MY BRAIN HAD A THINK ABOUT A GAM3

Its also the Ace Attorney series' 20th anniversary. They had a bunch of stuff at the Capcom store - I bought a nice mug.

No picture of the mug?

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Out of that list on the previous page I really want play through some of them at some point this year.

The ones I've fully finished before but still want to replay:

Resident Evil 2
The House of the dead
Tekken 3

Played but never finished fully:

Radiant Silvergun
Banjo-Kazooie
F-Zero X
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Never played:

1080 Snowboarding (should be out soon on NSO expansion)

Thankfully I own 5 of the 8 games there so it'll just be a case of fitting them alongside new games.

Tekken 3 and Tekken 2 got so much play out of me as a kid; unlocked like every character, went whole hog. Bangers.

That's a cracking bit of artwork with Phoenix and Edgeworth there. Good purchase!

Aye that's a belter!

It’s a tie between 1998 and 2001 for the best year in gaming. 1998 was just loaded with absolute belters on the N64 and PlayStation (and maybe PC, I don’t know?). As well as everything on that list, it’s twenty-five years since the UK releases of Klonoa, Kula World, Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped and MediEvil on the PSone, and probably loads more.

Then there’s WCW/NWO Revenge on the N64, which deserves its own paragraph.

I'll need to dig out the GNamer Forum tenth anniversary mug, namely the mug that andyman got me one Secret Santa with a comedy boabby drawn on it.

2007 I still think is the best year.

That mug is absolute quality. I've got an Ace Attorney mug of my own, and it's rubbish compared to that. I love the Maya/Franzy faces!

Anniversaries... I guess as somebody who does nostalgia less than most others, it probably makes sense that they mean less to me. 25 feels like such an awkward one as well. The best year in (Nintendo) gaming? 2017 and it isn't even close.

1998 is probably the correct answer. Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid, Ocarina of Time - that's arguably the best game on each platform.

I would vouch for 2004, as it had some of my favourites (Burnout 3, Outrun 2, Paper Mario: TTYD, Pikmin 2, Ninja Gaiden) and stuff everyone else loved (Metal Gear Solid 3, Half-Life 2, Halo 2, Metroid Prime 2, San Andreas and The Sims 2).

Panzer Dragoon Saga on Saturn as well, unsure about handhelds.

Though if just Nintendo 1998 better than 2017 because OoT over that other Zelda.

Balladeer wrote:

The best year in (Nintendo) gaming?  2017 and it isn't even close.

You’re too quick to dismiss a year which saw the release of Dual Heroes and Cruis’n USA on the same day.

~

2004 would maybe have been one of my shouts for the worst year in gaming. I know that’s mental when you read the games gjones lists and you see on Metacritic what it’s best rated games were, but I just remember as being a really unexciting time to be a Nintendo gamer. The GameCube was struggling, it was hardly in any of the shops and quality releases were drying up. The GBA was past it’s peak and everyone was looking ahead to the DS and it’s 2005 launch. There was no such thing as the Revolution either and none it’s rumours, or any glimmer of what would become the Wii. 2004 was definitely the year in which I did the least gaming. I think I even stopped buying NGC.

2017 might take the silver medal for ‘Best Gaming Year’ over 2001, but I can vaguely remember times when it was all quiet for new and interesting releases. Strange as it is to look back on, but there was definitely a period where publishers and developers were a bit dubious of the Switch and it’s potential – maybe that’s why it’s first three months were just launch games, Wii U ports and a version of Street Fighter II with a £40 price tag.

Well who am I to argue with the might of sds.co.uk?

There was a fair bit of Wii U-y material around, but the year had my top two games of all time (and my 25th, and a spruce-up of my eighth). That's ridiculous. It even had the odd 3DS bright spot!

I don't remember as far back as 2004.

I think I'd go for 2017 as well. The Switch had a cracking first year - I don't remember the Wii U ports dominating the release schedule until the next year - and that's not even including the likes of Persona 5 and Nier Automata releasing elsewhere.

I'm trying not to think about this as I would take it too seriously. I think youse guys are probably correct with nostalgia removed, 2017 is the best year, for the Nintendo singularity.

Or the hipster answer (if not 1998 as Messrs. Phillips and Jones have made a good case for): 1986 for the "wow this new game is radical" nostalgia market. You got Zelda. You got Metroid. You got Ghosts and Goblins. You got Bubble Bobble in the arcades. And a little capitalist gecko that nobody loved got Repton 3. And a little scab mole that nobody loved got Monty Mole on the Run.

OK it's 2017 isn't it

Does anybody else's brain do the thing where it ranks your hobbies by worth, whether you want it to or not?

There's a decent chance not, and it's just the weird guilt from my lapsed Catholicism being a problem again.  Still, I thought I'd ask.  Hobbies such as games and reading a book are, to my warped brain, "worthier" than hobbies like TV or the Internet.  (Doing something creative is "worthier" than both, but I think there's some rationale to that at least.)  Especially "worthy" is finishing a game, for whatever arbitrary value of "finished" my warped brain assigns.  As such there's a constant pressure on me to move away from staring at the Internet to play games, even when there's nothing I particularly want to play; and to play the next new thing, have a new experience, compared to e.g. endless battles of Smash Bros. or what have you.

It's an absolutely wrong way to think, for sure.  I'm just wondering whether anybody else thinks this same wrong way, or when whether y'all are in your downtime you can smash through a telly drama as easily as grappling with the latest big gaming release.  I have no doubt that Buska can, for example.

Balladeer wrote:

Does anybody else's brain do the thing where it ranks your hobbies by worth, whether you want it to or not?

Yep.

1) Writing
2) Making podcasts
3) Hiking
4) Playing my videogames
5) Reading a book
6) Watching a film/ TV show
7) Fucking about on the internet

Some of it is arbitrary, but I think there is some merit to the concept. Like, sitting around social media is so addictive but does nothing for me. I always feel bad afterwards, whereas actually finding the energy to do something in the Top 4 feels amazing.

Quote :

I have no doubt that Buska can, for example.

I see why you might think that, but you're missing the crucial "Luke has big ambitions" factor and the "Luke's attention span is too short for watching TV without something else" factor.

I've talked before that sooner play games then watch a TV show or whatever, then subs etc why not seen any of Mando S3 as yet.

And I've done this multiple times, buy an HD remaster like Wind Waker HD play for a bit and go hey this is still great. Yet I'll play a "worse" game instead due to have a new experience over it.

Buskalilly wrote:

Quote :

I have no doubt that Buska can, for example.

I see why you might think that, but you're missing the crucial "Luke has big ambitions" factor and the "Luke's attention span is too short for watching TV without something else" factor.

Ha! Clearly. Nah, I thought you're the sort of person who goes out and achieves enough stuff that they can feel satisfied with their rest afterwards, whatever form it takes - and I'd say that the top three in your hierarchy are more 'achieving stuff' than they are mucking about. Exercise and creativity. I didn't take the attention span thing into account though, nope! What about the 'always seeking new gaming experiences' thing, do you get that too?

masofdas wrote:

And I've done this multiple times, buy an HD remaster like Wind Waker HD play for a bit and go hey this is still great. Yet I'll play a "worse" game instead due to have a new experience over it.

Less surprised to see this coming from you Mas, and yes I'm absolutely the same. Even with Metroid Prime Remastered, one of my very favourite games ever, there was a slight feeling of 'thank goodness that's over' when it was. With the telly thing, is it that 'worth' thing I mentioned, or do you just have Buska's attention span when it comes to TV?

Tad and then I can even put into games like I could sub to Game Pass and have access to loads of games (or Plus) and be good things I've not played, yet I would sooner play a game I've bought.

Though on TV soon as all Mando S3 done, I'll sub and watch it all then cancel again.

Balladeer wrote:

Ha!  Clearly.  Nah, I thought you're the sort of person who goes out and achieves enough stuff that they can feel satisfied with their rest afterwards, whatever form it takes - and I'd say that the top three in your hierarchy are more 'achieving stuff' than they are mucking about.  

Oh, that's good to hear. I guess I do indeed achieve a lot, but nonetheless I always wish I could be doing more. These feelings mostly manifest if I spend a lot of time on Social Media. I'm just so aware of how empty it is and how manipulative it's being in keeping me addicted, so I want to do less of that and more of literally anything else on the list.
 

Quote :

What about the 'always seeking new gaming experiences' thing, do you get that too?

This is something I've almost entirely let go of, at least in terms of "the conversation" goes. I know what I like, I know what I don't. There are things I want to play because I think I'll like them but I'm not likely to play many more JRPGs or sports games or big strategy things or narrative-heavy "Action Adventure" sony things, whereas I'll play plenty more things like what I know I like.
Honestly, I often think I'd be happier if I was one of those guys in his 30s who just plays one game. 4,000 hours on Monster Hunter? Sounds alright, actually.

Ooft yep, social media is probably even worse than other mucking around on the Internet, especially something like Twitter. I do still like trying out new genres occasionally (and that does return the odd hit!), but in general I think you've done well to back out "chasing the new".

masofdas wrote:

Tad and then I can even put into games like I could sub to Game Pass and have access to loads of games (or Plus) and be good things I've not played, yet I would sooner play a game I've bought.

Ah okay! That's a different route for the "guilt" to take, interesting. Do you have an idea why? Sunk cost fallacy?

Think it's more I bought this, it's mine. Was taught from a young age, if I wanted that new bike or PS1 etc I'd have save my pocket money, birthday money and even do boot sales where I'd sell old toys or games etc

Of course I got my PS1 from my uncle, so any money did save bought games, memory cards etc with it or how I was saving for a PS2 but bought a Dreamcast as I saved enough to get one of those at the time.

Balladeer wrote:

Does anybody else's brain do the thing where it ranks your hobbies by worth, whether you want it to or not?

It’s only in the last few years that I’ve admitted to myself that retro gaming is one of my hobbies but it’s definitely the least ‘worthwhile’ one I’ve got, it's absolutely at the bottom of my list. I convince myself it’s sort of okay though, because I spend so little of my time watching films and TV programmes, and because I don’t really have any other digital or physical multimedia collections. I very, very rarely tell people about it though, it’s not information I share with many folk.

I try to keep it measured too. I don’t stream on Twitch, don’t participate in or listen to gaming podcasts, don’t really engage with gaming on social media and so on. Playing my games collection, looking at Nintendo Life a couple of times most days and browsing/commenting on here a few times a week is what constitutes probably around 90% of my gaming hobby for me.

Ooft, that feels like a very harsh judgement of retro gaming! As long as it makes your brain happy there should be room for it, but I can completely understand where that (IMO unhelpful) feeling comes from. What's it up against, what are your other major hobbies?

masofdas wrote:

Think it's more I bought this, it's mine. Was taught from a young age, if I wanted that new bike or PS1 etc I'd have save my pocket money, birthday money and even do boot sales where I'd sell old toys or games etc

That makes a lot of sense. It's all about the learned behaviours.