The Console Slayer for 1/7/2014

We're going to talk about the games we've played the most today. The games you've poured the most amount of time into.

Some times we play particular games so much because we simply enjoy them. Other times because we crave a sense of accomplishment. Still other times we need to feel a sense of completion. Some times it's because we have to grind in order to progress or finish a game. Whatever the reason, some games or game series just suck us in.

In my case, the game (series) I've spent the most time with is the Castlevania series. This game series is a favorite of mine, maybe my favorite ever. I have virtually all of the games released in North America and have beaten nearly all of them. For me this game series had a formula that equaled fun. Exploration, simple but fun combat, collectibles that constantly give you a sense of reward, challenging bosses, typically great soundtracks and addicting gameplay.

The game in the series I spent the most time with is one that a lot of people probably spent the most time with as well: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. This game has everything I mentioned before and one of the best soundtracks of the entire series. It's a game I return to every year and play over again.
Being a game collector, this game also happens to be the best deal I've ever gotten on a game. I work at a retail store that buys back games among other things. We currently only buy back games up to a generation old. Well, February 18th of last year someone had brought in a stack of PS1 games to sell. I didn't do the buyback so I had no idea. I went up later to get stuff to put away and I saw the stack of already processed PS1 games. I was surprised and looked through them. I couldn't believe my eyes when sitting in the pile was one of the most sought after PS1 games, the original black label SotN complete! I immediately tucked it under my arm, clocked out for my break and bought it. This game typically runs about $70 online. I got it for $3.74 with my employee discount! That really made my day. Literally about a week or two later we stopped buying back games more than a generation old.

Which games or game series have all of you played the most? Also, why? What made you keep coming back to it/them?

In homage to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, here is one my favorite tracks from this amazing game, “The Tragic Prince”, a kickass tune! Give it a listen!