Alright, I'm relatively new to the Fallout series, jumping on the FO3 bandwagon. Only to discover a massive backstory that interests me.
Admittedly, I'd never even heard of the games until recently, so should I play Fallout 1 or Fallout 2?
I've done all of Fallout 3 and all the DLCs numerous times, enough times to 'get it'.

Will it enlighten me in way? I've checked out the wiki enough to be interested.

Thanks in advance!

Yes. Keep an open mind, save often, and don't spoil it by cheating/reading Per's guide before you play through it at least once.

They are very rewarding games.

Take it from me, Its a great game but you need to understand something. It requires thinking and a lot of it. You cant just go into a place guns blazing like in fallout 3, and expect to not be badly wounded or dead. Its a good game though, I think you should try it!

I can put it this way..... Fallout 3 bears little or no resemblance to either previous title in the series. The first two were designed for computers without 3d video cards (IE they don't need or use them.)

The games require a different mindset to play (but its not hard to get used to them); All this said... Bethesda willingly paid 6 (or 7?) million dollars just to have the name and the tattered remnants of the franchise.

The game will only impress a certain few based on graphics, and is more likely to impress with setting and depth alone. Personally I prefer the combat of the first two games over Fallout 3 by leaps and bounds (but this only applies to the series proper, meaning, that it is because it is a Fallout game, that I'd prefer the series mechanics over the recent deviation.)

If you are truly keen on the back story and like to dig for it... play the games (in order 1>2). I can't recommend them highly enough.

But you should watch a few Youtube videos of the games in action before buying them.

The old Fallouts aren't for everybody. In the same way that not everyone who enjoyed the original games liked Fallout 3 - if you liked Fallout 3 it's by no means a guarantee that you're going to have much fun with the earlier ones. There's certainly a lot of people who like both, of course.

If you're looking for an experience that's akin to Fallout 3, you won't find that in Fallout 1 and 2. If you like isometric turn-based roleplaying games with a bit more of a learning curve (I never had trouble with it, myself, but everyone's experience will be different - it does have extensive in-game documentation,) then you'll probably like Fallout 1 and 2. If that's not your idea of a fun game, then honestly you probably are better off without it (because that's what it is, obviously.)

Also, none of the events in Fallout 3 are really connected to the older games, either. This was done on purpose, of course - they wanted to reach a wider audience this time around without having to retread ground covered in previous games. If you're interested in just seeing more of the background of the game, then it might be useful. But playing the older games I don't think is really going to illuminate Fallout 3 to any great extent, either. You'll get some of the "in jokes," and Easter Eggs, but I wouldn't expect too much more, to be honest.

It's kind of hard for someone else to you if you should buy a game or not, though. I mean, I can't tell ahead of time what you're going to like. For example, if you really want to start at the beginning, you have to go all the way back to the franchises spiritual predecessor, Wasteland. (Which was what, for the Commodore 64 or something like that, originally?) The game was so old-school, you had to play the game with a little choose-you-own-adventure sort of book... I like my classic games, but I have to admit that was a little over my own threshold.

Its a pretty unforgiving game and aside from the story and weapons its nothing like FO3, so dont go into it expecting FO3, but if you do decide to go into it, save often, dont read about the story (theres some awesome parts) and just play though also SAVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN (especially on the lower levels).

If you liked Fallout 3 for the atmosphere and story, you'll like the classics. If you liked Fallout 3 for the gameplay system, then the originals are probably not for you.

But give them a shot, they don't cost a lot.

FO1 & 2 are pure hardcoe RPGs from the 90's and they're great ones at that.

As hardcoe RPGs they have absolutely no action elements - which means that your reflexes and clicking/button pushing skills will not be put to the test at any time -- it's the character in the game that's going to do all the dirty work for you.

And that's a huge difference from FO3. I would strongly recommend them if you also like other non-action RPGs like Neverwinter nights for example, or if you also like strategy games (especially turn based ones), or if you also like playing... board games like chess or monopoly.

I would strongly recommend to stay away from them if you don't find any point in games that don't require any 'physical' involvement from you, like moving fast, shooting fast, dodging bullets and aiming right.

They both have their good and bad points, and really shouldn't be compared to each other. Modern RPGs are nothing like 90's RPGs.

However, Fallout 1 and 2 (especially 2, in my opinion) are so much fun. I'm currently at Vault City, and because I decided to play a big, dumb brute who swings around a sledgehammer (mostly because I couldn't kill anything in the temple of trials unless I went with the melee skill and used my spear), I'm having some trouble gaining entry to the Vault, on account of failing the citizenship test repeatedly. I'm also broke, but that happens to me in all RPGs.

I love New Reno, too. Jagged Jimmy J just cracks me up.

Really helpful stuff, thank you all. I really appreciate the input about the gameplay being nothing like FO3, as honestly, that what I was expecting.
I think I can't hurt anything by getting them both on eBay for $5. I've been around gaming long enough (mid-80's!) to appreciate atmosphere as opposed to graphics, especially with todays stuff being so vivid.
I can slap them on my decrepit laptop when the wife plays Peggle, and she plays the 360 that she hates so much, for hours on end
Thanks again!

Oh you'll love them then.
Hey, make sure to read the FO1 manual when you get them - it's a work of art by itself!

I think anybody should love Fallout whether you like the mechanics or not, I don't like turn based isometric and Fallout's combat was bad for a turn based combat game, so there was very little enjoyment to be had for me in that aspect, despite this, Fallout 1 and 2 are my favorite games ever

If you love mature themes, freedom, violence, choices and consequences, and great dialog like most RPGs fail at, then it is possible to look past the graphics and combat, how can you not love a game with drugs and prostitution?

Why not, even if you hate them they're 5 bucks.

I still prefer the gore effects of FO 1 & 2 over 3. The animation where the target is twitching when receiving a burst to the chest is priceless.

I remember when i first found the water chip, the super mutants were all like, sure right this way...and then they droped me into the FEV vats and i died. awsome game and FO1 2 and tactics are in a collection now for 20 bucks, hangon i gotta go to target.

Yeah, got something going on eBay right now..... Keep me busy until MZ comes out.

Never played the second one (unfortunately) but the first one was the best in the series in my opinion so far /puts on flameproof suit.....

Same here :foodndrink:

Yes, there is something to be said for that. (My favorite was when you blow a big chunk out of them and they kind of wobble a bit before keeling over. )

Does BOZAR hunting ring a bell?

Oh, I recommend just downloading them on gog.com or buying the Fallout Trilogy

There is a collection that I see with Fallout 1,2 and Tactics. I wanted to know if I need to buy the one collection that has the European rating or ESRB rating? also will it work on vista?

After you play the Classic Fallout's, you'll never want to play Fallout 3 again.

It will work on Vista. The European version might have the children removed, but it doesn't really matter, since there's a small fan patch for that.

BestBuy has Fallout 1,2, and Tactics packed together for like $20