Guilty Pleasures?

I spent far too long playing SEGA and Sonic All-Stars Racing a couple of months back. I mean, far too long. There were nights when I had to tell my girlfriend that, actually, it was because I had interviews to transcribe that made me late back from work, or I had Red Dead Redemption preview code to play. Telling her that I'd been staying back to play a kart-racing game that's not even Mario Kart was just too damn lame. I won't even take it home because my ruthless efficiency on track (which I'm sure is still vastly inferior to thousands of Japanese teenagers) would give me away.

Anyone else got any guilty pleasures they don't normally like to talk about?

Are we just talking gaming here? Or is this full Psychoanalysis stuff?

My current gaming GP is returning to the first level of Tony Hawk's Skateboarding on the PlayStation for a Zen out. I used to play this when I was in a state of some disrepair. That said, it's still not as Zenny as Jon Ritman's Batman on the Amstrad PCW... it's just that my PCW is in Australia.

Cheers

Tim

I feel (almost) no shame in saying I love Two Worlds. On the 360. Yes, it had its problems - graphics, storyline, music, combat, these were just a few of the somewhat important elements that were.....less than brilliant. So why love it? Because it was a bit naff. I loved being able to combine 100 of the game's worst weapon together to create the most ultimate sword ever, the awful dialogue that made me mute the sound and the need to CONSTANTLY refer to internet guides to solve quest glitches. It's the only game I know where console players can input console commands to remove textures and make the game playable. Does that make me a strange person? Probably. Role on the sequel!

Eyup Chris, nice to see you here man. What news on the must-see adventures of Game City?

Cheers

Tim

I too returned to Tony Hawks level 1 but I put the moon gravity cheat on and spent quite a few months clocking up ridiculous scores, in fact i almost was fired from Game in Bolton for playing Tony Hawks 99% of my shift on the big screen at the front of the store the other 1% was brew making and advising customers that Ian would help them. but my worst was Final Fantasy VIII Trading Card Game, I spent far too many hours trawling the world for rare cards and playing weird FF kids.

Speed devils for Dreamcast also had me on a heroin like addiction for a few weeks. Peggle is just mind numbingly addictive and Transport Tycoon almost ruined my life.

I quite enjoyed Undertow. It was a turn your mind off sort of game that was good to play when you couldn't be bothered with anything else.

I also really enjoyed Saints Row 2 and Army of Two along with 50 cent:BotS and Mercenaries 2. None of them are especially good games, but when you have a friend in tow they become exceptionally good fun. I wouldn't want to play them alone though, they just don't have enough going for them to hold my attention when I am flying solo.

The first time I played Peggle through on the 360 I was fine with it. It's a casual critical darling and well worthy of a play. Then when I played it through on the iPhone I was testing the different platforms. By the time I was on the nth playthrough... well, I was doing it from the privacy of the toilet.

Such is the beauty and the horror of really straightforward casual stuff. I certainly don't think of time gaming as time wasted, but when I'm spending my tenth hour filling in blocks of colour in a game that never changes... well, that's a different story.

The best I can say about Saint's Row 2 is "above average". While I'd prolly say the same for Mercs2, for some reason I got more enjoyment out of it. One of those intangibles, I guess. Maybe it was the nukes. I like nukes.

My guilty pleasure is WoW. I played it solid for years and finally quit. Yet here I am again, gearing up my hunter, pwning the occasional noob, and loving it all over again. I hate Blizzard for my failings on this one.

Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.

I must have pumped about 100 hours into that game.

PUMPED

Dynasty Warriors. It's pretty much a case of 'hit attack 15,000 times til you win, or lose all sanity", but in co-op, it can be quite fun. Though that's probably because you're chatting with your mate, which takes your mind off the high levels of monotony.

Can't believe I'm going to ruin a reputation here... but here's mine gone. I once refused to go down the pub because I was playing Ultima Underworld. I'd already finished and reviewed it... and I turned down the pub.

This followed having been flown out to Origin in the States, taken around Richard Garriot's house by Richard Garriot who, while holding a gun, told me: "I hate journalists", he then smiled. He then put some doohickey in my hands and said, "Know what that does? It outputs 1,000 volts".

"Oh... s**t." I said.

Then we went to dinner at a very nice Mexican place.

But all said and done, I refused to go to the pub!

Cheers

Tim

You said PUMPED ... about Dead or Alive volleyball... did I ever mention that I used to live in Australia, during the Olympics... my god I watched a lot of beach volleyball.

Must see features include a room full of cocktails and videogames, with people shouting what they want to see in a week long festival. And Ferrero Rocher. Lots and lots of Ferrero Rocher. Seriously. :D

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On a more related field, I'ev already confessed my love for Two Worlds, but there are other shameful admissions, including a Pokemon obsession that has still yet to fully go away and a love of the movie White Chicks.

Like when you're peeling veg, but you've got someone to chat to so it's OK?

Now, I need to go tell Tim that someone's hacked his SPOnG account...