Playstation 3 - Which older games to get at reduced prices?

Welcome to my Fun with Playstation blog. I've been a somewhat casual to serious gamer since the Atari and Coleco vision systems were around in the 80's. I've owned a few Nintendo systems, A Sega Genesis and all 3 PlayStation consoles, plus a PSP. So I've played a lot of video games in my time.

Down the road I'll get some reviews up of the more current games I am playing but for now, Lets go over some of the past games that are already out for the PlayStation 3 that I recommend. I'll also be going over some PSP games as well.

Games are expensive, lets face it. $60 bucks a pop takes a big chunk out of the entertainment budget. So one of the best ways to save on games is to wait and buy them used, wait for a price reduction, or simply rent it for a week or 2. This is usually what a casual gamer does. More serious gamers will probably fork over the full cost just to play the game right away. EBay is another option to find decent prices on games.

Well, if you're looking for older games, which are the best to get? Here are the PlayStation games I've played over the past couple years and if i recommend them or not. I'm also a big fan of eBay where there are deals to be found. I'll post some direct search links to ebay as well.

Must play games:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - This is THE 1st person game to get. Great graphics, tight controls, amazing sound. This game has it all. The single player campaign is short and will only last about 6 hours, however, the value is in the online play which will keep you busy for hours and perhaps days at a time. Call of Duty 5 is coming out this holiday season, so expect a big chunk the online community to migrate over from COD4 to COD5 come Christmas morning. Find Call of Duty 4 on eBay, click here

Rock Band - If you're into rock/alternative music but don't have a shred of musical talent, then this game is for you. A huge improvement over the Guitar Hero franchise adding in drums, bass guitar, and a microphone for singing to complete the total band experience. This is a great multi player and party game as well as a one person game. The 70 or so songs on the disk will keep you busy for hours and then there is a large variety of downloadable content that adds to the fun. To find Rock Band on eBay, click here

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - Think Tomb Raider meets Indiana Jones except with a good story. This third person action/adventure game will last you about 10 hours but if you try to collect all the trophies, then that number will increase and give you a bit of re-play value. To find Uncharted on eBay, click here

Ratchet & Clank - Tools of Destruction - If you've played any of the R&C games from the PS2....and you liked them, this will not disappoint. It is a 3d platform game and is a lot of fun. Great graphics and story. Will probably last you about 10-15 hours to complete. Unfortunately there are no trophies or online play but once you beat it, it is worth a 2nd play through on a harder level. To find R&C - Tools of Destruction on eBay, click here.

NHL 08 - EA games has come close to mastering the NHL experience. Although this game does have its hes, the game play is superb. Although, NHL 2k8 has a superior season mode, NHL 08 beats it in every other aspect. NHL 09 is currently out so the 08 version will be quite cheap. Your rosters may not as up to date, but the core game play has not changed all that much between years. To find NHL 08 on eBay, click here

Warhawk - A third person action war game that is played totally online. There is no one player campaign with this game. The game makers have made several upgrades to this game since its release in fall 2007 including trophies, new maps, weapons, vehicles and player customizations. Graphics are a little more cartoon than say a Call of Duty war game, but only a little. The graphics are still very good, sound is great and game play is fun. There is still a strong community with this game so there is still a lot of value if you purchase it. To find Warhawk on ebay, click here

Ninja Gaiden Sigma - This is an action packed third person game filled with a lot of violence and blood. Great weapon upgrades, combos and boss fights make for tight game play. The difficulty level is also quite high compared to other games so it may take you a bit longer to finish this. Maybe close to 18-20 hours. To find NGS on eBay, click here

Games I haven't played but MAY be worth a buy:

Metal Gear Solid 4 - If you like the others, my understanding is this one is the best of the bunch. Also its suppose to have great online play. To find MGS4 on eBay, click here

Devil May Cry 4 - I'm not a huge fan of the goth, zombie type games but DMC4 was reasonably well reviewed in the Video Game community and if you liked any of the previous 3 installments, then you'll probably enjoy this one too. To find DMC4 on eBay, click here

Civilization Revolution - A world domination strategy game. Very popular series on the PC now on the PS3. From what I've read, PC fans of this series will not like the transfer to the PS3 but if you've never played it before, it was very well reviewed by other gaming sites. To find Civilization Revolution on eBay, click here.


Possible Renters, but not worth a buy:

Resistance: Fall of Man - This game was launched with the PlayStation 3 release so its a couple of years old now. You can buy this game brand new or used at a fairly reasonable price. It has gone classic which means, $30 brand new i believe. It is a pretty decent first person shooter, even with the two player campaign but the true value was in the online play. If there is anyone still playing this game online, look for them to be moving on to Resistance 2 over the holidays. Worth a rent for the 1 or 2 player campaign, but once it's done, you might as well you wont want to play it again.

Heavenly Sword - Lets face it, there was a lot of hype for this game, calling it the female version of God of War but that was just too much to live up to. Although it didn't meet expectations, it still is a decent game to play. The combat system is a little different to get use to compared to GOW but the story is intriguing and the girl is hot. Unfortunately the game is short and will not last you more than 6 hours to beat with not much replay value and zero online play.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance - This is a mediocre dungeon crawler with Marvel's comic book characters. If you're a Marvel fan, you'll like the selection of different characters but in the end, the crappy dialog, repetitive game play and button mashing may be too much for some to take. If played to the end, this game is actually quite long. Maybe 15-20 hours to beat. If you can beat the game, you won't ever want to pick it up again. Only check this game out if you're a Comic Book fan. On a side note, there is a new Marvel Alliance game coming out in Q1 2009.

Games to Avoid - BAD-BAD-BAD-BAD - STAY AWAY

Assassin's Creed

Army of Two

Conan

Lair