[Penarin]

Did you ever buy a console to play just one game? Of course later you moved on and bought other games, but let's talk about that initial system seller.

I've owned a lot of consoles over the years, but for me this has only happened twice:

Bought a Genesis to play Might and Magic: Gates to Another World.*

Bought a PS2 to play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Years back it was the Genesis vs the SNES. I had an SNES and was a happy customer. I knew about Sonic, and was impressed, but not enough to reach for my wallet. Then I spent a weekend at my cousin's house playing Might and Magic (6 MEGA with battery backup). It was so hardcore- no hand holding, no typical story flow, no perky hero, you could go anywhere right away, and there were lots of numbers to crunch. Plus it came with a fantastic hint book that added detail and backstory. It had some nice art and really rounded out the world. Well, that did it for me- mowed some lawns, saved some money, and made the purchase.

Then there's the PS2 and GTA: SA. I'd played GTA3 and Vice City on the PC, and really enjoyed them, but then I heard that San Andreas would only be on the PS2, at least for a while. So let's do this thing. This was right about the time the new slimline PS2 was coming out. I wanted the tried and true larger, older design, so I got a new one at a nice price. Went to a midnight release of GTA: SA and played half the night. The PS2 then went on to become one of my favorite systems, and I'm up to around 30 games. Oh, and the moment the PC version of GTA SA came out I got rid of the Playstation version. But still, they got me.

Your turn.



* wonder if I am the only person in North America who bought a Genesis to play Might and Magic...