Skulltulas, Heart Pieces, Red Coins, Poes, Chaos Emeralds & Other Collectibles

[Rainecloud]

Do they appeal to you?

On the upside, they add longevity to games. Take a look at the heart pieces in the Zelda series, the Skulltulas and Poes in Ocarina of Time, the Masks in Majora's Mask, the Chaos Emeralds in Sonic, the Stars and Red Coins in the Mario series, etc. Personally, I love collecting things in games, and it always gives me great pleasure to finally "beat" the game proper by collecting absolutely everything.

On the downside, collecting endless items can become tedious over time. Collecting may appeal to some (like myself), but may irritate the casual gamer who simply can't be bothered to spend hours searching for things in a massive Hyrule Field like environment.

And then there's the downright ugly. For example, Wind Waker. Collecting thousands of Rupees to have Maps translated by a lycra wearing elf pervert to then discover that the aforementioned Maps you've spent hours searching for point to a place on your Map that you haven't bothered filling in yet because you've got to go and buy bait from Beedle to throw to each fish that you have to search for on every god damn screen before individually sailing to each place in order to find a miniscule spot in which you can find a tiny little fragment of the Triforce. I mean, who's idea was it to completely ruin the entire game with this interminable segment?!

Your thoughts on collecting things in games, please.

Thanks.

[edczxcvbnm]

I like the collection aspect of things because it gives me a bit of a deviation during the game. I don't complete the quests or anything like that but it is nice to take a step back and search around. If the item collecting is mandatory then it has a 99% chance of being totally sucky.

[Peter_20]

I like collecting things if there are no missable items.
The Star Ocean series perfectly fit my tastes, because you can create items from your menu screen and fool around with different item combinations and whatnot, and most items are non-missable ones.

You also gotta love the Super Specialties, my favourites being Master Chef, Orchestra and Blacksmith.

Yeah, Reverse Side is t3h roXxorz too, but it's got too many risks, like the Bounched Check and the decrease in Emotional Levels.

[Nominus Experse]

Oh lord, I am a mad collector in all senses of the word. Whether it be large or minute, I must have it. There is, as you mentioned, a wondrous feeling in finally achieving this one facet of the game.

In retrospect, however, there is a somewhat bittersweet taste associated with it: the hours upon hours one spends whilst collecting these various artifacts, rarities, and other odds and ends to achieve that great 100% in terms of items; sometimes looking back on these hours upon hours is cause to have one pondering where one's life has gone.

And then I simply do it again on another game, such as Morrowind, where there are literally houses upon houses of rarities and artifacts. Another is Diablo II, where the Elite Uniques and curious high level runes and set items are highly sought after. The fact that there is a certain amount of chance associated with it only adds to its longevity.

Being a person that enjoys playing games until they are weary and weak, I enjoy this mad collecting and side quest running; however, the casual gamer would most likely bash his face through a brick wall if such side quests became a necessity.

[Renmiri]

I loved Zelda Wind Waker! The fish feeding was fun!

But I always complete all maps anyway

Collecting rocks, but it should be like OOT: They make the game easier but are not mandatory

[Cz]

Collectables that earn you unlockables or are necessary for 100% completion aren't a problem; they're there for the dedicated gamer or the obsessive completist, and they add longevity to the game. Mandatory collectibles are another matter, particularly if a large portion of the game is dedicated to merely acquiring these otherwise useless items. I don't like the idea of being unable to progress in a game, not through a lack of skill, but a lack of free time. The GTA series is a well-known example of how to do collectibles right. They aren't necessary for completion of the main storyline, but they offer rewards to those committed players who are willing to seek them out.

[JKTrix]

I'm not much of a collector, or completionist. If I can see the ending of a game, I am set and would often put it on the shelf. Like Twilight Princess--I beat the final boss, watched the credits, and haven't touched it since (it's been over a month now). I don't have all the pieces of heart or all the Poe Souls or whatever. Perhaps if I only had that one game, I would do it.

If these sorts of things are done right, they shouldn't be a problem. I haven't finished Wind Waker precisely because of what was mentioned before.

[Vermachtnis]

I love collection stuff. Like Megaman X Collection, I barely touched any other game until I had my Sky Room filled. I love having all the hearts/energy tanks that games have to offer. Getting every weapon, every power, every useless scrapt of paper is what hitting the power button is all about.
But on the other hand collecting X amount of something so you can move on to another level just to collect X+10 amounts of something gets annoying after awhile, like Level three. Not only is it not fun to collect the same thing over and over again, it's usually not challenging either. "Hey look A Golden Whatchamabobber and look nine more behind it. Now that I've gotten those ten let's turn left and wowhee 10 more!"

[LunarWeaver]

I kind of like it, but it generally dissolves into me using a guide because I'm far too lazy to search every inch of every corner. After a while, that takes me out of the game and I feel less like I'm collecting something and more like I'm doing a chore. But that's my fault for needing to have it all .

In the case of Windwaker, where it's just a big claymore of annoyance shoved right in your ass, I would certainly prefer they cut it out completely.

[PhoenixAsh]

Yeah I love them as long as, as people have said, they are optional and unmissable. I loved the Spyro games on PS1 for this, got everything on all three of them (I think there were only three...)

I'm not certain GTA has got it quite right anymore though... It was a lot of fun in the first two for PS2, as the maps weren't too big, and there were rewards sooner. In San Andreas it seems more of a chore, and the rewards aren't as good, or come way too late in the game to be that worthwhile.

I think OoT or Majora's Mask probably had the most fun collectibles of the games I've played... Maybe the cards in FFVIII...

[Elite Lord Sigma]

If it's done correctly, I have no problem with them.

[Roto13]

It can be done right (Super Mario 64) or horribly wrong (Donkey Kong 64)

[Elite Lord Sigma]

It can be done right (Super Mario 64) or horribly wrong (Donkey Kong 64)

Was it the incessant amount of banana collecting that makes people hate DK64?

[Roto13]

Bananas, banana coins, crowns, fairys, tokens, and whatever other :skull::skull::skull::skull: I'm leaving out.

[Moon Rabbits]

You forgot DK Coins.

ANYWAYS, I like collectibles sometimes, if I'm in the mood. They should be optional, and as Peter_20 said, UNMISSABLE. I don't want to realize I forgot something and have to start over to get it.