I have invested in the current, soon to be obsolete, generation of consoles like no other. Having discovered some gem games, it was only natural to seek out similar experiences by researching game reviews online. It is hard to know where to start though, so I used sites like Metacritic and Game Rankings. In this way I bought a number of games that although universally praised, just didn't appeal to me. I have since learnt that taste in games can be as selective as taste in music or anything else, so a reviewer's taste in games is of paramount importance. This might be obvious to some people, but it wasn't to me.
An example is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It took the first boss for me to realise how much I hated the game. I couldn't summon the motivation to continue after that, for I found the experience so profoundly painful. I could have gritted my teeth and pushed on, but I had done that with Knights of the Old Republic and had not received adequate compensation. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time might be 10/10 if you have a passion for collecting hearts and gems, fighting boss monsters, and you are enthralled by cliched, childish stories, but for other people it might not rate so well.
Similarly, I thought Metroid Prime would be excellent. I love the Metroid series, being a particular fan of 2D platform games, but Metroid Prime was horrible for me. The claustrophobic feeling of the suit, the tedious method you had to employ to find out information, the frustrating controls, and the irritating boss battles all nearly led me to destroy the game disc in anger.
I have long loved role playing games. From the old Sierra, point and click adventures of Hero's Quest and Space Quest, to more sophisticated games like Fallout and Baldur's Gate - they have been games that I have really enjoyed. How was I to know that Japanese games of this type would be unbearable to me? How could I have known that the very similar game mechanics could become almost magically tedious? It is true that some of the reviews warned of cliched story lines, but a more dire warning was needed I feel. Maybe a warning like this: "WARNING: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CONSIDER THIS GAME IF YOU ARE ABOVE THE AGE OF TEN!"
Tales of Symphonia is the first and only jap RPG I will play. I know there are legions of fans who swear by Final Fantasy, but I just know I will hate those games.
I haven't mentioned the HELL I went through with Ninja Gaiden, nor the intense nausea that Beyond Good and Evil filled me with, but if you think they are examples of under appreciated games, I bet you haven't even heard of Do Don Pachi Daioujou or ESPGaluda.
Now I'm not prepared to suggest the above games are bad. I just lack the needed temperament to enjoy such games. However, I do wish I had learnt this about myself before wasting money. I guess there is always Ebay - someone out there must want the Legend of Zelda: Collectors Edition...