Yakuza is one of my very, very favorite series.  Probably because in my fantasy world I'd love to be as tough and honorable as the main protagonist -- as well as live in Japan (reality would be very different, but games provide a romanticized perspective).

However, it's not a series that I evangelize for, because I can easily see how it would not be everyone's cup of tea.  Same for The World Ends With You, for example.  I'd like you to like it, but I'm not going to tell you to play it.

Then there are games like No More Heroes, or Super Mario Galaxy where, if you are an experienced gamer, you really HAVE to play those games.  I mean you HAVE to.  And if you like gaming, you will like those games.  That's not my opinion, it's a fact   Because, if you have been exposed to enough types of play, and enough games over the years, you WILL find something to appreciate about them.  You may not love them as much as I do, but you will appreciate them and not feel ripped off.

What games do you absolutely love, but would not neccesarily promote to others?

And you should! It cut Raven deeply.

Erm, love is strong word.

I don't really reccomend games that aren't worth playing in some capacity (waits for Dvader cursed mountain joke)

There are games which are mildly amusing and there is some enjoyment despite many faults. Sort of like Crystal Bearers. I wouldn't reccomend people play it, but if you want to rent out of curiosity...

bugsonglass said:

like for example when I strongly recommended bit trip beat to raven, I don't think he was overly taken by the game and I felt kind of bad

No need to feel bad. I actually like Bit.Trip Beat quite a lot. It was a very good suggestion,  considering the kinds of retro games that I like. My only trouble with the game is the ridiculausly hard difficulty, which isn't really a flaw with the game so much as I suck at playing it. It does a very good job of mimicking a retro arcade game, hair-pulling frustration and all.

Foolz said:

And you should! It cut Raven deeply.

robio said:

By the way have you played Bit.Trip Runner yet? Best installment of the series since Beat. It's just as hard but the way its structured makes it feel a little bit easier. Plus the levels are much shorter so even dying at the end of a level means you only have to put in another 2 minutes of work again, as opposed to 15 minutes.

Nope. It looks like fun game, though.

Yeah, that 15 minute level nonsense in Beat is nothing short of brutal.

Ravenprose said:

Super Mario Sunshine: I love the game. It's my favorite 3D Super Mario, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. That's because most people seem to hate it. I like weird, and most people don't, I guess. FLUDD, FTW!

Stunt Race FX (SNES): Fantastic game that's I still find fun to play today. Sadly, it has a pretty bad framerate, and the controls are very hard to get used to.

Atari 2600 games: Because most modern gamers suck, and think they are archaic.

Yeah I had  a ton of fun with Sunshine.  Fatal Frame is a buy every game series love for me with niche appeal. Samba De Amigo, Call of duty reflex,  Excite Truck - I'll just stop listing my wii collection. And some point and click type adventure games.  And old arcade games that used to have that classic designation but are too old now to get much interest from anyone.

Probably Bayonetta. I really enjoy the game and it's one of the best action games I've ever played, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I don't think it's a game for everyone.

Same with Wet, Ghostbusters the Video Game, and Haunting Ground.

It completely depends on the person you are trying to recommend a game. Now in general yeah strange games like Yakuza would usually be a game I don't push hard on people. Shenmue as well. 3D Dot Game Heroes cause it is so geared to a specific fan base.

Sonic games...

Shut your pie hole Vader!

Everybody go out and buy Shemnue.

NOW.

Foolz said:

I'd actually be more inclined to recommend games that might have been critically poorly received as it provides a different perspective.

I do this if they are budget priced, but otherwise, generally, the critical consensus is correct, particularly when you factor in community reviews.

ASK_Story said:

Probably Bayonetta. I really enjoy the game and it's one of the best action games I've ever played, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I don't think it's a game for everyone.

Same with Wet, Ghostbusters the Video Game, and Haunting Ground.

"I don't think it's a game for everyone."  Yeah, I guess that is what drives my reluctance.  Hey, talk more about Wet and GB, why you liek them, why you think they might not click for a lot of folks.