How have your tastes in gaming changed over the years?

[Momiji]

My first experience with video games was Super Mario Bros. when I was 2 or 3. As I've grown, I've noticed that my tastes slowly change a bit every few years or so. I was a huge Mario fan until I was around 6 or 7, when I started getting into Zelda and Dragon Quest/Warrior. Then came Pokémon, and then, Kingdom Hearts, which pretty much was my introduction to Final Fantasy. FF consumed my life all the way through high school, until Necronopticous introduced me to shmups, and I've been into that ever since. However, I still like a lot of the games I used to, and find that a lot of them have great nostalgic value, as well.

What about you guys?

[Freya]

I like shooters more. I guess because before a shooter game was pretty crappy. Now they are so much more refined that I have a lot more fun. Otherwise i was mainly RPG's. And with the introductions of MMO's i've been hooked with those since everquest :P

[VeloZer0]

I don't think my tastes have changed much, but I have been more and more exposed to different genres, expanding the realm of types of games U like. I never liked FPS games, but recently I have enjoyed playing games like online co-op in Resistance 2, Borderlands and MAG. I was never into Mega Man back in the day, but in 2005 when I tried MMX for the first time I loved it and have become a huge Mega Man fan.
But I still love all the games I used to.

[NeoCracker]

At first it was RPGs, action adventure and Sidescrollers.

Now, it's RPG's, action adventure, and Sidescrollers....

And wierd :bou::bou::bou::bou: like Katamari Damacy and Harvest Moon.

So not really much at all.

[Depression Moon]

Nothing at all with me. If it's good I'll play it.

[Yeargdribble]

I've been a fan of pretty much anything that's enjoyable since I was young. I was just introduced to things slowly.

On NES it was mostly the platformer types, though I did like some shmups and I really liked Shadowgate which is essentially a point and click adventure. This was also the time I got into the Zelda games (which are of disputable classification).

Around SNES time was when I was originally introduced to Sim City which really got me going with that kinda stuff. The real turning point was Civilization though, which I first ran into on SNES. Another huge milestone in the SNES era was RPGs. FFVI was the first time I really got an RPG and made effort. For most of the years following that I would've considered myself a hardcore RPG fan.

In the midst of this I was playing games like Civ II on my PC. I also got introduced to Warcraft II and loved it though I'm far from an avid RTS player.

I opted for the N64 over the PS1 (kinda dumb in retrospect I guess). Goldeneye got me playing FPSs. I later played UT99 on PC and began to like shooters of that type. Eventually I played Half-life and Deus Ex and started loving the more story driven FPS versus what would become Halo style shooters.

I eventually played a bit of PS1 a tad late, but I hit some good RPGs and missed a ton of other good stuff. PS2 didn't do much to change my interests. I really got hardcore into The Sims on PC during its first round.

My first racing game was Mario Kart DS which got me to really liking the Mario Kart style racing games for kicks.


I really never got into sports (or sports games) or racing games. Over the years my interests have broadened in some areas. I really like a lot of indie and art games. I haven't gotten too hardcore into the huge sandbox games aside from Oblivion (I think it has to do with setting more than anything).

Most recently I've started shying away from RPGs a bit. They take too much time and JRPGs especially are becoming very recycled and stale for me. I still really love fantasy elements, but in smaller bites. Where I once would've felt that a 60+ hour game was a better value, I'm now more happy with a 10ish hour game at the same price. I want intense quality in the time that I play. I still like RPGs but a lot of them is empty and when I'm unable to spend many hours in a row playing I have trouble keeping up with events because I'm not doing them in large chunks.

[Vermachtnis]

Not a lot has changed. I don't really like First Person Shooters as much as used to. I was never really into them in the first place.

I guess for a timeline of over all interests, it'd go something like Platformers>RPGs>Tactical>Metroidvania>Sandbox>Fighters

[Shlup]

I... really don't think my tastes have changed at all. xD

Mario games, RPGs, simulators, RTS... Yeah I like the same stuff. I really do.

[Raistlin]

My tastes really haven't changed much at all. I like the same kind of games and in some cases even the same specific games/series that I enjoyed when I was much younger.

[Awrini]

Honestly my taste in games really haven't changed. I was always into the long RPGs for the storys and just liked the whole idea of the level up system. That and strategy games. I always love a good strategy game.

[NorthernChaosGod]

I'm a huge nostalgiafag, so I don't think my tastes have changed or even grown. Lol.

I pretty much like everything besides sports games.

[Pheesh]

I'll play most anything except RTS games.

[Bolivar]

Well back in the day everybody played a lot of things, it was harder to be genre specific back then maybe. A couple years ago I was mostly into RPG's with some FPS and RTS on the PC. Lately I've really been into FPS on the PS3, and I've also gotten into racing like Motorstorm and Gran Turismo. I've also really gotten back into action adventure games, I would absolutely say I'm more open to different genres now, RPG's are probably the least I've played.

[Lawr]

I've always enjoyed pretty much any game from almost any genre (except for dating sims). It's been that way ever since I started. I started with Mario Kart 64 though I think and then progressed into Metal Gear Solid, then Final Fantasy, then from there every other major genre.

Although I've really been feeling ravenous to play some fighting games lately.

[Jiro]

I used to play a lot more Action Adventure games than I do now. I'm also sort of transitioning to Western styled RPGs as opposed to the JRPGs I've been obsessing over for about 3/4 of my life span.

[Breine]

I like almost everything, although I tend to steer away from FPS and sport games. That doesn't mean that there aren't any games in those genres out there that I don't like, though.

My taste has probably become more open over the years.

[Aerith's Knight]

Well, besides playing shooters now, I think not much has changed. I use to like Zelda, I still do. I used to like RPG's, I still do.

Only thing that has really changed is that I never play soccer games anymore.

[Wolf Kanno]

I like most genres or at least can be talked into playing most types of games. I think lately I've established a bit of a renaissance with my first gaming love which is Fighting Games. a lot of arcades have suddenly opened up here so I've been having a huge nostalgic flashback going back into the arcade scene.

My only new obsessions have been rhythm games, they didn't exist back in the day but I totally adore most of them.

As for RPGs, I think the big differences is that I show more discretion and caution with them. Back in the 16-bit days, I'd unquestionably buy a title from the genre just to see what it was like cause it was super rare to have RPGs in the old days. Now that the flood gates have opened, I've been exposed to more of the sub-par shovelware of the genre so now I investigate a title more than I used to before purchase.

In all honesty though, that's really how it is with most genres for me nowadays. I probably do more background checks on titles now then in the past, not only because of the availability of the information but mostly because the market is so much bigger now than it was in the past it seems.

[Shadowdust]

Since the first Dragon Warrior, I've been in love with RPGs. My tastes haven't really changed but I have expanded my tastes within the RPG genre. There was a time when I wouldn't touch an RPG unless it was a strictly menu command type game. Now, I find that I enjoy all types of RPGs. I do play FPS and racing games on occasion, but it is mostly just so I have something to do with my friends.

[ljkkjlcm9]

My taste in games hasn't really changed. The only category I pretty much never play is sports games.

What has changed is my openness to games. I like FPS games, but I hate playing them online. And I feel this way because some people make it their life. If I do play a FPS online, it's always in a team mode, like capture the flag or something. I'm more for the tactics than the stupid just run and gun or camping. I hate what has become of FPS. They are no longer casual fun games to play with friends, they're ultra competitive e-peen games. My favorite multiplayer games are those about co-op, and even more so those with people I know already/in the same room.

However, my favorite games are still the action/adventure and the jRPGs. I hate WRPG's because I have to do every sidequest when it becomes available before I progress the story. Some WRPG's make it so you could spend forever doing them, and never actually get to the story.

A great example for me, I like God of War, I like Zelda, and I currently LOVE the mesh of the two that is Darksiders.

THE JACKEL

[Rase]

Back on the SNES I was pretty much all over the place: platformers, RPG's/action-RPG's, side-scrolling shooters, fighting games, and FPS's like Wolfenstien 3D and Doom. When I got an N64 my horizons shrunk some, as I mostly played first-party Nintendo games, true 3D FPS's, and RTS's on the PC. RPG's had pretty much fallen off the map, along with fighters and side-scrollers. I was pretty set with that group until the Medal of Honor games came out for PC, then I began to get heavy into FPS's and more action-oriented games. Now I'm back to my broad intake with old-school games (or ones of the old-school style), shooters (3rd and 1st person), fighting games, racing games, action games, hack-n-slash, survival-horror, music games, whatever.

Basically think an hour glass. Started playing a lot of genres, played less as I got older, then started playing a lot again around four years back.

[bipper]

I like shooters more. I guess because before a shooter game was pretty crappy. Now they are so much more refined that I have a lot more fun. Otherwise i was mainly RPG's. And with the introductions of MMO's i've been hooked with those since everquest :P

This is pretty much my exact answer. Right down to it.

[Alucard von Elru]

As the years go by I find myself drifting further and further away from my formerly beloved JRPGs. I used to play every one I could get my hands on, but now I simply don't have the time to pour into a longer game unless it absolutely floors me. In ten hours with FFXIII, I've barely scratched the surface. Ten hours with God of War III, and I've finished one of the most consistently absorbing and exciting games I've ever played!

Because there are weeks where I only get one day to play, I like to make sure that the session is filled with as many memorable moments as possible. With only a few exceptions, back in the PS1 days I found RPGs to be the only genre with interesting storytelling. Now, games like Uncharted 2 and GoWIII floor me with their storytelling in a fraction of the time, and end up being much more fulfilling as a result.

This isn't to say that I don't enjoy a long game. In the past couple of years I've spent 60 hours with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, 108 hours with Okami, and a whopping 386 hours with Final Fantasy XII. But those rare and brilliant gems are the exception, and not the rule.

As an aside, it should be noted that FFXII probably killed its entire genre for me. This is meant as the highest possible compliment.

[Book]

oh dear, this could become a long story unless I play it safe. My first experience with video games was with my brothers C64 back in 1988 I think? But I weren't allowed to touch that. But I could watch it, you know when it wasn't running any games. So pretty. Well.. anyway. Was a gamer from 6 years of age until.. well I don't know I probably still am but the industry has become far to mainstream for my interest. I mean come on.. back in the days when it was super nerdy to hang on these forums just to talk about games. Now everyone plays.. it's sad. Anyways.. where was I? Oh yeah.. I don't think I actually started yet. Let's make this short. I played lots of games, now I only play whatever games I want, and I love JRPGs and I don't care that no one else seem to care about them anymore. (In general not on these forums)

[Mo-Nercy]

To be honest, they haven't changed a whole lot. It's always been Final Fantasy and a good selection of fighting and racing games. The occasional FPS and RTS makes it into the rotation, of course, but in terms of my tastes overall, fighters, racers and the most recent FF are my staples.

[ANGRYWOLF]

I like rpgs only.

No shooters. No strategy games or rts games.

I did start with the old atari 2600 ping and pong..went to stuff like yars revenge, then the old nintendo, supernintedo, playstation and playstation 2.
My son and I played the various Mario games and that's what got me on to rpgs and I stayed with rpgs from the Disgaea and Breathe of Fire games to the Suikoden and Ogre Battle games and so on and so forth.

So that's me.

Rpgs only.:D

[Mercen-X]

If it's offered to me without cost, I'll play anything once and probably like it enough to want to buy. Most of my money is saved for the hyped games though (Versus, Kingdom Hearts, Soulcalibur)

[Meat Puppet]

I loved Perfect Dark. I love Perfect Dark.

[Book]

I loved Perfect Dark. I love Perfect Dark.

ah great fun back in high school :)

[Loony BoB]

Like many above, my tastes haven't really changed.

[Meat Puppet]

I loved Perfect Dark. I love Perfect Dark.

ah great fun back in high school :)
Back? That :bou::bou::bou::bou:’s on XBLA, man, go hit it up

[No.78]

Honestly, they haven't changed at all.

Srsly.

[Levian]

Minimally!

I've grown a dislike for FPS games and haven't enjoyed any since Goldeneye. I don't think I would enjoy playing Doom or any other PC FPS game I used to play when I was younger. Never liked sports or racing games, so that hasn't changed.

one thing that I suppose has changed a bit is that I'm often bored with sidescrollers, but that has more to do with the games changing than me changing.

[Slothy]

I don't think my tastes have changed too much. I still play all of the genres I've always played which are all over the place. The only thing I really shy away from are sports games, but that's more because I don't like most sports that said games are based on, and have always enjoyed actually playing the ones I do like far more.

The only real shift has been gaining a greater appreciation for competitive games and being much less likely to buy RPG's and much more likely to focus only on very high quality titles. Part of it is not having as much time and money now, but the biggest part of that is just wanting more originality and innovation, and much better made titles. RPG's kind of suffer from that desire the most because so many these days are derivative, generic and uninspired. RPG's were probably the titles I played the most growing up but I might buy one or two a year tops now because most just aren't worth playing.

[I Don't Need A Name]

Used to prefer Japanese games, especially RPGs and Survival Horrors, with occasional additions, such as Metal Gear Solid.

I still prefer those actual games. I'm more open at playing others, like first-person shooters, but I find them too simple and repetative. I've grown to love strategy games as well, but that started very early on in my gaming experiences.

So yeah, haven't really changed a lot.

Oh, and I still find Fighters and Sport Games to be a waste of time :jess:

[black orb]

>>> The changes..:luca:
80`s Old Arcade Classics
90`s Mario/Megaman games
90`s 2D Fighters
2k FF games/JRPGs.

[Zeromus_X]

Really hasn't changed much (still play mostly RPGs or platformers) though in the last year I've started to get into fighting games.

[Captain Maxx Power]

It's shifted more towards RPGs, especially around the time when I first got into them with FF7. Before then I was pretty much purely an action-game guy; FPSes mostly. The first computer game I ever played was Wolfenstein 3D. Mostly I just play whatever I feel like from a number of genres, barring sports and racing.

[AntRid]

I used to play big AAA titles and ignore everything else but now I’m more open to inde titles. I also hated sports games and I still do! Hate sports in all its forms.

[Christmas]

My taste changed till I stopped gaming. I have lost my sense of taste. :(