Facebook Files: Nostalgic Distractions

By Ishaan . February 14, 2010 . 8:50am

Welcome to Facebook Files! This week, we’re discussing nostalgic distractions — those games that you’ve played to death but can’t help but go back to, every now and then, just because they feel so familiar or comforting or plain old fun. You can check out the full discussion here.

 

Facebook Files: Nostalgic Distractions

 

Steven wrote:

I have quite a few newer games to play, but I always seem to have a burning desire to go back and play old favorites from beginning to end. Recently, it was Final Fantasy VIII for me. Usually though, it’s either Chrono Trigger, ALttP, Megaman X, Super Metroid, FFIV, and a few others. Now that I’m done with FFVIII, I would really like to go back and play Final Fantasy IX again (PSN release please). Most of the games I’ve listed here have been completed many times before and I just don’t ever get sick of them!

 

However, these drifts of nostalgia serve as distractions from my newer, more expensive game titles. So my question is, do you frequently (or occasionally) put your long (or short) list of new games aside, just so that you can return to old favorites?

 

Anton wrote:

Yes, quite frequently. In fact, as of late, I find myself playing old favorites more than newer games. For instance, I haven’t played Borderlands for nearly a month now just so I could start playing Star Ocean: The Second Story again. One of my all time favorite games and was also the first game I bought for the Playstation. =3

 

Other old favorites include Chrono Trigger, Breath of Fire II, Breath of Fire IV, and Super Mario World. In my opinion, they just don’t make games like that anymore.

 

Tim wrote:

A lot of people think the Ace Attorney series are a one time play, but I go back to those games at least once a year. And I recently started playing through Shenmue again even though I’m on a backlog. Phantasy Star Online Episodes I & II, I play that with my brother a lot through out the years. I had the Dreamcast version but the CD is unreadable now, got a Game Cube version a couple years ago, played it through my Wii till recently. I can’t seem to find it anymore ><;

 

Raphael wrote:

A couple of games that I’ve constantly been playing for the last 5-6 years are Vagrant Story and Shadow of the Colossus.

 

In my case, Resident Evil 4 is probably the worst offender. I started replaying it on Professional a few months ago and realized how much more fun it was when you played on Pro. Lots of little details, like enemies positioned differently, attacks from blind spots etc. Amazing what Capcom achieved on that generation of hardware.

 

What’s your go-to nostalgic distraction?


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  • http://saikasou.wordpress.com/ malek86

    I have this habit where I need to play Half-Life every year.

  • http://www.youtube.com/matman125 matty

    “A lot of people think the Ace Attorney series are a one time play, but I go back to those games at least once a year.”
    That's true. People say it's a type of game you only need to go through once, but going back to it after a year I still enjoyed it a lot, if only to rekindle that feeling of why I love the game so much.

    For me, the Sonic games on the 16 bit system. Even before the announcement of Sonic 4, I was thinking “it's been a while since I tried to get all the Chaos Emeralds. That's only part of the reason why I go back to those games.
    Also, Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Getting the true ending of that and the Chaos Emeralds… someday.

  • Ereek

    Oh there are too many of these for me to count. I started listing off the games, but the post was too big, so I'll just mention two RPGs.

    I think I play Xenogears once a year. I know I've played it so much that my original black-bar copy stopped working and had to go out and buy the Greatest Hits version. In recent years, Skies of Arcadia has also gotten quite a few playthroughs as well.

    For non-RPGs, the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy. Resident Evil 1 and 2. Not quite “old,” but SSX Tricky and SSX3 are ones I revisit. Matty already beat me to the old Sonic games, particularly Sonic 2 & Knuckles. Lock-On technology!

  • Chow

    I often play Sonic 3 & Knuckles from time to time, among others. But it seems like this trend has been going down for me lately.

  • http://www.myanimelist.net/profile/Hraesvelgr Hraesvelgr

    Pretty much the same for me. I replay the hell out of a lot of my games, because it feels like such a waste to buy a game, like it and then never play it again.

    Games I replay the most are Suikoden II, Tales of Destiny R, Baldur's Gate II… ah, I won't even continue that. I do like to replay the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Nobunaga's Ambition titles as well, but those are pretty much made to be replayed.

  • http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan

    Resident Evil 4, Nanostray 2, Mario 64, Jazz Jackrabbit 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Diablo 2: LoD and Virtual On: Cybertroopers (the original) for me. Amazing amount of replay value in every single one of those. It's incredible how each time you can find something new to mess around with in the game.

    …sigh. Really does make you long for the days that developers used the depth of the experience to make up for any shortcomings in the visuals department. I kind of preferred it that way.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1264335302 facebook-1264335302

    I pick up Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete and Star Ocean: the second story probably a few times a year because not much holds my interest RPG wise nowadays.

  • http://www.nisamerica.com NickyD

    I have too many games sitting in my queue that I haven't even started (some have been sitting for several years… Okami, ZOE2, Shining Tears, 50% of my GameCube library, etc). Knowing this, I can't afford to waste a couple dozen hours on game stories and characters where I already know the game's ultimate fate.

    That aside, I do pop in Vagrant Story every now and then. Sometimes I'll marathon all the old/good MegaMan games (up to/including X6)… but that's about it… If I start longer games, I tend to lose interest after a few hours; the nostalgic feeling passes and I can move on.

  • AllenSmithee

    Hmm, I missed this.

    The award goes for Bionic Commando Rearmed, Metal Slug 1-3, Castlevania (even though I've yet to beat it…), and Ys I & II. As a matter of fact I bought the VC version of Ys Books I & II for just that reason! Next time I feel the need to go through the game again… BAM got it set up, right on my Wii.

  • http://twitter.com/Slashlen Slashlen

    I used to replay games a lot more before my backlog got so big. I used to replay Suikoden 1&2 and Castlevania SOTN the most. I also would replay Star Ocean 2 and Wild Arms sometimes.

    Nowadays, I just have too much new stuff on my shelf to justify it.

  • http://www.yetikitn.com MelodyKitn

    I wish I could, but a lot of the games I played and wish I could go back to were either rentals or left behind when I moved.

    I would LOVE to have old games I've played like Suikoden II, Legend of Mystical Ninja, Chrono Cross, Grandia…Dragon Force! …the list goes on and on.

    Ironically, I think, at the moment, I'd rather go back and play those even though I still have Agarest and Bayonetta to finish x.x

  • thaKingRocka

    black belt
    turtles in time
    final fight
    ssf2t

  • memoryofwater

    I'm playing through Final Fantasy III/VI (for the authentic Woolsey Flavor) right now. I wish I could name drop something more obscure, but I usually only pick up older games as I get the impulse to, and I've been hankering for some U-boatists's progeny lately.

    That…doesn't really sound right… Moving on!

    Unique games like Jet Set Radio, Panzer Dragoon, Vib Ribbon and classic Treasure titles are usually what scratch the itch for me. I try to replay RPGs often enough, but they usually suck up too much time and I end up shelving them halfway through. Panzer Saga is an exception to that. Rare is the Japanese RPG that's just right.

  • memoryofwater

    Oh god, but I forgot: I must have played through the original Silent Hill over 100 times (real guesstimation, not overblown exaggeration) circa 1999-2001.

    Oh, that game. I love that creepy, absurd game.

  • 9inchsamurai

    I've been doing pretty well lately about playing new (to me) games rather than replaying ones. But, some of the ones I play over and over are: Super Metroid, FFIV, Xenogears, FFVII, pretty much any classic Castlevania, Mega Man 3, Chrono Trigger, and FFTactics (sooo many playthroughs).

  • http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan

    Bionic Commando Rearmed is fantastic. Although, playing Ys I & II on a portable might be easier. ;)

  • Ujn Hunter

    I play God Hand 24/7…

  • Ujn Hunter

    I don't understand… the only good old Mega Man games are Mega Man & Mega Man 2? :P

  • kupomogli

    Alot. Pretty much every Castlevania, Mega Man, and Mega Man X game. Brigandine Legend of Foresena, Final Fantasy(first game on NES,) and Tactics Ogre Let Us Cling Together(actually about every two years, though I play through it multiple times to get through each route.)

    Like Hraesvelgr said, I also play the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games alot. I'll only play RotTK4-6 though. They have enough new stuff in them to be better than the first few and I hated the ruler oriented crap starting at RotTK7 where you talked to everyone, etc. Made it take so long for a month to go by. So boring. It felt like you had less control and it took longer.

  • kupomogli

    Do you know if the PS2 Nobunaga's Ambition is like the older RotTK games where you don't control the ruler through month by month things.

  • Tako Tacos

    There are a few games I could pick up and play anytime, anywhere and always enjoy myself. The original Final Fantasy, the Gameboy SaGa games (FFL I-III), Final Fantasy Tactics, and Xenogears come to mind.

    Though there are some games, like FFIV, which hold immense nostalgic value for me but that I try not to overplay so that I don't get sick of them. This happened to me with Chrono Trigger: I love the game to death, but felt absolutely no desire to pick up the DS version because I burned myself out back in the day.

  • vrakanox

    God how I would love to play through Suikoden 2 again. Don't have my copy anymore. I could replay just about any Final Fantasy and nostalgia all over it. 1,3,4,5,6,7 etc etc. Playing through the old Resident Evil's (mainly 1 and 2) and just about any silent hill. The old Contra games with a friend. Secret of mana with 1 or 2 friends. Oh and the Tales games. I'm pretty partial to stuff I can play together with someone.

  • Joanna_T

    I'm the same. I used to replay a lot of my older games, but lately my pile of unopened games has increased drastically. Although, currently I am replaying both GBA Golden Suns in anticipation for Golden Sun DS, but this is a rare exception.

  • AllenSmithee

    Trust me, I'll be picking up Chronicles sometime. :)

  • Jaxx-Leviathan

    I' not in the habit of playing the same game through more than once, but the few I have returned to is Super Mario 64, Grandia and Zelda:OoT.

  • RupanIII

    Hi all.. long time reader, first time poster.

    I play more older games than new ones, I think. Partly because I've amassed a huge backlog over the years, partly because they don't make 'em like they used to. Off the top of my head, I've logged countless hours on Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Turtles in Time, FFVII, MGS, Worms Armageddon.

  • Plethora22

    Romancing SaGa: Minstrel's Song and Azure Dreams are games I still go back and play for long periods of time.

  • Plethora22

    Romancing SaGa: Minstrel's Song and Azure Dreams are games I still go back and play for long periods of time.

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