What games are you ashamed to say you've never played?
by Blake Snow 
{ Feb 13th 2007 at 3:00PM }
Playing games can take a long time, like 70 hours for some. Worse case scenario, they never end. So you see, video game critics (read: journalists) are faced with a problem; if they're suppose to critique games as Roger Ebert does movies, shouldn't they play every single AAA title all the way through to do their job to the fullest?Joystiq's own ninja columnist Kyle Orland examines the "limited time to complete so many games" dilemma in speaking with a variety of industry journalists. From his GameDaily column: "Many journalists that responded to my inquiry found they just didn't have the time to really get into certain epic games. CMP's Simon Carless lamented that he'd probably 'have to take a holiday' to put aside his current pile of games and finally get through Twilight Princess. GameDaily's Robert Workman is waiting for "a lazy summer day" to finally give Oblivion another go."
Yours truly? I've only played 20 minutes of Gears, probably won't play past the water temple in Twilight Princess, and have God of War (the first one!) still sitting in a box waiting to be played all because of fleeting time. Someone needs to tar and feather me. So what games are you ashamed to say you've never played or completed?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Arno @ Feb 13th 2007 3:05PM
Not ashamed, but I never played God of War or any other Playstation 2 games.
Sony FTL.
Xuse @ Feb 13th 2007 3:06PM
I've never played Rez, Ico or Valkyrie Profile.
Teh shame!
WebPimp @ Feb 13th 2007 3:09PM
I'd have to say Oblivion is probably the biggest one I haven't played. I just don't have the time like I used to. Heck, I have Lost Planet here sitting in it's original wrapper because I'm just now playing Double Agent.
Dracula Jones @ Feb 13th 2007 3:13PM
Every single Zelda game. I love them all... at first. I own them all. I've still got gold carts of 1 & 2 and Ocarina. But I have never completed any of them. For some reason, the drive to continue usually fades at around 1/3 complete. I turn off the game one night, totally immersed and loving it. And then, for no apparent reason, I just have no desire to play it ever again. Every single time.
That said, I am eagerly awaiting buying and never completing Phantom Hourglass.
Dylan A. Nickels @ Feb 13th 2007 3:16PM
Mario Kart.
Chris @ Feb 13th 2007 3:10PM
I have about 100 NES games on the shelf, and have never actually played about 40 of them. I'm most ashamed of the fact that I've never beaten either Zelda or Zelda II along with Metroid. As for newer stuff... never played Final Fantasy VII... *sigh*
KaneRobot @ Feb 13th 2007 3:10PM
MGS2...I know it's the black sheep or whatever, but I'm a sucker for Metal Gear games...or I was up until then. I've had the XBox version, still in shrinkwrap, sitting on my case. It's been there for like, what, 5 years? I paid full price for it.
Resident Evil 4 (and the rest of the GC Resident Evil games), but that will be rectified before long since I have a Wii.
There are lots of popular games I haven't played, but couldn't care less...most of the more recent (meaning the last 10 years) Zeldas come to mind. Never played Mario Sunshine, Parappa The Rapper, or the Rachet and Clank games either, those fall into the same realm.
Arno @ Feb 13th 2007 3:09PM
Oh and no Zelda games for more than 5 minutes. Blah Zelda.
Yayaja @ Feb 13th 2007 3:10PM
I have god of war half done, Shadow of the colossus less then a third done, final fantasy XII probably less then half done, and a copy of disgaea that i had to give up on because it just got too dense... after "only" 50 hours, which for that game is NOTHING. Also, I've never played some of the so-called "greats" like baldur's gate, and I haven't owned a single nintendo system since NES, so that means no zelda either. But thanks to emulators I have gone back and played chrono trigger, secret of mana (half way) and FF VI. I love RPG's but the only ones that are really really worth playing are the ones that take the longest to play.
Juan @ Feb 13th 2007 3:56PM
I'm ashamed to have never played:
Ico
SotC
Katamari
Shenmue
and ANYTHING on the Wii. I've never even TOUCHED a Wii.
Also never played anything to do with Castlevania or Megaman but I'm not as ashamed of them, they just don't really appeal.
AJ @ Feb 13th 2007 3:13PM
Never beat Sonic. Any of them.
dantebk @ Feb 13th 2007 3:10PM
Oh God, I could go on all day.
Psychonauts, God of War, Unreal, Halo, Half Life, Resident Evil 4, any Metroid game, any Zelda game except the first one and Twilight Princess, Gears of War, Grim Fandango, any Star Fox game, F-Zero, Kid Icarus, Shadow of the Colossus, any Mario RPG...
There isn't enough time!
uberjoe @ Feb 13th 2007 3:11PM
I have never played Zelda OoT, or LttP.
Danny @ Feb 13th 2007 3:43PM
Zelda: Wind Waker :(
PaulMorel @ Feb 13th 2007 3:34PM
To preface my response, I need to make it clear that I think Final Fantasy fanboys are the most obnoxious fanboys. I think that they're worse than the worst Sony/Nintendo/MS fanboys. Every time I buy an RPG in a video game store, some FF fanboy grabs me and tells me about how I should be buying the remake of FFIII, or about how much the FF series has changed gaming forever and how the world totally needs another spinoff based on some minor character from the Japanese version of FF2.7XX!!!!
So, to get around FF fanboys, I just pretend that I've played a few of the games. I did play through the first one, and I enjoyed it, but I haven't played through any others.
I constantly pretend that I have played FF7. Yes, I know it was a great game, now will you please just ring me up?!
silkylove @ Feb 13th 2007 3:14PM
Chrono Trigger. I've owned every Nintendo home system and played every great game on them but this one. I didn't have the money to geat it when it first came out, now it's super expensive and rare on ebay, I don't want to play the version on the PS1 compilation becaue the load times are terrible, and I don't pirate games. My only hope is that it comes out of the VC:(
Colossi @ Feb 13th 2007 3:17PM
Half Life is the biggest, and most shameful ommision from my list. And I don't dig old games too much, so I've never played classics like Super Mario 3, The Legend Of Zelda, and Final Fantasy VII (though I am rectifying that one soon).
IslandLife @ Feb 13th 2007 3:16PM
I've only played through the first few minutes of Valkyrie Profile and MGS3 and have yet to get even a quarter of the way through Dragon Quest VIII. I really love these games and keep promising to finish them. But alas, time is never on my side :(
Craigo @ Feb 13th 2007 3:21PM
Never played NiGHTS or Panzer Dragoon Saga.
Or any other Saturn game, for that matter.
Myke @ Feb 13th 2007 3:17PM
Wow Blake, you know how to ramp up the huge comment numbers, don't ya? =)
Ok, here's the list:
Metroid (NES)
Resident Evil 0 (the only one that I don't own)
LoZ:OoT (I know...)
Rez
Banjo Kazooi
Any Conker game
Here's the topper, are you ready for this?
I own Ico, but have never played it. I got it on a whim, hearing it was good, never took it out of the wrapping.
sloane @ Feb 13th 2007 3:41PM
What you people doing reading joystiq, if you haven't played any of these great games???
Myke @ Feb 13th 2007 3:17PM
Wow Blake, you know how to ramp up the huge comment numbers, don't ya? =)
Ok, here's the list:
Metroid (NES)
Resident Evil 0 (the only one that I don't own)
LoZ:OoT (I know...)
Rez
Banjo Kazooi
Any Conker game
Here's the topper, are you ready for this?
I own Ico, but have never played it. I got it on a whim, hearing it was good, never took it out of the wrapping.
Paul Lach @ Feb 13th 2007 3:17PM
I have never played any MGS games. I guess it is more because I am really crappy at anything stealthy.
I have also never played any of the Grand Theft Auto games. I have heard that they are kind of fun... huh?!?
aaron @ Feb 13th 2007 3:19PM
Never played: Castlevania:SOTN
Never finshed (but got really close): Super Metroid
Eric B @ Feb 13th 2007 3:46PM
Metal Gear and Final Fantasy series (after NES).
Maylon @ Feb 13th 2007 9:10PM
I have a bad habbit of buying games and not finishing. Oblivion, Dead Rising, and recently Lost Planet are among them. Maybe I am just less of a gamer now that I am almost 40? I just have less and less time to finish them.
Jakexxxx @ Feb 14th 2007 6:32AM
i have around 12 games that ive gotten to (or near) the final boss and i just stopped.
i just got bored.
and 90% of these games are some of my favorites
Mike @ Feb 13th 2007 3:23PM
I never played Half-Life 2. I only recently bought Half-Life Anthology to get caught up (prior I only played the first Half-Life for a few minutes). I could play Half-Life 2 since my brother has it, but I'm holding out for Orange.
Rod Munch @ Feb 13th 2007 3:24PM
I've never played any Final Fantasy, Star Fox, Ratchet and Clank or Rare game other than Golden Eye. I haven't played God of War either but I just ordered it yesterday so that should be remedied soon.
Maylon @ Feb 13th 2007 3:26PM
For some odd reason though I did finish Tomb Raider Legend, go figure.
Abhinav @ Feb 13th 2007 4:08PM
I am ashamed that i haven't played any of the system shock games.
Shmil @ Feb 13th 2007 3:26PM
never played a final fantasy game
Maylon @ Feb 13th 2007 9:10PM
I am somewhat ashamed that I have never played a MGS game for more than 1 hour. Apparently I am not a true gamer if I dont find MGS entertaining.
RUSKULL @ Feb 13th 2007 3:32PM
Diablo 2
Plus I never owned a PS2 so any exclusives there I have yet to try.
Papa @ Feb 13th 2007 3:30PM
I have Devil May Cry 3, which I bought when it came out, still in it's shrink wrap. Same goes for Tomb Raider Legends for 360.
AirIntake @ Feb 13th 2007 3:30PM
World of Warcraft and Everquest
I've never even touched them for a second (nor would I want to)
Actually, the only RPG I've ever really played and passed was Chrono Trigger. All other RPGs I've maybe played for 5 minutes each.
A game that I've actually really really wanted to play but never have is Guitar Hero (1 or 2). However, I do have Frets on Fire and all the GH songs ripped, so that'll have to do until I can buy GH2 for the 360.
Also, the newer Metroid's, I've only played them for a few mins on demo kiosks.
peter.smick @ Feb 13th 2007 3:53PM
Here's a real testament to the value of a hard drive:
I was thoroughly enjoying my Nintendo Gamecube, having poured immense blood and sweat into Super Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, and Metroid Prime. In fact, I probably had some MGS Twin Snakes data on the same memory card. To make a long story short, my brother misplaced the memory card and it did not turn up for 3 years. Talk about precious incentive completely evaporating over time. I tried to get back into them (with some success concerning Zelda), but to this day I am on the brink of beating Twilight Princess yet just embarking on the 8 trifoce shards in Wind Waker. So yes, for all who complain of the sheer weight of these new consoles, be grateful that hard drive is in there!
dresam @ Feb 13th 2007 3:34PM
Never played:
God of War
Psychonauts
Sam & Max
Played Halo 2 for 5 minutes, then never again
The 2nd Gamecube Metroid
Every Resident Evil Game
Ico
Guitar Hero
Shenmue
Skies of Arcadia
Beyond Good & Evil
Brandon @ Feb 13th 2007 3:31PM
I'm a 24 year old gamer and grew up on the NES. I am most ashemed of the fact that I have NEVER beaten Super Mario Bros. (yes the first one) without using warp zones. My girlfriend can do it, my dad can do it, my mom did it once, all the girls at my job claim victory over world 8-8, and yet-I cannot. I have it on the VC and play it every night, I'm getting close!! One day soon, I will beat the first game I ever owned.
evilmregg @ Feb 13th 2007 3:33PM
I never owned an N64, and thus missed out on Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. I have the latter two on a GameCube disc but just never got around to them. I'm still trying to decide if I want to download Mario64 for the VC or not.
Ben @ Feb 13th 2007 3:32PM
Lets see. Any Zelda that is not a hand held I have never finished. Except for Wind Waker. Im barely into Twilight Princess and ive had it since Christmas. I only got about halfway through Shadow of the Colussus, I really would've liked to finish that one. Im ashamed to say this but ive been playing Red Steel over Twilight Princess. Yea. Ouch. Also Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 for Dreamcast. Those were cool games.
qbix @ Feb 13th 2007 3:34PM
It's not really shame, but the feeling of missing the point when it comes to the Zelda craze. The only thing that kept me from playing it was the fact that it wasn't available in my language at the time. Actually, not one game I owned on the NES was in spanish but most of them were easy to figure out, except for Zelda. Now that years have passed without playing a Zelda title, I don't get too excited about the franchise.
RUSKULL @ Feb 13th 2007 3:35PM
hold on, is this about "Played" or "Never Finished"?
If it's about which I never finished, well I regret never really going far with Knights of the Old Republic and Half Life 1.
Darrel Hormeku @ Feb 13th 2007 4:02PM
I'm not ashamed to say I played Barbie Race and Ride I think thats the title. And like it
Back on topic Kingdom Hearts and ICO(cause mine broke).
Shmil @ Feb 13th 2007 3:39PM
i never collected all of the stars in super mario 64, i think i made it to about 105 then just stopped playing
Christopher7xii @ Feb 13th 2007 3:39PM
Diablo 2
Oblivion or Morrowind
Psychonauts
Half Life
Half Life 2
Resident Evil 4
Baldur's Gate on PC
Neverwinter Nights
and... World of Warcraft... JK. who HASN'T played with that dirty whore yet? i mean, for $2 you can get a 2 week trial. That's longer than most games last me.
TheHostileDwarf @ Feb 13th 2007 3:41PM
Definitely RE 4.
And althought I own it and have played a bit, I've not played nearly enough Guitar Hero I or II. I bought a PS2 last year specifically for it and plan on getting the 360 version. I'm sure the achievements will get me to put more time into that version.
Murdoink @ Feb 13th 2007 3:41PM
God of War and FFVII
TheHostileDwarf @ Feb 13th 2007 3:42PM
Actually, World of Warcraft too, but I don't have anywhere near the time to play that one.
Christopher7xii @ Feb 13th 2007 3:42PM
Oh... Forgot about Beyond Good and Evil, also Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Played pretty much every other star wars games ever created, and love RPGs... But... just never got the "I HAVE TO GET THIS" bug for that game....
Haven't finished FF5 yet, despite having a ROM for it years ago, and picking up the GBA version on launch day. Also, I didn't finish Final Fantasy 6 until like 2004. Apparently that was a sin.