Unexpected greatness of games

[PkmnTrainerJ]

So I just completed Hotel Dusk after getting it a few months ago (lost it at one point, so didn't play on it for about two months) and it's like playing an interactive mystery novel with point & click and puzzle elements thrown in.

Very, very good game and as it was new developers back then (Cing, now have a Wii game in the line) I wasn't expecting too much, but it had the right amount of mystery to it and enough little mini-game moments to keep me playing.

If you're thinking about getting a new DS game, I highly recommend it. Also if you do get it, try not to look at an FAQ. I looked once and got annoyed at myself for doing so and then went through the rest of the game without.

What games have you purchased that you didn't think too highly of, but then they smacked you around the face with a wet kipper of awesome?

[Herr Matzat]

Maybe KOTOR becaus you never expected anything that good from a Movie/Star Wars game. But i have to say that i just got it some day, i think mayne people weree hyped before it came out.

Katamari Damancy for shure.

[Cactus Drags]

Yeah, I burnt copies of the Katamari games because I was curious (probably more bemused), but there was no way in hell I was dropping £30 on one, and even more to import the other when I was a broke-ass student. Turned out they were awesome, and my girlfriend at the time fell in love them and I didn't see my PS2 for about 6 weeks.

Saints Row was a surprise too. I wrote it off as a shoddy GTA rip-off, then it turned out everyone at EWB on XBL loved it, so I got it and it's ace. Sequel looks even better.

[Steeb]

Phoenix Wright: Justice For All.

Usually, I don't dig a lot of the games that get so much net popularity - or at least don't become fanatical about them. However, PW has totally sucked me in, and I adore it.

[Cactus Drags]

See, I went the other way with the Phoenix Wright series, I thought it didn't match the hype at all. It's more a matter of exhausting your options than actually using any skill or clever thought.

[Gazz]

Fallout.

Picked it up YEARS ago on a whim as the 3rd game in a 3 for £20 deal.

Now I am a true fanboy

[Scott McFly]

Agreed with Hotel Dusk. Great game, obviously not much replayability to it once you've got through it, but it's got a fantastic story that really sucks you in and is genuinely quite creepy on some occasions. I remember I used to play a little every night once I'd gone to bed in the dark with my headphones on and a rumble pack in. But I'm the same as J - I bought it when it came out to support the developers and the type of game etc., played a little bit to try it out and then just left it for ages until playing through the rest. Think it was maybe about 6 months or so. IIRC, it was Phoenix Wright: JFA I played in between (obviously not for the full 6 months...) and that led me onto carrying on with Hotel Dusk. I normally try not to, but I did look a guide a couple of times when I was totally stumped as what I was supposed to do. I don't think it spoiled anything else apart from how far through the game I was, but obviously I'd have preferred not to know that either.

Anyway, quick mention for Point Blank DS. There's not much to it, so only get it in a sale or whatever, but if you loved the arcade games like I did (always the first thing I played if I spotted one) then this is a great little port with single card play and everything.

[Toe]

The Outfit for the 360. I thought it was going to suck, but it was good and a lot of fun to play through with a friend.

[Guest Offbeat Bareass]

Kingdom Hearts probably. I knew some people liked it, but I never really got into those kind of games.

[oldskool]

The World Ends With You was a great pickup. Very inventive, tough as hell, and I only had to power-level for the final boss which was very nice. Plus the "New Game+" mechanism it has is very cool, as you can jump to any point in the game and if you do certain tasks you get more game backstory, and all the while you can fast-forward through the cutscenes. That's ace.