Great games for the gamer on a budget

Damn you guys. I'm getting an urge to start gaming again.... after years of trying to quit...

 

Why would you want to quit may I ask? Its not like its hazordous to your health is it?

 

No, but it does get in the way of being productive. There have been days where I should have been doing something (studying, working) but instead I just 'had' to beat this level or join up with my friends on some mmorpg (damn you blizzard).

 

Spoiler

Oh yeah, this is another great game. It uses the same engine as Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale (the isometric view and 2D tile-based graphics). It takes place in the AD&D Planescape universe - the universe that ties all the other D&D worlds together. The storyline is very complex, almost philosophical, I guess, because the Planescape universe, itself, is that way (with all these planes and different levels of good/evil). It's the only game I've played where you can get through the last major fight just through dialogue options alone - no need to fight at all. This game really deserved a sequel (the ending where you go to the hell plane is kind of a cliffhanger). Too bad none came out.

This game is good too. I finished the main game as well as all the expansions. It's another D&D roleplaying game. The difference between this and Baldur's Gate/Planescape is that this one is fully 3D. There are a TON of custom made modules/hacks for this game that people can play solo or online together.

....

I love those Bioware/Black Isle roleplaying games (Neverwinter Nights, Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: KOTOR, etc, etc). I've been playing those games for the past 7 years, and they are just so awesome. I can't wait for NWN 2 and KOTOR 3. I'm also looking forward to Bethesda's Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Supposedly, it's going to use extensive high dynamic range lighting - now all I need is a video card to support that.

 

Does anybody ever go back and play their old Nintendo, SNES, or Genesis games?

I love to plug in my old Nintendo and play the oldies every once in a while. It amazes me how challenging some of the older games were when you think all the games out today are so complex.

It does make me feel good to have kept almost every video game I've ever owned. Most of my old classics go for a pretty good amount on Ebay now. I've even got a couple of "rare" versions of some of the games that are sort of collector items apparently.

And since I was an anal retentive little nerd when I was a kid, I have almost every original box, booklet, and sleeve for all my old games. People pay a bunch of money for some of the classics in the box on Ebay, and even though they are not factory sealed, they still demand a premium to be "complete."

Who would have thunk it?

Heck, I think I might go plug in Baseball Stars on my Nintendo right now.

 

Call me old school, but I love the fact that I can play emulators from atari to super nintendo for free.

 

I'm not surprised that you kept your nintendo. I'm surprised that your nintendo actually WORKS. I remember the old days when I'd use all sorts of tricks to get the games to work. Blowing into the cartridge. Rubbing it on the carpet. Pushing the cartridge in so it's near the front. Holding reset while pressing the power button on and off. Man, you must have taken care of your nintendo like it was your baby! Hats off to you!

 

I think even with new Nintendo games for NES with a new system, you still had to figure out a way for it to work. But hell, that's half of the fun. It's funny, a couple of years ago in college, my roomates, brought their NES, and we spent forever trying to get a certain game to work, we all got our own system of things to do to try and get it working.

 

I guess I took pretty good care of it. I remember the old tricks to get the games to work. I have to do them every once and a while when I plug in an old game.

Maybe those little black sleeves on the games really do protect them!

 

Psychonauts.

 

I like PC games, heres a few I like, they are cheaper now.

Farcry: easily one of the best first person shooters since right along with Half Life 2, incredible graphics as well as intrigueing storyline, the intro really doesnt say anything, you have to discover the story as you go along. also great multiplayer capability as wel. $20 at Wal-Mart.

Star Wars Battlefront: I started this game as a single player, but the multiplayer is so awesome, great interactivity, much like the movies, but offers even more than what you can do in the movies, such as operating x-wing fighters against tie fighters online, character classes not seen in the movies, and much much more, fight battles from the movies such as Geonosis, Naboo, and a couple others. $30 Circuit City, might be cheaper from other retailers.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: intrigueing singleplayer, graphics are not the tops but definately great. gives the player a lot more control over the course of the game, such as choosing light or dark side. also, I like the cinamatics a lot. $20 Target

 

I lent my NES and about 50 games to my "best friend" about three years ago and the ingrate managed to leave them behind in a move.

Oh well, I doubt I would have ever sold them anyway, and emulation is more convenient than having to blow in carts for 25 minutes.

 

I would definately give it another try. The first time I played it I simply couldn't get into the combat and was frustrated. I quit after barely getting into the game. Eventually, I decided to try again and it was a completely different experience. I spent a lot more time understanding the intricacies of the game (doing long combos, weapaon creation, etc.) and it really paid off. The mechanics are so much fun to play with, Sidney (I think that's his name?) was super cool, and the story was great, if short.

I don't know if the PS1 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night can be found cheap, but anyone who hasn't played it isn't a real gamer. Best "secret" ending ever.

 

I bought Castelvania: SON (new - Greatest Hits edition) at a Blockbuster in NYC about 2 years ago for about $15. Apparently, they were clearing their stock of old PS1 games. That same day it was selling used at the local Gamestop across the street for $50!!! Of course, I got too busy and never managed to play it though...I wonder where I put it.

 

I have a NES with about 40 or 50 games and I play it in spurts a lot. The games tend to get old though. So recently ive just been downloading emulators and getting SNES and N64 games. Mario 64 is a great game and it gets addictive. On NES the main game I play is The Jackal. Great game. Its hard to believe how far we have come with videogames. We used to pay $40 for a game now that would be a mini-game included in another game.

 

I second this. A little on the easy side, but it was a blast.

 

Hells yes! I still have my original Nintendo and SNES (along with PS1 and PS2). They all still work like new. I was also an "anal retentive" kid, and kept all the original boxes, instruction books, black sleeves, etc. I have the original Mike Tyson's Punch Out still in the box....I wonder what that'd go for.

I know I took great care of all my toys....I sold my original Transformers collection for $2,500 a few years ago (I'm nearly 30 now). Trouble is, alot of people accused me of being stingy, but I wasn't about to let my idiot friends borrow my stuff when they all took rotten care of damn near everything they owned.

 

What did you do? Buy one of those Ebay "bundled" used deals? Here's the funny thing about those bundles. You can typically profit if you turn right around and sell them individually on Ebay.