Second-chance games

That happens with me all the time. Ecco the Dolphin on Dreamcast (one of the hardest games ever made, IMO) frustrated the fuck out of me on my first run. I shelved it before the second level was over. After a few months I got back to it and was amazed at what I was missing.

Hell, I do this all the time. Ninja Gaiden would be the one I've currently shelved, but I know I'll be coming back to it. I've done it with Dead to Rights, Timesplitters, Zelda WW, and plenty others. Probably even more on pc games, because you can install them, add a no-cd fix, and come back to them at any time without fumbling for the cd or worrying about save game space.

Splinter Cell, can't bring my self to play it, don't want to sell it back yet. It's like Woody and everything else I rent or buy is Buzz. I just picked up Morrowind a week ago but I can already tell it's about to hit the shelf for a while.

Splinter Cell for PC. Gave it another chance last week after playing the demo for the second one. Got done last night. Was a blast. Why couldn't I get into it before? I think it's because Splinter Cell is a puzzle game, and it is pretty unforgiving. You have to think, how do I get past these guards without getting shot? Screw up, you start over. In Metal Gear Solid, guards are easier to deal with and you can get away from them a lot easier.

Here you go

- 1 on the column in the middle of the bridge (Raiden will point this one out)
- 2 right at the bottom of the stairs, next to the IR sensors
- 1 on the door to Strut D (behind you)
- 1 on the bridge to your left (closer to Strut G than D)
- 2 on Strut G (each surrounded by six packs of SEMTEX)
- 1 behind the Sons of Liberty flag on Strut G
- 1 to the lower right of Strut G, hidden by a flock of seagulls
- 1 on the cypher hovering above Strut G

It's a bitch to hit if I remember right, you have to time the flag blowing around pretty close.

Wow, you guys are pussies.

Seriously though. I only shelve shit because it's shit. It comes off the shelf to go to someone on EBay, a Game exchange store or an exorcist.

There are plenty of reasons to shelve games that aren't shit. Both my examples, Morrowind and SC, are great games, I can tell from what I've played. They are also both very involved, low action, slow moving games. I have every intention of playing them both through but with shit loads of immediate gratification titles I still haven't played on the market, games like those often get pushed to the back burner for a while.

I did this with Resident Evil: Code Veronica for Dreamcast. Anybody remember this? That fucking boss fight with Tyrant in the cargo hatch of the airplane was the most wicked test of manhood I'd faced at that point in my life. I was so overwhelmed that the game sat on its face for nearly a year before God-knows-what inspired me to give it another go. I knocked that cretin out of the plane on the first try.

Yeah, I'm a pussy.

Castlevania for PS2. Played it up to a point, and then just sort of lost the desire to play any further.

Viewtiful Joe is currently on the shelf. I really dont want to fight that fucking shark boss ever again...but its too brilliant a game not to at least TRY and beat the fucker.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance: This ones kind of frustrating because I shelved it for so long that I forgot where the story was supposed to be going. Now i'm totally lost.

Final Fantasy X - 2: Great game, but every time I realize how fucking hard the mini-games are I shelve it. I think this has happened 3 times now. Next time I pick it up, i'm just going to fucking SKIP the Gunners Gauntlet and the fucking Tower Calibration.

Other games that are on the shelf, but I know I'll go back to:

- Eternal Darkness
- Silent Hill 3 (very soon)
- Max Payne 2
- Metroid Prime
- NFS: Underground
- NFS: Hot Pursuit 2
- Manhunt

Games that are on the shelf, that will probably never come off:

- F-Zero GX (fucking story mode!)
- Mario Kart: Double Dash (nothing left to do)
- R-Type Final (I am NOT an "old school" gamer apparently)
- Resident Evil Remake (crimson head zombies = not fun)
- Jak 2 (Ratchet & Clank 2 means I dont need this game)

This isnt even counting PC games, most of which I'll never touch again (Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Freespace 2, Alice, Baldurs Gate 2, Undying, Rune: Gold, System Shock 2....)

- Fate

I have played almost every single Final Fantasy game and each and every one I have selved. I love the FF games but I absolutly hate leveling up for hours on end. I always get to the end of the game, no I need to level up and then I just shelve it. After about 6 months I come back to it and finaly take the time to beat it. Right now I just recently pick FFX-2 after taking a 5 month haitus from it. I need to be around level 70 before even thinking about entering the Farplanes and around level 50.

I also shelved Ninja Gaiden for two main reasons. 1 being that SP: Pandora Tomorow has taken to much to my time online and 2 being it's just to damn hard. I still love the game and I'm always up for the challenge but after not beating the same damn level after 10 trys I just stop for a few days then come back to it.

Tower calibration is a beast. I skipped that after I got the garment grid because it just wasn't worth it.

zelda/wind wanker is sitting on the shelf. dito to metroid prime. work got in the way of finishing them. I haven't looked back once I got more free time to screw around. I really should finish them and sell the cube afterwards.

As for pc games. Morrowind is the only pc game I've gotten in recent years that I haven't beaten. Maybe I'll do that on the weekend. (edited to add) not beat it, but pick it up again and enhance my status with the two guilds I've gone and joined.

Dude, press on. I want to hear your exasperation after your first run-in with Tyrant. YOU WILL GET SERVED.

It's nice to see some of you admitting your pussiness, about being too weak to finish games.

And to be fair, I will admit to pussing out myself. Disgaea for the PS2. Unfinished but on the shelf. For fuck's sake.

On the FFX-2 note, there are two calibration towers which gangraped me: 7 & 10. But I did go on and beat the shit outta the game with 100% completion anyway. *insert Connery line about whining or fucking the prom queen here*

This is the one game that gets a pass as far as "pussing out and not finishing games". It can take generations to finish Morrowind. Maybe your grandson will finish it.

I'm not even sure "finishing" is the right word for Morrowind. Wearing the reflective surface right off the CD is more likely.

I have a really bad habit of doing this. There must be a dozen games I have on "the shelf" that I should go back and finish. I'll do it, someday... when I'm rich and have nothing else to do with my sorry life. Someone mentioned Viewtiful Joe. That games so far back on "the shelf", I actually sold it to pay for another game, promising myself I'd buy it again and finish it.

Not that I'm falling for your bait here, but it's almost never the difficulty of a game that hastens its trip back to the shelf, but the fact that I just move on to playing something that I like more than the shelved game. In other words, when that shinier, newer game is released, and I'm kinda bored with my 'current' game, I shelve it for a rainy day.

But I do stand in awe of your manliness on the game-completion front...

Ditto what Jacob said. Currently, I have about 4 games that are in rotation. KOTOR, Ninja Gaiden, Metroid Prime, and RE. Anytime a new game comes along, these four get shelved for a few days. This month has been kind of slow on new releases, so I have been able to play catch-up. Metroid Prime will probably be finished (finally) by the end of this month and maybe even Ninja Gaiden. Hopefully Red Dead Revolver delivers at the end of this month.

As much as I love it, I actually shelved Morrowind midway through, because I'm a slack ass. Also, because I got tired of always going back to Caisus whatshisface.