How on earth do some of you guys pick a game to play?

[Ross PK]

I'm not just talking about modern games but the old ones included.

 

I've got around 80 games, and some of the time it's really hard trying to pick a game, so hard in fact that I'll just end up watching TV for a really long time not knowing what to pick.

 

I could just grab a random one, but then when I'm playing it I probably wouldn't be able to enjoy it properly because I'd be thinking about the other games and wondering if it'd be better to play say Sonic Mega Collection Plus instead, or whatever.

 

So I'm just wondering how the hell some of you guys who have hundreds of game decide.

Edited January 24, 2007 by Ross PK

[Foxsolo2000]

Cant speak for others but I have a hard core selection of games for each system I own and play them regulary. If I get bored I then delve into the rest of the collection and usually play them by how good they are

[raindog151]

This is an interesting question you pose. Often I finding myself reading about games, hanging out on here and /v/, or watching Cinematech more than actually playing games anymore.

 

I have mild, mild anxiety about what to play sometimes. I'm pushing probably 300 games now out of storage. I'll pop in Mega Man 2 and wonder if I'd rather play Klax, etc.

 

I've thought about this before, but never came up with a good answer.

[+Random Terrain]

How on earth do some of you guys pick a game to play?

Have you seen some of their posts? Most of these guys have the money to buy the latest games for the latest consoles and have the money to collect every classic game, even if they have to pay 5,000 dollars for each one, so you know they have a personal assistant or a butler or a French maid that will select a game from the vault for them to play.

[figgler]

I usually just go with what I feel like playing and long ago got over the fact that 90% of my collection is compeltely neglected.

There are times when I wish I had some sort of random game selector, especially for NES, where I could just run the program and have it tell me what to play

[ATARIeric]

How on earth do some of you guys pick a game to play?

Have you seen some of their posts? Most of these guys have the money to buy the latest games for the latest consoles and have the money to collect every classic game, even if they have to pay 5,000 dollars for each one, so you know they have a personal assistant or a butler or a French maid that will select a game from the vault for them to play.

 

To cut cost on my investment I started using a guatemalan man to select the games for me. I think he knows somewhat about the 2600 because whenever I break out the system he is always taking about videojuegos from Brazil.

[Gabriel]

Simple. You play the game you're in the mood to play. Sometimes you aren't in the mood to play, so do something else.

[zombiecraig]

I'm with you! Usually what I end up doing is going with something old and reliable instead of jumping into something new. But then I just end up playing Bionic Commando, Mega Man 2 or some quick sports game to get a fix. In fact, the sports games end up being a problem this way. I play them too often and then never get to anything else.

 

I recently got an Xbox 360 with 4 games. I got NBA 2K7, mainly to play when a friend comes over. I thought it was going to be a problem and I would play it all the time, but it hasn't. I've barely touched that one. I played through Marvel Ultimate Alliance, over the course of a few nights, instead. Maybe I've getting past that sports games quick fix addiction. Of course, I still haven't touched Gears of War or Dead Rising.

 

But, yes. I definitely know what you mean. I personally have around 600 games, not counting emulators and PC games. And I know a lot of people here have thousands more. I think I would go insane trying to choose if I did reach that level.

 

I have the same difficulty trying to choose a movie to watch. I end up wasting so much time trying to choose, that I end up not having enough time to relax and have a good time. It really is pretty stupid.

Edited January 24, 2007 by BerzerkZombieBentley

[Ross PK]

Yeah, I always remind myself though that this is a good thing.

 

Back in the day I didn't have as much entertainment as I do now (I really am spoilt for choice), and I'd find myself browsing through games trying to find one to play.

Edited January 24, 2007 by Ross PK

[jbanes]

I use a bunch of lights around my game collecton. Whenever I want to play a game, the lit bulb randomly jumps around my collection until I hit the STOP button. If it stops on a game in its slot, I pull it out and play it. If it stops on an empty slot, I hear this loud noise that says, "WHAAAAAAAAAAMMY!" and a little cartoon character strolls across my game systems. At that point I start crying as I have to put all my games back and start all over. *sniff* If it stops on a slot that says "free vacation package," then I drop what I'm doing and take a trip to Acapulco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2007 by jbanes

[Ross PK]

Simple. You play the game you're in the mood to play. Sometimes you aren't in the mood to play, so do something else.

 

It doesn't always work like that for me though. Right now I'm in the mood for playing some Sonic Mega Collection Plus, so I'd be happy with just grabbing that and putting it on. But sometimes there are times where I'd want to play SMCP just as much as I want to play Liberty City Stories, or Gran Turismo 4, or how about those 4 Americana games for my Atari 8-bit that I haven't played yet? etc, etc, etc. I just end up sitting there with my mind in limbo.

Edited January 24, 2007 by Ross PK

[Lord Helmet]

I just pick up whatever sounds fun. I was playing a bunch of 2600 games for a while, but I got burned out and decided to pick up the 360 controller again. I usually have an RPG in progress that I am playing with my wife (currently Zelda TP), and something that I am also playing alone (currently SW Battlefront 2 and Haunted Adventure Trilogy) .

Edited January 24, 2007 by Lord Helmet

[Emehr]

I have this exact same dilemma. Technically I should pick a game that hasn't seen much use but noooo I usually grab something I've already beaten. I've often thought about slimming down my collection to games I'll actually play (as opposed to games that are fun to play but still don't get played). Many times have I gone through my list and weeded out (on paper at least) games I'd like to sell only to chicken out. It's a sickness really.

 

I don't even seek out full-on RPGs anymore (by full-on I mean turn-based 80+ hours of gameplay, etc.) just because I know I don't have the time to sit through them. Although recently I've been entertaining the thought of collecting all the Final Fantasies for GBA/DS, now that 1-6 are available

[NE146]

Oh! This is actually something that I really do. I read classic magazines!

 

Basically I pick up an issue of Electronic Games or Videogames or whatever that I haven't read yet (or read 20 years ago.. it doesn't matter) and read an article, or the ads, or reviews about a game and it gets me excited to try it out. Seriously. I really dig reading printed media about a game when it was new in the public with the hype around it and that actually gives me a whole better anticipation to play a particular game than reading some 20/20 hindsight article on the internet that was written 2 decades after the game's release.

 

So yeah, with all the marketing and visual powers of 1982 printed media behind it, that's what gets me to choose a 2600 or 5200 game I hadn't really put any time into before.

 

'Course for this you need access to those magazines if you don't have them already. But that's actually why in particular I've made an effort to have them over the years in addition to every one I've kept since I was a kid. Sometimes you can find scans of them online as well. Here's one for ya:

 

http://www.4shared.com/dir/1852419/531ec598/sharing.html <-1982 Electronic Games PDF

[phaxda]

Sometimes I put in my Cuttle Cart 2, hold the controller down, close my eyes, and randomly push the fire button.

 

Or I just play Fall Down or Adventures of Tron. I am getting very good at both of these games.

 

I go through phases. Some time ago I was playing RBI Baseball just about every night. Katamari always gets me addicted and I usually have a sports game season going on the PS2. I play lots of Tringo on my Game Boy Micro.

 

I don't need a video game butler, but I would like someone to clean up my gameroom and do the dishes.

[dalton4life]

Why even worry about it? I have more games then I'll ever finish, but I'll play all them a little while and when something grabs me I stick with it and set out to beat it. The last game like that for me was Dead Rising. I know what of games I like and don't like so it's not too hard to find a good one. I will break it up like this though with mostly retro on my PSP and current/next gen on my HDTV.

[Gabriel]

Oh! This is actually something that I really do. I read classic magazines!

 

Basically I pick up an issue of Electronic Games or Videogames or whatever that I haven't read yet (or read 20 years ago.. it doesn't matter) and read an article, or the ads, or reviews about a game and it gets me excited to try it out. Seriously. I really dig reading printed media about a game when it was new in the public with the hype around it and that actually gives me a whole better anticipation to play a particular game than reading some 20/20 hindsight article on the internet that was written 2 decades after the game's release.

 

So yeah, with all the marketing and visual powers of 1982 printed media behind it, that's what gets me to choose a 2600 or 5200 game I hadn't really put any time into before.

 

 

Why does it not surprise me that you haul out the magazines and look at the pictures to spice up the old gaming life?

[Atarifever]

It's never been an issue for me. There's always a game I want to play at any given time, so I play that. Also, I try to play whatever the 7800 high score club plays. Right now I'm playing Twilight Princess, Zelda 2, and DK. Jr. I don't feel like changing that up yet, so I won't.

[xenomorpher]

Simple. You play the game you're in the mood to play. Sometimes you aren't in the mood to play, so do something else.

 

Thats what I do. I stare at my book shelf full of games for a minute or so. If nothing comes to mind I decide what system to play. If I can't think of anything I usually watch a movie or read my Stephen King novel or a graphic novel.

[Video]

For playing, I useually play what I'm in the mood for, if I don't know, I go to my infinate box of goodies and grab the first thing and play it a while, then the next one, and.....Anyhow, I useually play all my games at some point or other.

 

Now for buying games, new games, you can't really trust reviews. I just go into the local store, strap a blindfold on, and tell a customer to spin me really fast and throw me at the game case, the first one I grab and manage to stagger to the checkout with is the one I buy. Doesn't work to good sometimes, with the the three Barbie games I got recently, but sometimes you find a under appreciated game like Rebel Raiders.

[RJ]

Flip a coin, or for a number of games, a series of flips until you're left w/ one game.

 

I've been sitting on some sealed/unplayed games for quite awhile now, most I got for Xmas '05 (over a year ago) & just now coming around to opening them. I decided hey, I should PLAY these, not get more, so last week I finally opened Resident Evil 4 just to see what it's all about. (available as GH now).

 

I also started Klonoa 2 about a month ago, still working through that. I usually try to have one type of game (survival horror, platformer, golf, shooter) going at any one time across my systems.

 

Also, if I come across a guide/codes for a game I have, that often gets me to start it.

[+remowilliams]

So I'm just wondering how the hell some of you guys who have hundreds of game decide.

I've got thousands of games in the console area alone covering the collection from the Astrocade to the Xbox 360, and thousands more covering the computer collection from the Timex 1000 to the modern day monster PC gaming rig. And the arcade, and MAME cabinets are tons more. I just play whatever I'm in the mood for.

 

Though I do tend to focus on one area or platform and get fixated for a while.

[Shannon]

What? I'm too busy reading these message boards and arguing over bits, HD vs non HD, and Blu-ray vs DVD. Don't have time for games!

 

Actually I'm in the same dilemna.

 

Typically I start a game, get about 92-98% thru and then switch to something else.

 

Uhh actually there are three types of games. The pick up and play type. The sit down for a bunch of hours and play thru type. The open ended type (Sim toys), think SimCity, Viva Pinata, etc.

 

I usually spend most of my time with the 1st and last and if I'm lucky enough to have a big block of free time I'll do the 2nd. Usually ending up in the result mentioned above.

 

Either that or I get distracted by something flashy and new (like PS1 emulation on the PSP or the new consoles) then waste a bunch of time on it.

Edited January 25, 2007 by Shannon

[Atarifever]

 

 

Uhh actually there are three types of games. The pick up and play type. The sit down for a bunch of hours and play thru type. The open ended type (Sim toys), think SimCity, Viva Pinata, etc.

 

I usually spend most of my time with the 1st and last and if I'm lucky enough to have a big block of free time I'll do the 2nd. Usually ending up in the result mentioned above.

 

Yeah, I find the first type fits my life a lot better these days. As for type 2, I've been playing Zelda for a couple weeks (pretty "hardcore" on the weekends I might add) and I'm amazed to find I've still spent less than 15 hours on it total. I mean, that's really trying to sink a lot of time into it and feeling my Saturdays slip away to it. I don't know how anyone ever finishes anything anymore.

[JimmydelaKopin]

It depends. Right now I'm focusing on my SNES...so I'm now trying to beat Shanghai 2 (or whichever one it is). Man, that Ox configuration is nigh-impossible to beat!

I have a lot of fighters for it, and right now I'm saving up for a joystick controller for it to better play the fighters. Still, if I'm in the mood, I'll play one of them.

 

As for my PS1 & PS2 games...well, if I can ever get long enough access to my brither's PS2 (or simply get the money to get one of his busted ones repaired), I'll use that for those games. until then, I'm content to have them in the collection.