Gaming Love/Hate Relationship...

[90snostalga]

We all have had some kind of love/hate relationship in our life.  It may be a co-worker, family, spouse, etc.  Well, to me sometimes, gaming can be the same.  What is the one game and/or one console that you absolutely hate to play, but you cannot live without or something that you can't stand but always want to try and give it a chance?

[hexen]

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness.

I love Tactical RPGS, and I love tactical RPGs with a lot of options... but Disgaea is just overwhelming. I'm usually ok with grinding and stuff, but it goes a bit too far. Getting the best things shouldn't be easy, but having to make ones that will never be the best in order to obtain ones that will also not be the best and having to level them up to reach those next plateaus and restart leveling again... bleh.

Item world is a pain because of how random it's heights/distances are, having to vote on so many things is bleh, picking up other units and the geosymbols is too much... but still, I really REALLY wanna like the game and am constantly convinced I will but always get temporarily turned off only to want to try again a few months down the line. Too much of a good thing just makes it difficult. Final Fantasy Tactics got the huge content to complexity ratio right.

[kamikazekeeg]

For awhile I kept trying to give Zelda 2 on NES a serious, full on, honest, try, but I play for like an hour or two, and it just wears me down to much and I just can't stand it.  If it was anything, but a Zelda game, it might be alright, but because it is that, it really bugs me.  I'll probably try and beat it someday just to say I did.

...and I'm gonna add another Zelda with that being Majora's Mask lol It has stuff I like, it's a continuation of the great Ocarina of Time, but man I hated that time thing, it really bug me and I never went back to beat it and going back, I still probably won't like it.  I really hated being pushed forward through a game.  I have the same issue with Dead Rising 1 and 2, even though I did beat those, but I would've much rather there not be a timer in the game pushing me along.  In an open world, I like to explore it at my leisure.

[argyle]

I sorta have a love/hate relationship with the entire Zelda franchise.  I think I love the *idea* of Zelda more than the games themselves, for the most part.  I really enjoyed the original, LttP, Majora's Mask and Wind Waker.  The rest I ranged from "eh" to "couldn't stand it" (Ocarina, I'm looking at you, I don't care HOW much the rest of the world praises you  ). 

This is just the console entries btw, I really haven't put enough time into any of the handheld releases to say either way about them. 

Also, I love the idea of the Demon's/Dark Souls games, but I can't stand actually playing them. 

[kamikazekeeg]

I sorta have a love/hate relationship with the entire Zelda franchise.  I think I love the *idea* of Zelda more than the games themselves, for the most part.  I really enjoyed the original, LttP, Majora's Mask and Wind Waker.  The rest I ranged from "eh" to "couldn't stand it" (Ocarina, I'm looking at you, I don't care HOW much the rest of the world praises you  ). 

This is just the console entries btw, I really haven't put enough time into any of the handheld releases to say either way about them. 

Also, I love the idea of the Demon's/Dark Souls games, but I can't stand actually playing them. 

The two above are the only Zelda's I've played where I had issues with.  I've pretty much enjoyed every other Zelda I've played other than the two DS Zeldas that I haven't played...Majora's is just because of the time mechanic, but as a game its fine, Zelda 2 is the only one I go "Screw this game" because the combat is bad, the design is bad, and after you come off to the greatness of the first one, it is just REALLY bad lol The only Zelda I actually hate lol

[MJMaranan]

...and I'm gonna add another Zelda with that being Majora's Mask lol It has stuff I like, it's a continuation of the great Ocarina of Time, but man I hated that time thing, it really bug me and I never went back to beat it and going back, I still probably won't like it.  I really hated being pushed forward through a game.  I have the same issue with Dead Rising 1 and 2, even though I did beat those, but I would've much rather there not be a timer in the game pushing me along.  In an open world, I like to explore it at my leisure.

I second this.  That's why I have a love/hate relationship with the Shenmue series, Rogue Galaxy, Brave Fencer Musashi, Ephemeral Fantasia...

[pacpix]

For awhile I kept trying to give Zelda 2 on NES a serious, full on, honest, try, but I play for like an hour or two, and it just wears me down to much and I just can't stand it.  If it was anything, but a Zelda game, it might be alright, but because it is that, it really bugs me.  I'll probably try and beat it someday just to say I did.

How far did you get in Zelda 2?  I almost gave up on it, but once I passed Death Mountain the game got a lot easier until near the end.  It is one of my favorite Zelda games in the entire series.

[turf]

For awhile I kept trying to give Zelda 2 on NES a serious, full on, honest, try, but I play for like an hour or two, and it just wears me down to much and I just can't stand it.  If it was anything, but a Zelda game, it might be alright, but because it is that, it really bugs me.  I'll probably try and beat it someday just to say I did.

How far did you get in Zelda 2?  I almost gave up on it, but once I passed Death Mountain the game got a lot easier until near the end.  It is one of my favorite Zelda games in the entire series.

I know I'm in the massive minority, but I really like Zelda II.  It's probably because I got it before I did the first game.  I've played it all the way through several times.  It's a fun game.  It doesn't follow the Zelda formula, but it's still a really fun game.  Plus it was the first game that I know of that had the Down Thrust! 

[90snostalga]

I did enjoy Zelda II but only because I was given magic by the Genie    If not for the Genie, it would go down as a game never to be completed on my list. 

[kamikazekeeg]

How far did you get in Zelda 2?  I almost gave up on it, but once I passed Death Mountain the game got a lot easier until near the end.  It is one of my favorite Zelda games in the entire series.

Too long now to say how far I was, maybe half way, I just can't stand most of the game.  The combat isn't very good, sketchy at best, the dungeon designs aren't fun, the boss fights aren't fun, really, the only things I could commend it on is sort of the concept of the XP system and addition of the towns, but they aren't even very well done.  I can't even really think of anything enjoyable about it.  If that was my first Zelda game over the original, I don't know if I'd be a Zelda fan right now.

[bikingjahuty]

I have a love/hate relationship with many of the local indi-game stores in my area. Some there is definitely a lot more love, while others there is almost all hate lol. Usually the biggest factor in me loving a game store are its prices; price gouging has become all to common in this hobby, especially with retro games, and a few of the local game stores love to slap on prices on certain games that are sometimes four times what the highest completed listing is going for on EBay. Probably the worst example of this I have seen to date was a now defunct game store at a small around me had a copy of Super Mario Bros for $40! It was loose and the label wasn't even flawless to make things even more ridiculous. I like when game stores are straight with their customers and offer prices competetive with what they are going for on Ebay. Sadly, I know of one game store that actually does this, and not surprisingly they are my favorite. The rest of them occassionally have a decent deal hear or there, and I am friends with a few of the owners and managers of some of these, but it still pisses me off. Lol yet I still go back to them, but usually just to shoot the shit and look at the games.

[kamikazekeeg]

I have a love/hate relationship with many of the local indi-game stores in my area. Some there is definitely a lot more love, while others there is almost all hate lol. Usually the biggest factor in me loving a game store are its prices; price gouging has become all to common in this hobby, especially with retro games, and a few of the local game stores love to slap on prices on certain games that are sometimes four times what the highest completed listing is going for on EBay. Probably the worst example of this I have seen to date was a now defunct game store at a small around me had a copy of Super Mario Bros for $40! It was loose and the label wasn't even flawless to make things even more ridiculous. I like when game stores are straight with their customers and offer prices competetive with what they are going for on Ebay. Sadly, I know of one game store that actually does this, and not surprisingly they are my favorite. The rest of them occassionally have a decent deal hear or there, and I am friends with a few of the owners and managers of some of these, but it still pisses me off. Lol yet I still go back to them, but usually just to shoot the shit and look at the games.

The resellers are like that at the flea market I go to.  They've had their booths for a few years now, but all of their prices are like maxed out ebay usually.  Very little within reasonable prices.  One of them is a tad more reasonable, but all of his prices are too high for myself, though he's a good guy, very knowledgeable about the games at least where the others I think are simply doing it for the business.  I'm hoping this new retro game store opening tomorrow continues to have good prices as he did when he was selling at the flea market because it seems like his story is gonna be cool to hang at and I want to reliably get stuff there if I can lol

[90snostalga]

I have a love/hate relationship with many of the local indi-game stores in my area. Some there is definitely a lot more love, while others there is almost all hate lol. Usually the biggest factor in me loving a game store are its prices; price gouging has become all to common in this hobby, especially with retro games, and a few of the local game stores love to slap on prices on certain games that are sometimes four times what the highest completed listing is going for on EBay. Probably the worst example of this I have seen to date was a now defunct game store at a small around me had a copy of Super Mario Bros for $40! It was loose and the label wasn't even flawless to make things even more ridiculous. I like when game stores are straight with their customers and offer prices competetive with what they are going for on Ebay. Sadly, I know of one game store that actually does this, and not surprisingly they are my favorite. The rest of them occassionally have a decent deal hear or there, and I am friends with a few of the owners and managers of some of these, but it still pisses me off. Lol yet I still go back to them, but usually just to shoot the shit and look at the games.

Im with you on that Biking.  There is a store locally where I am that he's so arrogant that he truly thinks he has the lowest prices ever!  Even when you confront him about how you can get an item 2 times cheaper on Ebay, he tells you that you are wrong and that it will cost more than he sells them because of shipping.  And don't even attempt to tell him to look on Ebay himself or show him your phone with the sold listings.  He will refuse to look.  It's amazing to me that he thinks he is cheap.  What I don't  understand tho' is how some of these people stay in business?  I do not get that at all.

[atarileaf]

Im with you on that Biking.  There is a store locally where I am that he's so arrogant that he truly thinks he has the lowest prices ever!  Even when you confront him about how you can get an item 2 times cheaper on Ebay, he tells you that you are wrong and that it will cost more than he sells them because of shipping.  And don't even attempt to tell him to look on Ebay himself or show him your phone with the sold listings.  He will refuse to look.  It's amazing to me that he thinks he is cheap.  What I don't  understand tho' is how some of these people stay in business?  I do not get that at all.

I was talking to a local collector who frequents a pawn shop near his work and the owner told him his prices are not just based on ebay but ebay PLUS SHIPPING. So if the highest bid on game X is $60 and shipping is $10 he'll charge $70 with the idea that you have to pay shipping if you buy it on ebay so why shouldn't I get $70.

Of course what dimwits like him don't get is that if I'm going to pay the $70 I'll just sit at home and not waste my time and gas driving a half hour to his store. Plus, with ebay I have the security as a buyer of getting my money back if the game doesn't arrive or is broken. (All his sales are as is)

This is the second time I've had this reasoning from a local game store.

[bikingjahuty]

I have a love/hate relationship with many of the local indi-game stores in my area. Some there is definitely a lot more love, while others there is almost all hate lol. Usually the biggest factor in me loving a game store are its prices; price gouging has become all to common in this hobby, especially with retro games, and a few of the local game stores love to slap on prices on certain games that are sometimes four times what the highest completed listing is going for on EBay. Probably the worst example of this I have seen to date was a now defunct game store at a small around me had a copy of Super Mario Bros for $40! It was loose and the label wasn't even flawless to make things even more ridiculous. I like when game stores are straight with their customers and offer prices competetive with what they are going for on Ebay. Sadly, I know of one game store that actually does this, and not surprisingly they are my favorite. The rest of them occassionally have a decent deal hear or there, and I am friends with a few of the owners and managers of some of these, but it still pisses me off. Lol yet I still go back to them, but usually just to shoot the shit and look at the games.

Im with you on that Biking.  There is a store locally where I am that he's so arrogant that he truly thinks he has the lowest prices ever!  Even when you confront him about how you can get an item 2 times cheaper on Ebay, he tells you that you are wrong and that it will cost more than he sells them because of shipping.  And don't even attempt to tell him to look on Ebay himself or show him your phone with the sold listings.  He will refuse to look.  It's amazing to me that he thinks he is cheap.  What I don't  understand tho' is how some of these people stay in business?   I do not get that at all.

I HATE when overpriced stores throw the "well, when you pay shipping you are ACTUALLY paying more on Ebay!" line at me. Even with shipping, which is sometimes free anyways, I have never paid close to what these overpriced games are going for, even when they like $5 more then what a game typically goes for. It just shows how ignorant and stupid they are as sellers to think that is a legitimate reason to charge more.

I know one local game store which is among the worst offenders of overpriced games I have ever seen that gets a fair amount of their retro stock off places like Ebay. Since they are paying pretty much what everyone else is they use it as an excuse to charge double or triple what a game is worth. They had a copy of Flintstones Surprise at Dinosaur Peak about a year ago and were seriously charging a grand for it! At the time I think it was a $400 to $500 game online. Then there stores that take the games in super cheap and sell them at super inflated prices. One local store buys most of their retro games at $1 each regardless of title, then goes around and looks think up on Ebay, and then decides to mark them up 50% higher then current Ebay prices. I know of several Pawns that do this to, and not surprising these games sit FOREVER on the shelf. Eventually, at least at one store I know of, they just sell the stuff on Ebay in order to move it.