Games you DIDN'T expect to like

[entropicdecay]

...but ended up liking them anyway. Maybe you went in with high expectations, or maybe you thought they were overhyped. Whatever the reason, let's share here.

Kung Fu Rider

This is widely regarded as one of the worst games for the PSMove system. It launched at $40 and over MAGFest I picked it up for $9.99, figuring I'd find some way to find ten bucks' worth of entertainment in the game.

And oh my god. For $10 I had the most fun I've ever had with the Move system. Maybe I just can't get past the novelty of riding an office chair/a wheeled drum/a baby walker through the Hong Kong streets. The control is a little squiggly at times (we had issues getting dash to work) but wow, I haven't had this much fun with a game that relied so heavily on motion controls.

And for those of you who know me, this one may come as a complete and total surprise. You see, I wasn't always the ridiculous Earthbound nut I am nowadays. You see, I was always curious about that little guy called Ness in the Smash Bros series. So I hopped on ebay in July 2003 and found a copy of EB that came with the guide. My mom bid on the auction for me and I paid her a whopping $7 for the whole thing. The game arrived and I excitedly plugged it into my SNES. The title screen didn't leave me impressed. How low-res! How amateur! But I was determined to see what made this RPG so special. I distinctly remember thinking "maybe it's trying too hard..." but something drew me in. The music was quirky and I had fun naming my characters. Before long I'd forgotten about the graphics and engrossed myself in the goofy story. Definitely wasn't expecting the serious twists and I loved collecting the melodies in my sanctuaries. It made me think about my own childhood. In the matter of an afternoon I went from being doubtful to being enamored. And here I am today, with every US/Japan release of Mother (with the exception of Mother 1+2), Earthbound tattoos all over my arm...

[Bahamut]

Chrono Trigger

I shit you not - back before it came out, my brother was all hyped up about it from Nintendo Power and I was like ehhh. Nintendo Power hyped it up for about 6 months before it came out I think. Naturally, he got it for that Christmas, and I ended up playing it more than he did although we both played the crap out of it. When I saw the game finally, I realized that it was the same game one of my best friends was playing during that time, except I didn't recognize it then because he is Japanese, and was playing the Japanese version of CT.

I became completely sold playing it and was wowed.

[Mirby]

Dokapon Kingdom

A friend recommended it to me, and said it was really fun. I was like, "okay" and thought I'd check it out if I ever saw it. Found it used at Gamestop and picked it up.

And holy crap is that game fun. Seriously, it's like the only board game/RPG hybrid I know of. You get equipment, fight monsters, level up, and save the world... except you're also fighting the other players (up to 4 total) to get the most Gold and win the hand of Princess Penny. So much fun. Highly highly recommended.

[Top Gun]

Minecraft, oddly enough. I thought it was a fascinating concept when it first started becoming a phenomenon, but I didn't feel like I was "creative enough" to enjoy it myself. Fast-forward to today, after I've probably spent weeks' worth of time in-game, and apparently I was.

[entropicdecay]

Minecraft, oddly enough. I thought it was a fascinating concept when it first started becoming a phenomenon, but I didn't feel like I was "creative enough" to enjoy it myself. Fast-forward to today, after I've probably spent weeks' worth of time in-game, and apparently I was.

If I had the free time to invest into Minecraft I bet I'd have a blast. Unfortunately I played it right after I saw my friends' fantastic things, like a castle with a minecart system and a gigantic lava dick and all I wanted was an insta-castle

[KyleJCrb]

City of Heroes. I never was really into MMOs (and I've never been able to get into one since because most of them are just WoW clones, which I'm not really interested in), but I decided to give a try after seeing how awesome the character creation was and getting an itch to see what I could do with it. Being able to create almost any sort of character that I wanted and the overall superhero setting (which I've always been a fan of, even if I don't read all that many comics) really drew me in, and I spent literally hundreds of hours playing the game, creating new characters, making friends and beating in the faces of bad guys in warehouses for a long time. "I'll just try it for a month," I said to myself, then subsequently played it for 6 years.

[Brushfire]

Bayonetta, due to me never liking the Devil May Cry series, but it's humor was right up there with B movie classics and it's own universe was really interesting.

Steve, I know you dont forums much, but I didn't think I was going to like Nights: Into Dreams very much. I played it for the first time last week. It's surrealistic visuals and catchy music make up for it's floaty ass controls.

[Melbu Frahma]

Far Cry 3. I'm pretty turned off by modern FPSes in general (exception being the Mass Effect series, which isn't pure FPS tbh anyway), and the whole "It's like Skyrim, but with guns!" quote from Machinima that it so proudly touted just multiplied the turn-off by a huge amount. But I was over at a friend's house, and he had me play his for about an hour and a half... and gotta say, I actually found myself enjoying it somewhat.

The only other game I can think of is The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (Game Boy version), which my parents gave me for Christmas the same year they gave me my Game Boy. Didn't like the show, wasn't particularly fond of the characters, but found myself oddly enjoying the game in spite of never making it past the second level and the clunky gameplay. To this day, I still can't put my finger on why I liked it... but I did.

[Bleck]

I still knew Bioware as "that company that makes those really boring RPGs with the really good stories" around the time that Mass Effect came out.

[Arrow]

Mystic Ark on Super Famicom. It's a spiritual sequel to The 7th Saga (this alone gave it a black mark in my book), and it didn't get a fan translation until 2010 (at which point it got two translations nearly back to back). After playing it, I've come to the conclusion that it's still not for everyone, but it's much more solid a game than T7S as far as gameplay is concerned, it's not afraid to make fun of itself, and it seems custom designed to fuck with the player in ways that are almost always hilarious just because it can. DAT HAPPY BOOK.

[Moguta]

Mass Effect, oddly enough. Went into it with a "well, I've heard good things about it, and there's a Steam sale for $5" meh-level attitude. You'd expect someone who absolutely drools (and I mean nonstop, gross out levels of saliva) over Star Wars and Star Trek would be all about a space RPG. For some reason I'd visualized it as akin to the bland, generic Halo 1 universe. But damn if -- from the very loading screen! -- the game didn't knock this BethSoft-fanboy onto his newfound ass. Not only does Mass Effect know how to tell a good story, but it bathes you in plot & lets you know the characters have a few more feelings than a standard cardboard cutout. *stares meaningfully at Skyrim* And, plus, SPAAAAAAAAACE!

[ocre]

A long time ago, the GTA and MGS series. Long story short, I wasn't aware how humorous/quirky these titles were until I gave them a chance. First games I played in the series were MGS: The Twin Snakes and GTA Liberty City Stories. (and yes, I did make a point to play the other ones, my favorite games in each series are MGS3 and GTA San Andreas.)

[Cody Wedel]

Rhythm Heaven came to mind instantly. I hadn't even heard of the series until my buddy Juan let me borrow the DS one. Over the next few weeks he'd consistently remind me to "PLAY RHYTHM HEAVEN" because I would "really enjoy it," but to be honest I wasn't in the mood to play some rhythm game that was probably mediocre at best (that's pretty much how I felt about the "rhythm game" genre, which I deeply regret).

So one night he, once again, asked me to play Rhythm Heaven. I finally gave in and made him a deal: "ok, if you play through Mother 3, I'll play through Rhythm Heaven." Told me it's a deal and I handed him the EZ-Flash IV (GBA flash cart).

... at first Rhythm Heaven was awkward and I just wasn't feeling it at all. In fact, I actually somewhat disliked it. But it got better, and I kinda didn't want to admit it.... but I did. I got about halfway through before giving it back to my buddy: I just *knew* I had to own the game before beating it. So I bought a new copy on Amazon for cheap. That same day, I went into Best Buy and noticed two copies of Rhythm Heaven just chillin' near the front of the store by a few GBA titles that nobody bought (like Uno). I asked a sales rep if he could check the price of the Rhythm Heavens and he told me they were $3.99. Each. Bought BOTH and I don't regret it in the slightest. I cancelled my Amazon order before it was too late. Mission accomplished.

After beating Rhythm Heaven fully, my buddy let me borrow Rhythm Heaven Fever for the Wii. I didn't get too far before apathetically discarding the game (just wasn't feeling it, sadly). I just didn't care for it at all.

So shortly after, I ended up starting a playthough of Rhythm Tengoku (GBA Japan-only prequel) thanks to the GBA flash cart and, at first, felt the same way as I did with the other two games in the series... but I treaded through. Tengoku got better and I really enjoyed the experience. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I felt this intense desire to import the game. The cheapest auction on Amazon was "cartridge only in relatively ok condition" for $40 (ended up being around $50 with shipping)--I was fine with that price as I didn't care about having the box and such. A few weeks went by and I ended up receiving a medium-sized padded envelope. I assumed the cartridge was extra padded.... but when I opened up the envelope I found a great-conditioned Rhythm Tengoku box. In the box were the manual (and other Nintendo papers) in mint condition and the cartridge (also mint condition). So much for "cartridge only in relatively ok condition" huh?

Not even a month later I got back into Rhythm Heaven Fever (thanks to high-quality YouTube videos of the perfect challenges) and ended up buying the game. Heck, I bought two copies (one of those I wanted to compliment the factory-sealed Rhythm Heaven I've had). Ended up liking Fever perhaps the most of the series after giving it a real chance. It's such a brilliant game with so much charm and I urge everyone to play it.

And that is why all 3 games are the best video game-related investment I've ever made, hands down. Nothing even comes close except for...

EarthBound!

I had a big past with the original Super Smash Bros. back in the late 90s/early 2000s. Out of all the games represented that I'd never heard of (among them being Metroid and Kirby, if you'd believe that), the one that interested me the most was "EarthBound" -- I couldn't tell you how many times as a kid that I dreamed of EarthBound and how cool it must've been... "The little boy with psychic powers set out to save the world" is what really got to me, it sounded incredible. Of course, at the time I was a little boy and my SNES had broke years before, so I thought playing the game was a pipe dream. Eventually I forgot all about the game and when Melee came out, I mained Dr. Mario instead of Ness.

Fast-forwarding to 2008... when Brawl was released in Japan, I downloaded its soundtrack rip as soon as I could and I swear I must've listened to all of it non-stop for at least 4 months. But out of all the music in Brawl, I absolutely LOVED the Mother music....it was to the point that I wanted MORE.

So that June I somehow found download links to the Mother 1+2 instrumentals and Mother 3+/3i--they're all very high quality, well-produced versions of the games' soundtracks. These albums were pretty much foray into the series and were my regular listening material for about 2 months.

August came around so I went ahead and bought myself an R4DS (flash cart). Loaded it with emulators because why not. For one reason or another I had EarthBound in my SNES ROM folder... started a file, didn't get far at all (I was roaming around Onett I know that) so I decided to say whatever and give the game a rest. I just wasn't feeling it and didn't expect to like it.

But for one reason or another I picked it up again in October and found it midly enjoyable having gotten up to Twoson. It wasn't until the Peaceful Rest Valley & Happy-Happy Village that I was completely hooked. By Moonside it was official: EarthBound wasn't any old game... it was a beautiful work of art and a genuinely unforgettable experience. I finsihed the game 8 days after I started it. Now, games rarely leave me feeling emotional, but EarthBound really tugged at my heartstrings. I can barely explain why but an old Super Nintendo videogame really spoke to me on a deep level... even if its emulation was pretty horrible I still got the most of it. The rest of the year and subsequent months of 2009 had me basically obsessed with the game (and the BEAUTIFUL Mother 3), to say the least.

December 2008 is what really made my love for the game truly complete, though. I was talking to my internet buddy via AIM and on a whim he asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I jokingly said "EarthBound!" (not even expecting him to have it, let alone want to send it if he did) and didn't receive a direct reply (I don't even think he did reply to that, actually). But a few days later a package came to my door, and I remember very vividly how I felt when I opened up the package to find FUCKING EARTHBOUND. Started a file on the actual console that night and THAT was an unforgettable experience to say the least. Man, this game's a masterpiece.

Oh yeah, and I'd also like to say Pokémon Black. At first I didn't care for the game at all. I just wasn't feeling it like I did the other games of the series... but around Badge 3 the game got SO much better that I couldn't believe I was actually playing the same game I started off with. I know that if I didn't give the game another chance when I did, I wouldn't have clocked 100+ hours into it within the month it came out.

[DrumJ8]

Final Fantasy VII

I was in 7th grade, I knew next to nothing about FF7 or RPGs or games or life. This annoying girl at school was obsessed with it and recommended it to my brother. My brother never got too much into it, and I wasn't at first; there was too much reading to do and I just wanted to get on with the game. I remember having a bad day and when I got home, instead of eating dinner I decided to pour my heart and soul into playing a game I wasn't all that interested in in the first place.

It eventually became my favorite franchise, my favorite game, my favorite music, etc etc etc

[Nonamer]

I got this game called Space Pirates and Zombies from one of the humble bundles, and at first I was turned off by the terrible human models in the intro, but as you progress through the game it's actually really fun. It's a bit of a grindfest, but if you know how to exploit the game's mechanics (such as the fact that friendly mining colonies will essentially give you free money), then it shouldn't pose too much of a challenge.

[Global-Trance]

Monster Hunter Tri.

I didn't feel like playing this but my friends egged me on to try it and play online with them.

400 hours later...

[Capa Langley]

Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game.

Enough said.

[Zerothemaster]

Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game.

Enough said.

That is not nearly enough said, I really want to hear your reasoning.

Jamestown is a bullet-hell, and while I found such games an interesting little sidenote, I never really thought of them as something I'd be good at (since I'm bad at really simple games ) But I played it and thought it was a hoot. Then I played it with a friend and it was even hootier.

Shank turned me off a little with the blood and gore, but I fell in love with the smooth as silk controls and combos. There's nothing quite like slicing a bastard into the air then shooting him so much that he falls off the train.

[Monobrow]

Agreed w/ OP. Earthbound was definitely one. Just the huge case and the way the characters looked was really off-putting to me, I was into many other RPGs at the time and it looked way too different. But I'm so glad it got my curiosity, even if I didn't expect much, at the time, which was when it first came out, and I rented it from Blockbuster lol.

[Unstable Hamster]

Alpha Protocol. Gotta say, it looks ridiculous (Play with full beard, sunglasses, and camo hat), but it gets it right in all the right spots to be the best b-rated video game.

[Mirby]

Agreed w/ OP. Earthbound was definitely one. Just the huge case and the way the characters looked was really off-putting to me, I was into many other RPGs at the time and it looked way too different. But I'm so glad it got my curiosity, even if I didn't expect much, at the time, which was when it first came out, and I rented it from Blockbuster lol.

I CALL BIAS!

nah just kiddin', earthbound is awesome

A long time ago, the GTA and MGS series. Long story short, I wasn't aware how humorous/quirky these titles were until I gave them a chance. First games I played in the series were MGS: The Twin Snakes and GTA Liberty City Stories. (and yes, I did make a point to play the other ones, my favorite games in each series are MGS3 and GTA San Andreas.)

San Andreas is the best. I mean, it introduces swimming and has an RPG-like stat system.

[Monobrow]

Well Mirby... you gotta realize that this was when it came out before it became popular. I never had a conversation with someone who had heard of it before I acquired the internet and even that was rare for a while.

In 1995 aside from the enormity of the game box, it looked like it would be a little kids game to a 13/

14 year-old me. I think I only rented it because I had run out of rpgs to play and the ginormous box had me curious.

[Mirby]

hehehe i was just kiddin', like i said

here's another game that fits the topic

The World Ends With You

Certainly a unique game, in regards to the battle system if nothing else. I didn't expect to fall in love with it as much as I did (especially since the first time I played it was via emulator), and since at the time nothing really ran it. When finally an add-on to No$GBA came out that did run it, I wanted to play it if only for the fact that I was unable to before.

I wasn't even hooked at first, but the more I played the more the story drew me in. And now... it's one of my favorite games ever. So damn good. Well worth the $60 for a new boxed copy that I got last year.

[Chernabogue]

Zoo Tycoon. Yes.

[Arrow]

Popping in again to mention Frog Fractions, which I just played on suggestion from a Penny Arcade Report article. Less than an hour of playtime, free flash game. The first 10 minutes were confusing and sort of tedious, though with some admittedly hilarious humor in the upgrades you can purchase. Then I dove underwater after I bought the dragon. Then I LOST MY MIND.