How often did you rent video games and/or consoles? And what's your favorite rental of all time?

[Mr_No_U]

I was fortunate enough to have several video rental stores within walking distance growing up, including the big places like Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, etc. and also smaller mom n pop joints. Nowadays, I am also fortunate enough to be able to purchase my own games, even if I don't have the time to play them all anymore With that said, some of my favorite gaming memories as a kid involved going to the video store with family and friends and renting a couple of games to play over a long weekend.

One of the games I kept coming back to was Pokemon Stadium:

What's not to like? The full 3D Pokemon battles, the minigames, the often quirky music, wow! The game wasn't always in stock due to its popularity (you gotta remember Pokemania was still in full swing at the time), but we rented it every time we could.

How about you?

Note: I realize it's still very much possible to rent video games depending where you are located, in which case feel free to share your present day experiences.

 

[NarohDethan]

A couple of times every month. It sucked because Blockbuster was too expensive and local videoclubs would only allow you to have the game for one day only.

Goemon Great Adventure was my favorite.

 

[GamerJM]

I rented games on a weekly to biweekly basis in like, the Fall season, which was the biggest time for game releases usually. What I'd do is rent games maybe like 2-3 times a month to see what games I liked the most, and then ask for those games for Christmas. Outside of that I rarely ever rented games, it was typically a seasonal thing. I'd do it maybe a couple times during the Summer as well.

My favorite game I discovered during rental season was Soul Calibur II. I tore through the main single player in like two days, played a bunch of multiplayer with a friend, and unlocked I think every character except for Assassin. My favorite games that I originally wound up not buying were Pikmin 2 and the World Ends With You. I finally bought Pikmin 2 when it got rereleased on the Wii in 2012. TWEWY I bought a few years ago when DS games were going out of print, but I finally played through the whole game for the first time a few months ago (during my rental period way back in the day I only made it halfway through).

 

[Mekanos]

Consoles? Never.

Games? Back during Blockbuster's heyday, maybe once or twice every couple of months. The game I rented the most was definitely Sonic Adventure 2, to the point that I had cleared both Hero, Dark, and Final stories on it. It was only a few years later it occurred to me to actually buy it. I also rented Pokemon Crystal and then convinced my mom to buy Pokemon Crystal and give Blockbuster that cartridge instead so I could keep my save file. (Which I ended up deleting later anyway, lol.)

Definitely a lot of random N64 games that I rented too like Jet Force Gemini, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, etc. The last time I rented a game must have been around the mid 2000s before Blockbuster started tanking, but for the life of me I wouldn't be able to remember what.

 

[caff!!!]

Used to rent games all the time, but all the local rental places went belly up/sold off games by the ps3/360 era. Console rentals were almost always a no go due to deposits required on the systems

 

[Oscillator]

Because buying games cost WAY too much, especially in Canada, I got acquainted with a third of the Nintendo 64's library by renting 3 games for a week every three weeks. From early 1998 to mid 2000, I also rented the system, before finally getting my own. I also rented a Dreamcast once or twice. And in 2002, I started renting the Xbox and the GameCube. I didn't buy an Xbox until early 2004 when I got a small inheritance and signed up for high speed internet and Xbox Live. And I didn't buy a GameCube until 2006 when the price was down to $100 and Twilight Princess was coming up. The first non-bundled game I bought was Project Gotham Racing 2. As I'd had so much experience with the games via rental, I didn't own a Nintendo 64 game until many years after it was discontinued.

Most of my Nintendo 64 games/consoles, as well as the Dreamcast, were rented from Microplay until I think 2000, when a game (Jeopardy!, of all titles...) went missing and we refused to pay to replace it, then alternating between Blockbuster and Rogers Video, then later on including a local chain called Pick-A-Flick. The last couple of games I recall renting were The Godfather (close to its March 2006 release) for the original Xbox, and around that same time Blast Corps (which I'd managed to avoid for many years because I thought it looked too simplistic).

My favorite rental...hm. I suppose the games I have the strongest memories of in association with the rental experience are Ocarina of Time (which I rushed to beat just minutes before it had to be returned), as well as Jet Set Radio Future & Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions, which tie for the most exotic-feeling games I've ever rented.

I really loved the custom carrying cases these rental consoles came in. The Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast cases were the typical (but still cool) hard black plastic shells with soft foam inserts, but the Xbox and GameCube came in durable, themed carrying bags with shoulder straps.

 

[xsquiddox]

Only from friends and my favorite rental was Castlevania Cirlce of the Moon cuz it got me into Castlevania games and later metroid as a kid.

 

[Jarmusch]

Afaik theres no such thing in europe and if there ever was it was an extremely niche thing, so, never. Although it is the rare american thing that is actually a good communal idea, i think. I know people love to own stuff but sharing should actually be the way forward, as a way to cut down the crazy and unsustainable consumer based society we all live in. It certainly would benefit the environment and under specific conditions foster community ties, reduce alienation and so on.

Not talking just about games, of course.

 

[GamerJM]

Afaik theres no such thing in europe and if there ever was it was an extremely niche thing, so, never. Although it is the rare american thing that is actually a good communal idea, i think. I know people love to own stuff but sharing should actually be the way forward, as a way to cut down the crazy and unsustainable consumer based society we all live in. It certainly would benefit the environment and under specific conditions foster community ties, reduce alienation and so on.

Not talking just about games, of course.

Renting actually costs a good amount of money, depending on the rental store you went to. It wasn't really something I'd categorize as "sharing", and it didn't foster community ties any more than seeing people at your local GameStop would. You certainly cut down on costs if you only play through the game once within a week's time, though.

Apparently you can get games from some libraries here though, which imo is a fantastic idea for all of the reasons you stated and is actually something that's truly communal, but also less common.

 

[sir_AnGer]

I'm trying to think if one of the towns nearby had a rental store with video games growing up. I think the two bigger towns did, but we never got anything as a rental - my parents are the furthest thing from movie buffs and barely care about any media, often even were opposed to me playing video/computer games (or watching movies or reading comics/manga (or anything outside of books they considered 'serious')), so rental just wasn't a thing we did.

There were a few stores in Germany that did video game rentals (my copy of the first Shadow Hearts for PS2 is a rental version), but none of it was in my area that I know of.

 

[Alent]

Every Friday me and my dad would go in to town and rent a game/film each. Almost every week i would rent Grandia to the point the staff would hold the game back specifically for me lol Sometime later my friend sold me her copy for cheap so i finally owned it.

I remember i would always look longing at Pokemon Stadium and Banjo but i never have an N64.

 

[Diddy Kong]

There was a Blockbuster in my area but I didn't rent games too often. I remember one time I rented Banjo-Kazooie from a different rental place (I think it was called Planet Video) and I loved the game so much that my mom bought it from them when we went to return it.

 

[Jarmusch]

Renting actually costs a good amount of money, depending on the rental store you went to. It wasn't really something I'd categorize as "sharing", and it didn't foster community ties any more than seeing people at your local GameStop would. You certainly cut down on costs if you only play through the game once within a week's time, though.

Apparently you can get games from some libraries here though, which imo is a fantastic idea for all of the reasons you stated and is actually something that's truly communal, but also less common.

yes, i understand, i was just letting my mind wander for a bit when i posted x) pay no mind but thanks for clarifying. The most similar thing we had here in my country were non corporate video rentals, where you'd actually establish a rapport with the clerk, neighbours and so on...different times, but yeah, blockbusters were never a big thing here

 

[Ystad]

I used to rent late NES and early SNES games until summer 1993 in Sweden. Some video rentals also carried games.
One place was closed on Sundays, so I rented early Saturday and returned late Monday. Price was counted as one day.
Favorite? Maybe Castlevania 4 or Lagoon.

 

[E.Gadd]

This was how I got to play games for so long as a kid. It was more of a monthly thing until my parents got us a N64, then it became weekly, as they liked to do the "rent multiple videos get one free" deal and games counted!

We actually owned Mario Kart 64, but renting is how I first got to play Mario 64, GoldenEye, Turok, Diddy Kong Racing, Star Fox, the Mario Party games, etc.

But those were the in demand games everyone was trying to rent, so usually you'd be SOL. But not wanting to not rent a game that weekend, you'd pick out something random. That's how I first discovered Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon which absolutely blew my mind back then. BattleTanx, Snowboard Kids, the Rush games... there were lots of great surprises each weekend.

There were duds too, but those don't stick with you lol.

Anyway, years after the fact when I was living on my own, I heard from a cousin that they were shutting the place down and selling everything. I went back there and was actually able to buy several games, including the copy of Goemon that I had rented so much!

 

[Mr_No_U]

This was how I got to play games for so long as a kid. It was more of a monthly thing until my parents got us a N64, then it became weekly, as they liked to do the "rent multiple videos get one free" deal and games counted!

We actually owned Mario Kart 64, but renting is how I first got to play Mario 64, GoldenEye, Turok, Diddy Kong Racing, Star Fox, the Mario Party games, etc.

But those were the in demand games everyone was trying to rent, so usually you'd be SOL. But not wanting to not rent a game that weekend, you'd pick out something random. That's how I first discovered Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon which absolutely blew my mind back then. BattleTanx, Snowboard Kids, the Rush games... there were lots of great surprises each weekend.

There were duds too, but those don't stick with you lol.

Anyway, years after the fact when I was living on my own, I heard from a cousin that they were shutting the place down and selling everything. I went back there and was actually able to buy several games, including the copy of Goemon that I had rented so much!

Damn, that’s a great way to discover Mystical Ninja! I like that you got to get the game in the end.

 

[E.Gadd]

Damn, that’s a great way to discover Mystical Ninja! I like that you got to get the game in the end.

It's that one game I'll have to be buried with I guess lol

 

[Seacat]

Every week my brothers and I could pick a game to rent, which was how we played most of the games we played. Really hard to think back on a specific favourite. I have solid memories of Bomberman Hero because we rented that one a number of times, and always got stuck on the first Nitros fight. When my two brothers were allowed to pick a game to buy as a birthday gift, I remember being real upset that they wanted Bomberman Hero because I was convinced we'd be stuck on that fight forever lol. We weren't of course, but in any case, that was probably the most memorable of our rentals.

Never rented a console. Only non-game thing I remember renting once was the DK bongos as part of a Donkey Konga rental lol

 

[Benzychenz]

Practically all I owned on N64 was Pokémon lol.

I rented Mario Kart, Mario Golf, Paper Mario, and Mario Party from memory.

I only ever got up to Toad Town in Paper Mario as a rental, but the game really stuck with me and I bought it on Wii VC and played through it.

Also later rented PS2 games. I know I rented Kingdom Hearts multiple times and never actually owned a copy until much later which is real odd looking back on it.

 

[Fanto]

At least once a month back when I was a kid. I only owned maybe like, 5 games for my Genesis, and like 2 for my NES, but rentals let me play sooooo many games. I rented stuff all the way through the Gamecube/PS2/Xbox era in my teens as well, but definitely less often.

As for my favorite rental of all time? Probably Phantasy Star IV, since my parents wound up buying it for me after a while because I would rent it all the time lol.

 

[Emily]

Never rented consoles, but my family rented games almost every month at Blockbuster.

 

[Gles]

I only rented games when I had the N64 and I never owned a single game, my parents only allowed me to play games on the weekend, so I rented every week.
I think I played a lot of the N64 library lol, but the game that I always rented if there wasn't anything new was Ocarina of Time.

 

[Mazzle]

Never had.
Our rental shop had movies but no games.

 

[Pineapple]

Every Friday as a kid I was allowed to rent a game. Most of the stand out titles were always gone, so I usually got random stuff like Chamelon Twist 2. Out of the major games I was able to rent a few times my favorite was OOT. It always cost too much to full out buy and I didn't have my own copy of it until the 3DS release. I miss having a store to rent games from. I hate using Gamefly since the whole process takes forever. Figures by the time I could take myself to the store all of these stores closed down. lol

If I had a store to rent from I would rent more than I buy.

 

[wiiucollector]

For me it was Mega Drive games (both Golden Axe and Streets of Rage 1s and 2s being the repeats). I don't recall doing it for the SNES at all let alone subsequent platforms.

 

[crepuscule]

I'm pretty young compared to you boomers but blockbuster was still around where I lived until 2014 and Amazon's lovefilm still rented games by post then as well. And I believe boomerang is still somehow holding on to this day. Some of my favourite rentals were rayman Origins and Galaxy 2. Didn't rent that often though.

Envious that American libraries lend video games too apparently. Never seen a library in the UK do that (though tbf they were significantly defunded by bloody tory austerity).

 

[DrDave]

I first tried SNES thanks to my parents who rented one at launch in 1991. I also rented a Dreamcast and a Xbox 360 at launch, though I never owned these systems. I remember renting a Sega Genesis also, late in the system’s life, to play Sonic 3 and… the Power Rangers game, of all things.

Games though, I rented quite a lot. This went on from the NES throughout the Gamecube days, but it was in the SNES era that it was more frequent, pretty much weekly. I have so many memories, such as my first RPG experiences with Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG, which made me a fan of the genre. This was also how I played through the whole Mega Man series up to that point. One of my most special memories of renting games however, must be the original Zelda. I still remember how the hauntingly beautiful opening music struck a chord right away in my young gamer’s heart and that was the start of my lifelong relationship with my favorite series.

 

[Indyblue]

My friends and I rented games all the time back in the 90s. I also remember renting a Saturn and PlayStation a few times.

 

[Almadel]

Almost weekly my family would go to rent movies (and me games). Some bad......but some my favorites of all time.

 

[Stu Benedict]

favorite rental was goldeneye

i'd played it at compusa briefly. had a chance to rent it from a local video store (not blockbuster) for a week. rental boxes from this place were black vhs cases with the name of the game printed and taped on them. that weekend, we were staying at my grandparents' place though, so i didn't get a chance to play it much. i'd almost forgotten about the rental and in a panic told my dad that we needed to get the game back to the store because of the late fees. as an adult i have a different view of money, but i thought this was a big deal at the time, and was also concerned that i'd be considered irresponsible and unable to rent games again.

he told me to go get the rental box. it should be in the drawer under the tv. so i rushed over, opened the drawer, and found the actual game box inside. underneath it was the game box for banjo-kazooie too.

over the weekend, my dad had returned the rental, purchased the real game, and also asked the sales clerk what were considered good games for the n64 (hence banjo - i'd never heard of it until that moment).

 

[Mr_No_U]

Our rental shop had movies but no games.

Whaaaaaaaaaat

 

[Tangerine_Cookie]

My entire NES/SNES era involved renting a game pretty much every weekend. I also remember renting some N64 games when it released, but after that pretty much all rental places began closing up.

They were very different times.

 

[Josh5890]

So I'm not sure if I ever told this story but I rented a game once that changed my life.

So where I grew up we had a movie/game rental store. Growing up we used to go there once a month. My siblings and I could each get a game and a movie. I'm honestly not sure how it is still running to be honest. Anyway in my teen years I mainly played sports games and Nintendo 64. I hardly looked at other stuff. Well one day in 2007/2008 I saw this game and decided that I wanted to play Sonic again since it had been like ten years.

Well I got home and booted it up. Suddenly I see a list of games that I have never heard of. Golden Axe? Shinobi? Phantasy Star? What are these games. Next thing I know I am doing internet searches on everything I can find and I everything I look up brings me more questions than answers. Phantasy Star has an MMO? They made three games about a dolphin? Altered Beast made a Screw Attack top 10 list? Wait, what the heck is this Screw Attack website? I literally had the greatest epiphany of my life in realizing that there were so many games that I was missing.

Needless to say as soon as it was time to return the game to the rental store I was out buying the actual game itself. I spent countless hours playing all of the games and whenever Sega released a new collection for a different system I made sure to pick it up. After that I started researching more deeply into games and following the industry. Next thing I knew I was spending more money collecting games then I probably should have. Ever since then I became more than just an average casual gamer.

 

[AceBandage]

My favorite rental of all time was Dune for the Genesis. I probably rented it 20 times. I should have just bought it but I was a dumb kid.

 

[sweetmini]

Weekly for me, my favorite rental was Last Resort with a NeoGeo, got so in love with it that i worked in a shop after school, building computers, to buy the system (and rent games for it ahaha xD Last Resort being the game i bought it with).

 

[7threst]

I rented monthly. My favourite game? Ninja Gaiden on NES. I rented it so many times. Still haven't finished it lol.

 

[Mr_No_U]

I rented monthly. My favourite game? Ninja Gaiden on NES. I rented it so many times. Still haven't finished it lol.

The NG soundtrack is so goood