Games you DIDN'T expect to like

[GravitySuitCollector]

Kingdom of Loathing. A girl I knew from college recommended it to me twice before I gave it a shot. Soon I've got 45 permed skills and a complete set of brimstone gear and Hodgman's imaginary hamster, etc.

Aside from that, I generally give things - games included - a chance first. No hipster I.

An adventurer was me. I ascendeded twice, haven't played in a long time. It is fun, but there's more things I'd rather play.

[Drachefly]

Yeah. The game is fun in two cases:

1) exploring / enjoying the jokes

or

2) you are trying to do it as well as you possibly can.

Otherwise it's meh.

I peaked when I got enough evidence to demonstrate that the louvre is rigged, which led to someone else cracking it completely. A spade is me.

[Zerothemaster]

Yeah. The game is fun in two cases:

1) exploring / enjoying the jokes

or

2) you are trying to do it as well as you possibly can.

Otherwise it's meh.

I peaked when I got enough evidence to demonstrate that the louvre is rigged, which led to someone else cracking it completely. A spade is me.

I just like being able to down whiskey and other alcohols without too much of a negative effect. And battling possessed cans of tomatoes. that too.

[liquid wind]

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, never was into skateboarding otherwise but it was a lot of fun

[DJ Tetsusaiga]

Metal Gear Solid - I got the demo as a member of PlayStation Underground and I must have tried playing the demo, oh, a good 10 times. Each time I played I didn't like it, it felt slow and seemed difficult. The dialogue was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. But something kept me coming back, I couldn't put my finger on it. One day my brother's friend let him borrow the game, so I gave it another try. I ended up beating the game twice in one day, and to this day remains one of my favorite games of all time. This is the first time I had cried playing a game, memorable for sure.

Final Fantasy 9 - Now, I'm an FF nut, and this game was supposed to be very reminiscent of past FF's. I grew up on FF; FF6 was my very first RPG, and my favorite FF. So I was very much looking forward to playing it. Again, my brother's friend let us borrow the game, and I didn't like it. I was intrigued, the music was quirky and fun, and the characters bizarre and interesting, but for whatever reason I was put off by the first segment of the game, I crash-landed the airship after the first scene and stopped playing. So we gave the game back a few days later with a "meh" whatever attitude. We borrowed it again several months later, i popped it in, and I was hooked, i was addicted. It was good, REALLY good. I missed homework some nights so i could play, and it's ranked at number 2 on my FF list. Did not expect that

[JamJars]

Rayman Orgins

I was a fan of Rayman but after awhile of the Rabbids he basicly became Sonic to me, so I was really iffy when my bud rented it and popped it in his Wii. after some time, only had 4 out of the nine teeth and the chasing levels made our thumbs bleed but I was sold.

[Garrett Williamson]

Kill me for this but here goes...

Sonic Unleashed.

No seriously. I actually grew to really like that game.

[Malaki-LEGEND.sys]

Radiata Stories. I did not expect to like it in the least, then about 5 hours in, it became openworldy, and I was all like "wow" n' shit.

[Garpocalypse]

Kill me for this but here goes...

Sonic Unleashed.

No seriously. I actually grew to really like that game.

Sonic Unleashed was a fine game that got trashed for no reason. The hatred from 2006's ran deep it seems.

[Garrett Williamson]

Sonic Unleashed was a fine game that got trashed for no reason. The hatred from 2006's ran deep it seems.

Well the hatred for '06 was understandable. That is considerably one of the worst games of modern gaming.

Sonic Generations actually was pretty good. They stayed true to the Classic Sonic stuff even though it was transported to the 3D realm. It actually was a really great idea and they managed to make it work. Playing Green Hill Zone with Classic Sonic made me happy because, mechanically, they tried super hard to make it feel the same way the original Sonic 1 felt. And I think they did a great job. And the graphics are gorgeous.

But the cutscenes in that game are so unbelievably painful to watch they are so embarrassing. Maybe it's just me. But I think they're pretty awful.

[A-RoN]

I used to hate Final Fantasy games with a passion after 7 was released just because every single person was playing them. Then I tried Final Fantasy 4. Never hated any of the first 9 games ever since.

EDIT: It was Final Fantasy 4 and 6 that got me into Final Fantasy 9 and Advent Children that got me into 7.

[Level 99]

Kung Fu Rider

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.

I forums every now and again. This statement makes me very happy. I'll have to set up my Saturn in the basement the next time you come over so you can experience the original with the seemingly tighter controls. Graphics on the Saturn, while amazing for the time, will probably make your eyes barf, though.

I actually hated NiGHTS the first few times I played it. Sure, the music was fantastic but I was 12 years old when I got it and I had NO IDEA how to be good at it. Took me over a month to actually beat a level. But it gripped me and I was persistent and then just absolutely loved every aspect of it.

It didn't help that my Saturn's battery backup never worked right so I was never able to save my games and had to beat the whole game from scratch every time I turned the machine on. We were REAL gamers back then. Like real cowboys only less smelly and we didn't ride horses.

Jamestown

Playing through it with Val these days. It was fun solo, love the steampunk alternate universe take on the colonies, and awesome music. But playing it with two, three, four friends local co-op? It becomes a fine wine, aged from the days when four player arcade games were all the rage. Absolute blast.

Katamari Damacy

This was another one that caught me way offguard. Had a dormmate who was a bit of a japanophile and I walked in on him playing it one day. I had no clue what was going on on the screen but he insisted that I give it a try.

From the opening movie I think I met one of the loves of my life that day.

-------------

The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse

My Dad rented this for me a kid. I was never that much into Disney but I liked some of the movies. I was a little hurt when he got me that game because I thought he was treating me too much like a child (you know, me being nine years old and all trying to act a bit more grown up at the time). I initially refused to play it. Then I got bored. Really, really bored.

The title screen and intro music didn't do much for me, but the music was pretty good there. Then the story started and I felt like I was right on the money: this game was for kids. PLUTO HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED, OH NOES! But when the first stage started...

It hit me: I totally glossed over the fact that I saw a big "Capcom" intro logo. This was a playformer, and a damn solid one at that. With costume changes that had different abilities, kinda like Mega Man, some great music and really good level/character designs, this game was ridiculously fun, whimsical, and challenging. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up buying it when I saw it used at Blockbuster when I was 13. I spent a huge chunky of money on it: $26 (I was really bad with money management). $26 for a used SNES game in 1998?! I WAS MAD. So good, though. Highly recommended.

[Gario]

Final Fantasy 5.

Had it in 1999 (back when emulation was all the rage), and gave it a shot. I heard the battle music when you get attacked by goblins, and I thought that song was terrible (I still do, actually), and I thought it was indicative of the game as a whole. I didn't try again for a few years (it just took up space on the family computer...).

When I picked it up again and muscled through the poor music in the beginning, I found it actually has a very rich and wonderful soundtrack, and it was a really, really good Final Fantasy title (one of my personal favorites, actually). Makes me a little sad that I was turned off to it for so long.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse

My Dad rented this for me a kid. I was never that much into Disney but I liked some of the movies. I was a little hurt when he got me that game because I thought he was treating me too much like a child (you know, me being nine years old and all trying to act a bit more grown up at the time). I initially refused to play it. Then I got bored. Really, really bored.

The title screen and intro music didn't do much for me, but the music was pretty good there. Then the story started and I felt like I was right on the money: this game was for kids. PLUTO HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED, OH NOES! But when the first stage started...

It hit me: I totally glossed over the fact that I saw a big "Capcom" intro logo. This was a playformer, and a damn solid one at that. With costume changes that had different abilities, kinda like Mega Man, some great music and really good level/character designs, this game was ridiculously fun, whimsical, and challenging. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up buying it when I saw it used at Blockbuster when I was 13. I spent a huge chunky of money on it: $26 (I was really bad with money management). $26 for a used SNES game in 1998?! I WAS MAD. So good, though. Highly recommended.

OH SHIT I REMEMBER THAT GAME!

I haven't played it in years, but I seem to recall really enjoying it.

[Salluz]

I did not expect to like Max Payne. Getting it as a gift and playing it a decade after its making, it's not bad as the starter of a series. I see where they could have improved, along with some fo the boredom that took place, but it was good, and I see why it went platinum.

I didn't think that I would like Sonic Generations because of the Sonic Cycle, but hey, it was wonderful.

I did not expect to like the Kirby Dreamland series because I was stuck on Kirby Superstar. I know, that's slapworthy.

[Raziellink]

Persona 3. Not a fan of (J)RPG's, but it turned out absolutely fantastic.

[Cerrax]

FEZ

I'm always weary of indie games because a lot of them rely way too much on the retro/folk aethstetic and nostalgia or wildly abstract concepts and play. FEZ is just a super-powered puzzle game that doesn't just use pixel graphics as a style, it's essential to the core of the game. After ten minutes with it at my buddy's house I knew I had to get this game. About a month later, I had all the achievements and a folder filled with all kinds of bizarre scribbles and mad scientist notes trying to unlock the secrets of the game. I still have it

Forza Motorsport

I bought Forza 3 because I knew about the wide selection of cars it had (and in all honesty I just wanted to get my hands on the free DeLorian downloadable car that came with the Ultimate Edition) so I picked it up. I enjoyed it for a while, but the realistic physics turned me off. I was so used to arcade racers like Mario Kart and Excite Truck. Then about a year or so later, Forza 4 came out, and as I was in a particularly serious games drought, I gave it shot.

And somehow I got totally hooked. Maybe the realistic physics finally clicked for me, or maybe I was just so desperate to find a new game, but I love it now. It's gotten to the point where it's reached a spot in the "Constantly Played" section of my games collection. Every once and a while I'll bust it out and complete a few races, buy a couple cars, tweak some tuneups and maybe do a paint job.

Actually, it's kind of funny how many games in my "Constantly Played" section are games that I initially cast aside as trivial distractions.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

I downloaded the demo expecting a terribly made action game with Hugh Jackman's face pasted on the main character. But DAYMN this game is so much fun. Gorey, violent, and completely ridiculous, but somehow I just couldn't put it down. I think it's one of the few games I actually got almost every achievement on.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

This game I actually thought I would like, but after an hour or so, I got tired of it. It was a standard linear story with some nice open stages and lots of stealth (which I am not a big fan of). But then I found the Riddler's puzzles and the game became "Let's find all the clues and solve the Riddler's puzzle". Finishing the game was a side effect of unlocking all the necessary items and areas to find all the Riddler's clues. The whole main plot barely registered with me, but I know everything about the Riddler's plot from that game.

[Darklink42]

The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse

My Dad rented this for me a kid. I was never that much into Disney but I liked some of the movies. I was a little hurt when he got me that game because I thought he was treating me too much like a child (you know, me being nine years old and all trying to act a bit more grown up at the time). I initially refused to play it. Then I got bored. Really, really bored.

The title screen and intro music didn't do much for me, but the music was pretty good there. Then the story started and I felt like I was right on the money: this game was for kids. PLUTO HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED, OH NOES! But when the first stage started...

It hit me: I totally glossed over the fact that I saw a big "Capcom" intro logo. This was a playformer, and a damn solid one at that. With costume changes that had different abilities, kinda like Mega Man, some great music and really good level/character designs, this game was ridiculously fun, whimsical, and challenging. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up buying it when I saw it used at Blockbuster when I was 13. I spent a huge chunky of money on it: $26 (I was really bad with money management). $26 for a used SNES game in 1998?! I WAS MAD. So good, though. Highly recommended.

I was the same with Castle of Illusion for the Sega. There was no way I was going to like a game about Mickey Mouse hopping around candyland and a happy forest at 11 years old. But the music blew me away and the level design is just the right combination of easy to traverse and difficult to master. Doing extra tricky stuff would net a few nice rewards, but it wasn't necessary to enjoy the game. And the easy mode was truncated, but still gave you the ending. I still love this game, and it's part of the reason I almost blew what little money I had on the Epic Mickey re-imagining they just put out. Prudence outweighed nostalgia, but only just barely.

[noTuX]

Bust a Groove

Brave Fencer Musashi

Mistical Ninja Starring Goemon (N64)

And all three had awesome music, which made things so much better.

[theshaggyfreak]

Here's another one I've been playing lately on my PSP.... Pangya Fantasy Golf! It's odd, quirky, and quite cheesy. It's even a half decent golf game and I'm usually not into that sort of thing. While I may not have ever paid full price for this game, I'm having a good time playing it.

[entropicdecay]

The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse

My Dad rented this for me a kid. I was never that much into Disney but I liked some of the movies. I was a little hurt when he got me that game because I thought he was treating me too much like a child (you know, me being nine years old and all trying to act a bit more grown up at the time). I initially refused to play it. Then I got bored. Really, really bored.

The title screen and intro music didn't do much for me, but the music was pretty good there. Then the story started and I felt like I was right on the money: this game was for kids. PLUTO HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED, OH NOES! But when the first stage started...

It hit me: I totally glossed over the fact that I saw a big "Capcom" intro logo. This was a playformer, and a damn solid one at that. With costume changes that had different abilities, kinda like Mega Man, some great music and really good level/character designs, this game was ridiculously fun, whimsical, and challenging. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up buying it when I saw it used at Blockbuster when I was 13. I spent a huge chunky of money on it: $26 (I was really bad with money management). $26 for a used SNES game in 1998?! I WAS MAD. So good, though. Highly recommended.

Did you ever get around to beating it after we left?

[The Derrit]

One of the WWE games for the gamecube. I thought I would hate it (it was my older brother's) but it was actually quite a bit of fun.

[Esperado]

i almost forgot about enter the matrix for ps2. I usually write off movie games as sucking, but the more i played the more strange little combos i learned and it eventually got to be a lot of fun to plow through enemies in matrix mode.

[Rexy]

It takes a lot of staying power for a game that I thought I wouldn't like to be, well, liked. People already said great Steam titles like Jamestown and Rock of Ages, which blew away all expectations I had (although idk about you but the camera for Rock of Ages is bloomin' AWKWARD to use), and so it should be a good thing to mention other noted titles.

New Super Mario Bros - So, it's obvious that I'm not really a fan of the Mario setting. I've always thought that with the pacing of the series in general, the tiresome concept of "saving Peach from Bowser" completely baffles me as to how people even baffle in and enjoy something that's pretty much been done to death on other systems. Alas, after some persuasion later, I decided to pick it up on the cheap and take it on vacation with me. And here's the kicker - Mario games are simply there to be FUN; something which I thought was severely missing in platformers of that day and age. Sure, the NSMB series eventually grew tiresome again after what I experienced with NSMBU, but for a while it was a fun take on Mario, with NSMB Wii being all the more INSANE with four players all at once!

Crash Tag Team Racing - Didn't think Radical did all that great with the Simpsons games on the PS2, believe it or not. When I heard they were on development duty for Crash, I was scared; yet, I was even more scared with the character re-designs and complete change of concept for the kart racing after being used to the core concepts for Crash Team Racing / Crash Nitro Kart. And then when I heard there were platforming and shooting sections, I thought "what the hell, either change the name or I'm not accepting this as a legitimate racer". So naturally, I didn't buy it on release, but I eventually rented it for a laugh. Actually good simple fun if you don't mind the shaky presentation, though it did manage to set me up for the heaps more fun I got with Crash of the Titans when it came out a couple of years later.

Sonic Riders - Thought it would be another generic Sonic title with skateboards. Yet as it turned out, the short campaign it had was tough, presentation was pretty cool and the soundtrack was extremely different from what I was used to (in a good way) - especially the track for Babylon Garden; hadn't had the panicked goosebumps from a single Sonic title for some time up til then

Kind of older memories than most, but what can we do

[Mirby]

My only complaint with Sonic Riders was Omochao's dialogue.

SHADOW IS IN THE LEAD! SHE'S REALLY FLYING!!

then again it's omochao soooo yeah