it, but maybe you'll care for U.N. Sqaudren. If not that, maybe Rock & Roll Racing. Maybe Magic of Scheherazade tickles your fancy. How about Splatterhouse 3 for all your survival horror beat em up needs?

Name a genre or game you like, I probably know something similar that would interest you. Maybe not an off brand game, but something with similar mechanics or style. The same way guys who listen to records know from which bands a person likes which to to talk about with them. Maybe I just want an excuse to post this Jack Black dancing. The skimmers are going to really have no clue what this is about!



Tons of games are out there. I've spent the last fifteen years on the internet searching out ones to play. I'll play anything. If it's not fresh in my mind, I'll forget what Rise of the Robots is. Occasionally I can be forgetful. Especially after two or three years of not thinking about it. I'll get all excited and think I might be about to play something good. I like robots. I'm sure a rise of them could be good. As soon as I see the title screen, I yell out "Oh no! Not this game!"

Rise of the Robots is one of the most notoriously awful games ever. If you somehow had the misfortune of playing it, I'm so sorry! Especially if you bough new. I only rented it back in the day, but now I own a copy that just has the name on it. Occasionally I'll look through the games or someone will come over and want to play. They pick it out, thinking robots rising could be interesting. Then you find out it's the adventures of the blue guy who can't fight at all in a fighting game and are sorely disappointed. Still, that's fun for me. To be able to talk for several paragraphs or minutes about such a game is of value to me. There's no incentive to playing it. But once I've loaded it up, I might as well try it out and have a laugh. It truly is that bad. I doubt anyone likes it, even on the internet. Rule 34 doesn't even apply to this game, that's how bad it is.



Suddenly in Mass Effect two I take a look at how you explore planets. Even the little fire that comes out the back of your ship. I have a hearty giggle when I see it. Why am I laughing so hard? Why was this seemingly unimportant aspect of the game causing such an outburst? I'll tell you. It's almost shot for shot homage to Buck Rodgers. Buck Rodgers Countdown to Doomsday for the Sega Genesis and various computer systems.

One of the greatest RPGs I've ever played and the first I owned, if the timeline I established serves correct, Buck Rodgers is something of a "landmark game." It's going to be nothing special to someone going in. Especially on PC where you don't even have a psychical representation of your team walking around. Most of the storyline is presented with single artwork single page of text, press C to continue. Each of them are the best static image and couple paragraphs you'll ever see.



Yes, the graphics are dated back to D&D GoldBox games. Yes, the battles are a little complicated to learn at first. But once you're a few missions in, once you get into exploring Venus or Mars, something clicks. Maybe even on the second mission that recalls back to the film Alien might do it for you. That mission can be fairly off putting, but that's what GameFAQs is for. I can't be the only one who realizes that if I'm stumped or stuck on something, even an obscure game like Buck Rodgers, GameFAQs has a guide.

This "let's play" video shows off some gameplay. With commentary from you tube. Good thing you can easily mute things! I can't seem to locate the space exploration part, but it's in there. And looks just like Mass Effect 2's Galaxy Map. Take my word for it.



The game shines in that after two missions, you're turned loose in outer space to do whatever you want. You create your own team of characters and dependant on how you build them at the very start, you can screw yourself with all medics or power through the game with all warriors. It's all about strategy in this game. Your movements, which weapons you choose, which skills you have.

Any chance to talk about the glorious Buck Rodgers I will talk about it. And usually when I do that, I get all excited about it and want to play it again. So I quickly hook up one of my SEGAs if they aren't hooked up. Put in my cartridge, that's actually missing it's original yellow badge off the top. I took one from a football game to replace it! And usually I make my own team and beat the first mission, get stuck on the second one and quick. Unusually when I play, I beat the second mission (with or without the guide) and continue on to finish the game. This pretty much dominates my week in gaming.



Not to pick on EricBlair or anything, but later in that same comment another quote shows up:

If I had to out of all the games I have, about 35 I'd guess, I'd hold onto Xenogears and Metal Gear Solid, if only because they were such landmark games for their time, though I really found no enjoyment in XG.

The idea of owning "valuable" games or "rare" games kind of grates me. That we should own something like Radiant Silvergun or Dragonball GT because they're super valuable. Guess what? Their only worth anything if you find someone to buy them. My copy of Guardian Heroes wasn't bought with the intention of sitting on the shelf for people to see. I very rarely have anyone over that would care anyway. Games were meant to be played. I got a copy of Chrono Trigger on Super Nitendo within the last ten years. I love showing it, not because of how valuable it was. Because of how well leveled my team was. And with vulgar names for all of them! If I was a good blogger, instead of a piss poor one, you would have an image here of my team. Through the magic of retroactively changing things, I'm sure I'll put one here eventually. Until then, take a screen from my last playthrough's chrono stats. Taken for an Old School Games article, plug plug!



The more I write, the less I play. Unlike yesterday, I've not yet found the controller for the PS3 and I might not before I fall asleep. I work nights, so that explains why all my posts are early posts. Usually I'll have a game on, either the title or just with a pause, and I'll begin writing some novella with the hopes of sharing some thoughts with the group.

I've two others posts nearly ready to post. Last time I published more than one thing a day, Destructoid acted like I was crazy. Just like this girl who we almost hit one night who yelled out, "Whats a matter with you driving in the road? Tck!" The "tck" sound is her sucking air between her teeth I guess. Both windows were rolled up as she yelled this out with her friends on the sidewalk, her in the middle of the road. Sometime's I'm just fascinated by the way people observe the world. I could play all my old games over and over until I die. Then if somehow, they have consoles in hell, I'd play there.

How about you guys? Would you ever consider playing Buck Rodgers? Wait, I mean do you need incentive other than a good time playing a game, you know what we're supposed to play games for in the first place, to go back and play something you already finished? Possibly from years ago?