My Pile of Shame

I have to assume every gamer has the same problem. And if you don't, kudos to you (and how do you get any sleep for that matter?) It's those particular games that you have every intention of playing, but for some reason never get around to. As the months turn to years, the pile grows and grows, making your conundrum even more dire, forcing you to question your priorities in life as a so-called "gamer". The real kick to the groin is when the pile is made up of a majority of games that are, for one reason or another, hailed as classics. Such is my life. And now you too can bear witness to my aforementioned pile of shame. Some of these games I own, some I don't, but they've all been on my radar far too long. I'm hoping that by compiling this rundown and the subsequent scorn it will most likely induce, I'll be forced to whittle this list down a bit.

The Entire Half-Life Series

Big surprise considering I open this freakin' post with none other than Gordan Freeman himself staring me in the eye. And it's true, I've never played a single solitary second of any of the Half-Life games. No HL1, HL2, HL2 ep2, Portal, Team Fortress. None of 'em. And yet for years I always heard and read about how amazing the games were, how they changed the parameters of what a story-driven FPS could be, how much of a bad a** Gordon Freeman was. No dice. Heck, even my dad, who is almost thirty years my senior, has played through both 1 and 2 and raves about 'em. Depressing. I don't have a pc (Mac boy here thank you very much), but have been debating acquiring The Orange Box for my PS3. It's just that the numerous perfornance issues I've read about with regards to the PS3 version make me a little wary. But it's either that or nothing at all as I don't plan on getting a new pc or a 360 anytime soon. Meh...

Okami

Ok, this one is even more egregious in my opinion. I had ignored the game upon its' initial release despite the pleas of a number of reviews imploring people to play the game. It was thought that games such as Okami (along with the likes of Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, etc) don't come along nearly as often as they should and, as such, artistic risks such as these need to be supported and experienced. Make no mistake, the game piqued my interest. The graphical style was, and still is, a marvel to look at and the Zelda-esque gameplay was a definite selling point, but whatever. For some reason I just didn't get around to picking it up.

So then lo and behold the day finally arrives when I decide I want to experience the unmistakable world that is Okami. I just started working here at GI and with our vast collection of games built up in "The Vault" I figured now is my chance. No luck. The game was checked out. And this was back in the day when you could check a game out for eons and no one would care. So I waited and waited and waited some more. This game was never coming back. I finally got tired of waiting and decided to take matters into my own hands. After much searching, I was able to track down a copy of the game on PS2. The time had finally arrived. I was now able to witness first-hand the greatness that was Okami.

And then a week later I bought a PS3 and screwed the whole thing up. Great, unique gameplay? Breathtaking watercolor-inspired visuals? Enchanting soundtrack? F it! I gotta play some PS3 games! And here's the real shame in it all, I purposely bought a 60GB PS3 so I could play old games like Okami and not miss a beat. Fool. And so poor, old Okami was relegated to the shelf where it sits to this day, waiting for me to give it the attention it so richly deserves.

Chrono Trigger

I added this one to my list a while back, but have to admit it's lost a little luster due to my lukewarm reception to Chrono Cross. There was so much hype and anticipation when CC came out on PlayStation that I couldn't help but get swept up in it all. It's possible that I would have gotten more enjoyment out of it had I played Trigger, but such was not the case. As a result, CC left me with a feeling of wanting more. Like the blueprint for a great game was put into place, but got lost along the way as the journey progressed. It just never felt fully fleshed out.

But I digress, this isn't so much about Chrono Cross as it is about Chrono Trigger (although it doesn't seem that way does it?). To this day, it's still heralded as one of, if the not the finest examples of a JRPG the industry has ever seen. Many of the game's defining qualities – the multiple endings, unique battle system, character development – were elements developer Square's flagship series Final Fantasy would be reluctant to adapt. And that's too bad considering how many hours I've spent wasting my life away via the "joy" that is random encounters in subsequent Final Fantasy games. Trigger's most recent re-release on the DS once again prompted me to confront the fact of how stupid I was to overlook this gem. It's just a matter of choosing which platform to play it on now...

The Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past

Ugh. Just admitting this one is hard enough for me, a self-confessed Zelda fanboy. How is it that I could have missed what many declare is the pinnacle of the Zelda franchise? It's like saying you're a die-hard fan of Led Zeppelin, but you've never once heard anything off of the album IV. Stairway to Heaven? More like Stairway to Schmeaven. Talk about sacrilegious.

I've mentioned this before, but back in the heyday of the 16-bit era, I firmly planted myself on the side of the Genesis. I just felt it spoke to me better than the SNES...or something like that. When we, and by "we" I mean my Dad, eventually brought a SNES into the house I was outraged. There was no way I was giving up on my blast processing beauty. It did everything Nintendi....Nintendon....Nintendidn....whatever. It did everything the SNES didn't, at least in my mind and I was determined to remain loyal. And because of this brilliant move at the peak of my adolescence, I missed out on not only one of the greatest Zelda games of all-time, but greatest games of all-time, period. As they say, "with age comes wisdom." Too bad I was lacking in both departments back then. (Shut it Reiner)

And so after realizing that good games are just that, I went on to play the brilliance that is Ocarina of Time followed closely by Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and most recently Twilight Princess. I adore them all. OoT is my favorite game hands down. I think the world of it. And I think that's part of the problem now facing me with regards A Link to the Past. I'm skeptical it can live up to the experience OoT provided me. The story won't be as thrilling, the music won't be as moving, the 16-bit graphics will dull the experience, the world won't be as engaging; you name it, I've always had an excuse lingering in my head. But maybe, just maybe I'll like it just as much, if not more. Now that's a scary thought.

Who knows? Maybe I still have some wisdom yet to gain after all.

Beyond Good and Evil

Another sad instance in which I owned the aforementioned game, stopped playing it after only a couple hours, and shelved it for good in lieu of something supposedly better of which I can't even remember (hello Okami). To make matters worse, I ended up trading in the fricken game for God knows what. Bleh.

I never really gave this game the chance it deserved. And it's a shame too since all you ever hear about  Beyond Good and Evil is how it nailed so many aspects that make a game beyond good (see what I did there?). Everything from it's enthralling story to how developed (no, not in that way) of a character leading lady Jade is to the rich setting of Hillys teeming with life, it all supposedly makes for an experience you'd be a fool to miss out on. But I did. Hooray for me.

The only way it could get any worse is if one day I finally remember the piece of crap I traded BGaE in for. And the answer better not be Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness.

Final Fantasy VI

I was one of those poseurs that jumped on the Final Fantasy bandwagon with the arrival of good 'ol VII. Being new to the RPG scene, FFVII was unlike anything I had ever played before and I loved it. As a result, Cloud and Co came to represent my personal favorite in the Final Fantasy series. How predictable, right? Yet, for a not-so-quiet majority of Final Fantasy fans (including resident editor Joe Juba), VI is their defining moment. And from everything I've ever read and heard about the game, it's hard not to fault them for such an opinion.

And in case you hadn't noticed, this is the third, count 'em third, SNES game to make the list. Genesis be damned! I've played every FF game since VII and am eagerly waiting the arrival of XIII next year. It only makes sense that I would I want to check out first-hand what this whole brew-ha-ha between Kefka and Terra is all about, right? But man, have you seen the graphics on this old dog? Looks like Pong. Ok, maybe not that bad, but I'm not sure if my eyes can stand it! And I bet the music consists of nothing more than beeps and bloops, just like all old games, right?

Perhaps this is the game where you learn the code to revive Aerith. Wait...

Super Mario 64

Where would 3D gaming be without this guy? I wouldn't know because I haven't played it. But I am fully aware of the importance of what Super Mario 64 brought to the table back in 1996. By the time I got my N64, however, Mario was already three years old. Tough luck plumber boy. I'm all about the latest and greatest. Link and I had wars to wage and chickens to toss. But looking back I regret not picking this one up and giving it a whirl. I realize part of what made the game so groundbreaking isn't so anymore when compared to the likes of the games we have today, but I have to assume there's still some magic to be had with this one.

Besides, when is a Mario game ever bad?

So, any suggestions? What games have you been meaning to get to, but for one reason or another just haven't found the time for?

Let the healing begin...