I recently went on a rant about Smash Bros Wii U's single-player/Challenges section after getting infuriated with it last night, and it got me thinking about how I use my free time for gaming.

Pretty much everyone here is an adult, and as adults, we have a lot less free time than we did as kids. Do you find that your gaming habits have changed in terms of what you spend your time on now? Were you the type that got all 120 stars in Mario 64 when you were 11, but now can't be bothered to finish (or even open) half the games you buy? Or is it more of a game-by-game thing, where you try to 100% complete your favorites and simply do a quick run through of other games? I still try to go for 100%, but I have to admit that it seems kind of pointless nowadays if I'm not really enjoying myself. In the back of my mind, I kind of think "It'd be great to have this fully complete and show people or something," but I know that'll never happen--no one cares if I get every doodad in a platformer!

Aging is kind of a freaky thing. I used to spend hours in games' edit modes, like Mario Paint's song creator, and Warcraft 2's stage builder. Nowadays, I'd rather spend that time creating something I can use in real life (art, music, candy ideas, etc).

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, at what point do you throw your hands up with a game and decide that your time is better spent on another game, or on work, etc?

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When it's repetitive too.

To 100% SM3DW, you have to beat the entire game 5 times (once with each character.)

What a joke.

@Shadowlink Or you could play multiplayer. Just sayin'. Or "cheat" by using three other controllers to bring in three more characters right at the end and have them all jump on the flag.

@Jargon Well, with the Wii, only some games allowed you to copy save files. With few exceptions, ones that had online modes would not allow you to copy their saves. Of course, this included Brawl since it had an online mode, so it was not able to be copied. And the exceptions would only partially copy the save data, leaving the online data behind. You could copy all saves using homebrew, but not regularly.

@Mop it up

I know, but since you can back up Smash Bros Wii U's game save, it seemed natural that you'd be able to copy it. They must have gone out of their way to make it impossible.

@Shadowlink

I did it.

BOOM.

*drop mic*

(by the final time I was pretty pissed at the game and myself)

.. Yeah I'd have to say when it's no longer 'fun'... Time is so limited these days - there are some games I wish I had more time to play but I'd say that I'm pretty happy with just seeing the credits now and don't feel bad if I haven't seen every secret.

Mario games and other platformers have been the first for me to just 'beat' and not worry about collectiing everything. I still try for every heart piece etc in Zelda although I didn't get too close in terms of collecting everything in A link between worlds..

Smash Bros 4 reminded me that I'm just not cut out to unlock everything in the 1P mode. Unlocking stages and players are my goal..and as much bonus music as possible follows - After that, I may try a few times but spending hours on button mashing for an extra 'trinket' is just not worth it. There are better things to do.

@Mop it up

I think I tried the multi-controller option, but you gotta move fast IIRC? Theres only a small window between when the first character jumps and when the level 'finishes'.

Wasn't worth it in the end. And Multiplayer isn't much of an option for me. The one friend who enjoys playing the game insists on playing on his own file.

@DrFinkelstein

Hah. Serves you right

Hero_Of_Hyrule said:

@gojira

Zelda had a bunch of hearts and some optional item upgrades like rings

True, but I was trying to think of a game specifically acknowledging doing everything. Not the ability to do everything.

I'll play a game as long as I'm having fun with it. I don't have any obsessive need to complete everything and I never have.

I only 100% achievable, arcadey games like Kirby's Nightmare in Dreamland and Donkey Kong: King of Swing. Even finishing a game is something of an achievement for me. When I was a kid, I rarely even tried to do that. And there was a period where I was buying tons of games and playing each for, like, thirty minutes before shelving it for the next one. But I've consciously gotten better about that. Now I buy tons of games and play one or two at a time to something close to completion, with the unplayed pile steadily growing and growing and growing...

Although I am terribly ashamed that I'm still rolling through StreetPass games just to get all of the Tickets. The final ones are just ridic.

100%ing a game becomes a waste of time once the game stops being fun for me. I know it sounds simple, but...that's all it takes. If I'm having a good time, why stop?