Going back to old games

[podmonkey]

Does anybody else love the feeling of going back to an old favourite and realising it wasnt just nolstalgia making it look good? That the game is still as superb as you remember it.... Just had one earlier today. I was sitting at my computer and looked up to a shelf with my PC version of Final Fantasy 8 sitting on it (Its been 8 years since I last played the game on the PS1, my copy broke and my GF tracked down the PC version last year and bought it for me - PC > PS1 as it wont be replaced).

I decided to install it and see if its as good as I remember (getting a bit bored with MW2 etc at the mo - and I never actually completed FF8 as when I got part way through the 4th disc, my memory card got corrupted and wiped itself out and I didnt have the heart to restart until now).

I installed the game (my god are old games small....), downloaded the patch and booted it up.... It all came flooding back. The game is exactly how I remember it, the video sequences are still gorgeous and epic to watch, the fiddling with the stats is still obsessive and the sight of the GFs popping in with their huge attacks is still a joy to behold (for now.... will wait till I see them for the 100th time again...).

It got me thinking about other games that I hold in high regard or simply really enjoyed many years ago and which ones were truly classic and which are just simply nostalgia covering over just a decent game. The ones which I have gone back to and enjoyed just as much on each run through have been Deus Ex, Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Hitman 1 (Mainly the resteraunt and hotel level, public area levels are always the best...), Morrowind, Beyond good and evil, Mafia, Nomad Soul and Shogo:MAD. They arent that old in reality but are from times when I did most of my gaming and got more into the stories they told.

There have been games on the other hand that I have gone back to which although I remember fondly, left me dissapointed second time either graphics no longer able to cover up an ok game or just because of having played much better games since. ones such as Scrapland, MOH: Allied Assault and Driver 1. They are good games but just dont live up to the memory of the first time round.

Anyone else have any games they either went back and felt the joy of a game being just as good so many years later or the dissapointment at realising that all that was good about a game was just bigged up by nostalgia in your own head?

Back to FF8 for me now (Its one that splits opinion I know but it was the game that really got me into the series and holds a special place for me).

[Clockwork Pinkie]

Back to Destruction Derby 64, loved that game. Nintendo 64 will always be the best console imo. Yes, even that horrible controller, they had the most amazing games,even to this day.

[Aliessil]

Warcraft 3 was a lot of fun still, played that again a month or two back after completing it when it came out. Still enjoying the online games while waiting for SC2. Oh and Total Annihilation - I was still playing that up until about 5yrs ago - I lost the disk sometime around then :-(

Some of the old Spectrum games were really good too, when I got my first emulator on a Pentium - Attic Attac, Sabre Wulf, etc.

One I really wish I could go back and try again is Dungeon Keeper, but I no longer have the disks and I run a mac these days.

[Markluzz]

Any legend of zelda game and.............. the paper mario series :P (well the first two games the latest one made me think i was just thinking the other two were good i was wrong the latest one is just bad)

[FlawlessSoul]

I have a habit of going back to play Fallout, Thief, Deus Ex, System Shock 2, etc. Real gems.

[Siraeyou]

I love my N64 more than any other system.
All LoZ: Ocarina of Time, Smash Bros., Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Mario Kart 64, Super Mario 64, Diddy Kong Racing... The list could keep growing

[The Painkiller]

Bubble Bobble

hell yeah.

[Direshadow]

M O R R O W I N D

[Deleted]

Does anybody else love the feeling of going back to an old favourite and realising it wasnt just nolstalgia making it look good? That the game is still as superb as you remember it.... Just had one earlier today. I was sitting at my computer and looked up to a shelf with my PC version of Final Fantasy 8 sitting on it (Its been 8 years since I last played the game on the PS1, my copy broke and my GF tracked down the PC version last year and bought it for me - PC > PS1 as it wont be replaced).

I decided to install it and see if its as good as I remember (getting a bit bored with MW2 etc at the mo - and I never actually completed FF8 as when I got part way through the 4th disc, my memory card got corrupted and wiped itself out and I didnt have the heart to restart until now).

I installed the game (my god are old games small....), downloaded the patch and booted it up.... It all came flooding back. The game is exactly how I remember it, the video sequences are still gorgeous and epic to watch, the fiddling with the stats is still obsessive and the sight of the GFs popping in with their huge attacks is still a joy to behold (for now.... will wait till I see them for the 100th time again...).

It got me thinking about other games that I hold in high regard or simply really enjoyed many years ago and which ones were truly classic and which are just simply nostalgia covering over just a decent game. The ones which I have gone back to and enjoyed just as much on each run through have been Deus Ex, Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Hitman 1 (Mainly the resteraunt and hotel level, public area levels are always the best...), Morrowind, Beyond good and evil, Mafia, Nomad Soul and Shogo:MAD. They arent that old in reality but are from times when I did most of my gaming and got more into the stories they told.

There have been games on the other hand that I have gone back to which although I remember fondly, left me dissapointed second time either graphics no longer able to cover up an ok game or just because of having played much better games since. ones such as Scrapland, MOH: Allied Assault and Driver 1. They are good games but just dont live up to the memory of the first time round.

Anyone else have any games they either went back and felt the joy of a game being just as good so many years later or the dissapointment at realising that all that was good about a game was just bigged up by nostalgia in your own head?

Back to FF8 for me now (Its one that splits opinion I know but it was the game that really got me into the series and holds a special place for me).

I've realized that the people who think FF 8 isn't even nearly as good as the other ones are the people who don't understand the functionality of the Junction system.

[Zzeke]

I have a bad habit of going back to FFXII. I honestly think its the game I've replayed the most.

As for nostalgia, the games that give me the best nostalgic experience are Earthbound, SMRPG, and Kirby Superstars. SNES was what I played on the most as a kid, back when my older two siblings played video games together.

[Burnstien]

Back to Destruction Derby 64, loved that game. Nintendo 64 will always be the best console imo. Yes, even that horrible controller, they had the most amazing games,even to this day.

I agree, Goldeneye, Diddy king racing, Super Smash bros, Mario Kart, Zelda, Perfect Dark, Super mario def more those are the most memorable games when i was growing up playing with friends. Only if they knew how to make multiplayer games like they did on the 64 in today's era.

edit:lol didn't even read Siraeyou's post, but he nailed it right on the head.

---------- Post added 2010-06-26 at 08:02 AM ----------

I've realized that the people who think FF 8 isn't even nearly as good as the other ones are the people who don't understand the functionality of the Junction system.

People always hate on FF8 and i have no idea why, that may be a part of the reason. I honestly loved ff8 and 10 were my fav FFs, call me stupid for not saying FF7, but i liked the other ones more. 6 was beast as well.

[Kelthraz]

Can't agree more, the N64 was immense, though on the subject of FF i fell in love with 9 being the first i played and nothing has compared with it since.

[Pat1234]

m o r r o w i n d

hell yes

that game was a true gem... oblivion wasn't nearly as immense...

I want to play it soo bad, too bad I don't have an xbox anymore.

I might buy the PC version

[Livush]

Final Fantasy VII (VIII comes close to it), Zelda the Ocarina of Time, Diablo II, SimCity, StarCraft, You Don't Know Jack. That are my all-time favourites! :>

[Groznar]

People hate FFVIII because it was the game to follow the most overrated FF of them all (IMO).

I thought FFVIII was a great game. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed VII as well, but nowhere near the cult status that it has.

[kumduh]

Perfect Dark. So good I installed an emulator and have been replaying it with an xbox 360 controller. Huzzah for controllers with usb plugins!

[Soniac]

DIABLO 2 > all the other games

[iced1138]

I make it a point to play through the original Legend of Zelda (nes) in some shape or form, once a year. It's my all time favorite game.

[Daginni]

I been playing C&C The First Decade for the last couple weeks, and it has been great. If you are a fan of C&C, like I am, you should get it.

[Pheonixis]

Just went back to playing Zelda: Link's Awakening~