Is anyone a die-hard fan of a major game franchise that they have played every single game in the series? And their spin-offs?
Now when I say major, while you could interpret that as anything that sells well, I don't really mean series like Halo that started up less than ten years ago and only has three games in it. I mean more like series that have been around for 15-20 years.
I think the problem is that when a franchise is so successful, spin-offs are made to appeal to a greater audience because they know at least the fans will give it a shot, but changes in the series may not be the changes every fan would want. And then there are remakes a few years later to catch all the potential fans or the ones who came in later, which are questionable as if they're worth the time to (re)play. And if they're not exclusive to a certain consolemaker then it may require more dollars to be able to afford all the platforms it may appear on.
As a die-hard fan, it should be worth it to make the time and effort and money to play each of those games. But maybe I'm not so hardcore of a fan if I can't be bothered to do this as readily anymore.
I'll start off by admitting my shortcomings in several series...I try to be a fan of so many of them, and so maybe that's my problem, I'm a fan of too many than is possible to keep up with. Because of real-life limitations such as time, which I'd rather spend on other games or (gasp) non-game related tasks, I guess I'm not as big of a fan as I thought I was. Does anyone really need to be a fan, though? Sure makes for an interesting discussion, I'm sure we'll get lots of "why haven't you played THIS game"-type of responses.
Super Mario: The main console Super Mario games I have no problem keeping up with. With the exception of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, I've also completed them totally (I didn't get the score of 100 for each stage - though I often consider Yoshi's Island a Yoshi-series game more than a Mario-series game, and my Yoshi-series record is not good at all). The handheld games are a bit spotty...I didn't get into Super Mario Bros. DX, but I did play the Super Mario Advance versions of Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3. I couldn't be bothered to find an e-Reader to play the extra stages in the Advance version of Super Mario Bros. 3, though the maps we have on VGMaps sure look interesting. I also didn't play the Advance versions of the two Super Mario World games, I guess I thought they weren't different enough from the originals (ironically I played the Super NES version of Super Mario World several times, so I should've saved one of those plays for the GBA one...ah well). I've been on top of the RPG games too (though I did not have time on a rental to do the optional hundred-floor challenge thing or whatever in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and I missed a couple Star Shards, or whatever they're called, I think, because of an area I couldn't easily revisit). Surprisingly, I've been on top of the Mario Party games too (though I don't think I can be bothered to replay Mario Party DS a gazillion times to earn all those trophies and badges). I've played all the Mario Kart games, but I haven't played much of the Wii one (not available for rent, so I've only played it at other people's houses), and I don't think I've completed any of them 100%, though I probably came closest in Mario Kart DS. I'm generally not the best at racing games, but it's the Mario Sports series that I really fail at when it comes to playing them...I didn't play the golf games, and despite trying so hard to finally rent Mario Superstar Baseball, I didn't really like it. I played a round of the Mario Super Sluggers and hated it. Maybe being a Mario fan can't trump the fact that I don't like golf or baseball, really. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was rubbish, and I couldn't be bothered to play much of Mario Hoops 3-On-3. You can forget the Virtual Boy games, like Mario Clash or the original Mario Tennis, since I never owned one, and they weren't available when I managed to rent one of those crimson eye-fryers. I guess I didn't care much for the "edutainment" titles, though I think me and my brother got through the Super NES version of Mario Is Missing! but that's about it. I really should try the puzzlish Mario & Wario and Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March Of the Minis. I liked Mario's Picross and the Super Famicom sequel (not sure if I finished them or not) but I didn't play any of the other Japanese-only sequels - but those are Mario games in name only, really. Don't think I beat Dr. Mario...can that game even be beat? I never played Dr. Mario 64...and I didn't finish DDR: Mario Mix on anything other than the easiest level, I'm no dancer... Can I pretend Hotel Mario for the CD-i doesn't exist?
The Legend Of Zelda: I consider myself such a big Zelda fan that this will certainly be interesting to see where I fail. Thankfully doesn't have too many spin-offs. I've played every main-series game, though I didn't play the DX version of Link's Awakening (a shame, I'll have to remedy that, also ironic considering how many times I played the original). I also didn't match up all the Kinstones in The Minish Cap...I specifically bought a Super Game Boy (I wasn't into handhelds back in the day) to play Link's Awakening, and I specifically bought a Game Boy Advance SP, to go along with my Game Boy Advance, to be able to play two-player Four Swords Adventures. I have yet to play that and the original Four Swords with the full four players, though. I think there was some extra thing involving a basket (?) in the GBA version of A Link To The Past, I didn't do that, though I did at least play it to do the extra dungeon. I didn't catch all the fish or do all of Rollgoal in Twilight Princess (and I can't be bothered to play the original left-right orientation of the GameCube version). Also, I haven't played Link's Crossbow Training... Then there's Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland or whatever it's called, and supposedly Tingle appears in a special Balloon Fight game...those are more like Tingle's games, but might be more worth tracking down than the infamous CD-i games. As a fan, should I feel obligated to play what I know will be crap? Maybe if there is a CD-i emulator I might dare to try... I also have a Zelda Game & Watch, but that game is hard! Speaking of hard, I seem to have trouble replaying the NES Zelda games, and often I wonder if I actually ever finished the originals properly without the help of the Game Genie.
Metroid: The main games are no problem. I had to cheat to get through Metroid Prime Pinball; I'm sorry, Ridley is kind of ridiculous here. Also, major Nintendo franchise games on the DS have this weird curse of being on my to-play list but I never seem to play them, and if I do, I can't finish them completely or don't bother to (this includes Star Fox Command, the Yoshi games, the DK games, the Wario games). Metroid Prime Hunters is a case in point, I think I got stuck late in the game. I'm supposed to get through a door but it doesn't actually open, and I reread the available FAQs and have determined I glitched up. I missed scanning a boss so I'd have to start over anyway, but I haven't bothered to yet. I don't think I know enough people remotely interested enough to play local multiplayer, though I suppose I could go online, if I ever boot up the game again.
Mega Man: Biggest series ever, if you count the spin-offs. Pretty easy to keep up with the main console classic and X games, though I haven't played X 7. I still have to do the extra downloadable content stuff for Mega Man 9. Not played: the Game Boy (non-Advance) games (gasp! Well, I would have, but I was waiting for the GBA compilation which never came out), X 7 (doesn't sound like I'm missing much), Zero 3 & 4, ZX Advent, any of the Battle Network games (though I played and loved the GameCube one, Network Transmission) or Star Force games, Legends 2 or the 64 remake of Legends (if it's any different), the WonderSwan games, the Game Gear games, the PSP games, the PC version of III, that Famicom Wily & Light board game, the Japanese anime story game Super Adventure Rockman or whatever it's called, that one obscure Asian Rockman Strategy game, and I don't remember if I actually played Wily Wars. I guess I didn't play the official Mega Man & Bass, as I played the fan-translated Rockman & Forte. Not finished: X 8 on anything other than Easy and Battle & Chase. Pretty likely there's something I'm missing.
Final Fantasy: I've played more than most so-called FF fans...I've played most of the main series (unlike many fans claim...like those VII bandwagon-jumpers), from the original up to IX and also XII, including fan translations of II, III, and V, then-unreleased-in-North America. I played IV, then-known as II, as well as the translated IV "HardType", and again as FF IV Advance - though I maintain that VI is the best of the 2D games. I played Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles properly (as in, with GBAs, yet only two), and also played FFCC: Ring Of Fates. Mystic Quest is probably the only FF game I do own for who-knows-what-reason. But I guess the point of this is to mention what I haven't played, so here goes... Not played: any of the Game Boy (non-Advance) games, I & II: Dawn Of Souls, III DS, IV DS, either of the officially translated Vs (whether Anthology or Advance), the spin-offs of VII (though I did watch Advent Children), X and X-2 (those are definitely on my queue, though), XI (I probably won't ever, I have trouble getting into MMORPGs), CC: My Life As A King (my brother downloaded it and it looks interesting, I just haven't found the time), most of the Chocobo games, the Tactics games (I know, I know!), the PSP games, and it'll probably be a very long time before I play XIII and its spin-offs. Not finished: the new stuff in FF VI Advance (I keep saying I mean to, though), FF XII: Revenant Wings, Chocobo Racing...I guess I technically didn't get every artifact in Crystal Chronicles but who really needs them all? I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something here too.
Castlevania: I've played most that have graced Nintendo platforms, except for the second N64 one and the pre-Advance Game Boy games. Not sure if I finished Dracula X on the Super NES, though. For the non-Nintendo ones, I finished Symphony Of The Night (yeah!), and I played but probably did not finish Bloodlines or Rondo Of Blood - from the sounds of the fans, I probably should. I didn't get far in Haunted Castle for the arcade, either, don't know if that counts as an official Castlevania game... I'm working through Order Of Ecclesia now, but like some of the recent GBA/DS games, awesome as they are, I might not go back and do the "revisit-the-game-as-another-charcter" or Boss Rush modes... I have yet to play Castlevania: Judgment...
I'm sure there's more I could mention but I shouldn't be typing all this at work so if I remember more it'll be in a later post.
Anyone care to slap me upside the head for failing to be a fan? At least for the most part I'm aware of what I'm missing. Or is being a fan a ridiculous concept that doesn't need to be pursued to a die-hard level?
