Like so many others, I love the various trappings that video games bring. From the familiar characters and the worlds they live in to the sight and sounds each game brings, nothing makes me happier when that rush of nostalgia hits me when I look at a Mega Man 2 cartridge or a copy of the original Wild Arms.That’s part of the problem.
Last week I finally put down the money for a PlayStation 3. Not a nerfed, current model PS3 but a 60 GB launch model PS3 with full backwards compatibility. As I stared at it the display case at the (independent) game store, I said the hell with it gave in and bought the damn thing against my better judgment. I figured I’d regret my decision later. A week has passed and I’m happy to say I’m still pleased. Still, to some the motivation behind purchase will seem rather dumb. Today as I was waiting for a prescription to be filled, I went over to the neighboring (chain) game store. To be honest, I don’t know why I go into this game store as I barely find anything I want. Sure, there’s that copy of Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes for the Game Cube that’s been tempting me, but I refuse to pay twenty-five dollars for it or Tales of Symphonia when that’s how much a used Game Cube goes for.
Anyways, I was looking at the wall of PS3 games and an old co-worker who now works at the store came up to me and asked me if I needed any help. We got to talking and she was enthralled that I had purchased a PS3. Being a pretty big game hound herself, she started running down through some of the games she had played and was making some suggestions. Thing was, while I appreciated the hands on approach she took to her job, I really wasn’t too interested in what she had to say. Why? As ridiculous as this will sound coming from a guy who just bought a PS3, I really don’t want any of the games the PS3 has to offer.
Okay, so I would like to check out what Star Ocean: The Last Hope has to offer considering I’ve played the last two (First Departure for the PSP is still sitting in a box in my room waiting to be played) and I know I should play God of War III at some point but can’t because the first two are still sitting in the same aforementioned box with First Departure, but the rest of these games fail to interest me. There something about these games today, it’s almost like they’re too realistic or something, too clean. They make me crave the 8-bit sprite of Mega Man I grew up with and the blocky, polygonal break-up one can see in Wild Arms’ in-battle character models. It’s almost like these game’s imperfections give them character or something, something that’s missing from these new games even from a judge-a-book-by-its cover perspective.
As if the above wasn’t a big enough clue, while I find it impossible to drop a dime on anything past the PS2 or PSP, I find it insanely easy to drop a small fortune on anything before that period that isn’t a Nintendo 64 game. Panzer Dragoon? Yep. The recently discontinued, pre-Zero Mega Man games? Totally. Needless to say I’m hook, line and sinker when it comes to anything I’ve previously played, even if it wasn’t that good. But as I looked at those PS3 games I saw nothing, no soul. Oh sure, that Catherine game looked kind of neat, but that’s because I’m guy and sex sells. I mean really, who would have thought of combining sex with video games? It goes together like porn and nachos.
So why did I buy that PS3 and why did it feel so right despite the above? I don’t really have an answer. The most I can say is that complete backwards compatibility is sweet as is not having to juggle a million and a half memory cards; those wireless remotes are nice as well. I guess there is the added befit of having a Blu-ray player, but with no HD TV and no real desire to rush out and by one why shell out more money when the DVD will suffice.
I know I haven’t solved a single problem with this rant, but I guess I feel a little bit better. Oh well, I guess I should back to playing archaic PS1 games on a system that’s capable of ten times more.
No comments:
Post a Comment