Mario 64 is a classic game now. Second. By that definition. Whatever that dumbass rugrats game for the GameCube is...

You run around and collect batterys, you have to solve puzzles, and collect coins, go to the right places at the right times.

So Rugrats is hardcore.

Hardcore is NOT WarCraft3, Hardcore is NOT Diablo2, Hardcore is NOT WoW. Hardcore is NOT Halo2+3.

I consider something hardcore... Something made for... a few select people. X3 is Hardcore, Civ is Hardcore.

However I do think that most of the time that mature/not mature games is another way to define hardcore.

Games like Duke Nukem are ***mature*** I hate to say it, but In terms of a general audiance the Original Duke Nukem 3D, was probibally one of the most mature games in history. Why? How many games do you know of you can run around and blow up pigs wearing cop uniforms, and give money to strippers?!? 

I wouldn't call those hardcore, more a different type of casual. ;>

That's why you can't really call something hardcore, it's all opinion. Like you said "I consider..." That's what you think is hardcore and that's cool. I think that anyone who spends 10+ hours a day playing any game is hardcore. If someone plays Rugrats 10+ hours a day....I think that's pretty hardcore. But that's my opinion, feel free to disagree. 

I believe there are hardcore tetris gamers. Although the game has been made for casual gamers.

Civ and X3 are made for hardcore gamers. There will be a fewcasual gamers who lookat the back of the cover and think hey that looks cool. In the end they are not satisfied with that game cause it's too hard.

It's funny but even rugrats can be hardcore only a very few people would with this game. 8 year old kids could be hardcore gamers. But you can also say that kid is just very very good at that game. You can play a casual game hardcore style. Speed runs are a good example.

But that's about gamers.

About games: It depends on were you draw the line between hardcore and casual. Although I think that Counterstike is a hardcore game. It became so popular that casual gamers began to buy and play it.

The adult or kiddie type of game doesn't determine if it's hardcore it's the amount of depth to the game.

 There are games that are in the middle of both, Mario and GTA are both not hardcore games neither are they casual games.

Pokemon is a kiddie game but it is a hardcore game, so it's not a question of how  'adult' a game is.

Hmm, what is a hardcore gamer...

Well, many may dispute this, or deny it, but a hardcore gamer has to NOT have a life. I honestly do not mean this to be insulting, for I probably have less of a life than most anyone on here.  My entire life is dedicated to gaming, it revolves around it. That's all there is.  Without video games all I would do is sit around and watch re-runs on cartoon Network. I have such little of a life, I'm probably considered legally dead in some states, and I am proud of it!

Now that that is out of the way; a hardcore gamer must like every type of game, literally.  They must like FPS, they must like strategy, turn based, RPGs,  simple games, complex games, sports games (although maybe a bit more casual on the sports games). They may not necessarily have to like stupid fun games, like WarioWare, although honestly, the only reason anyone should not enjoy a game like WarioWare is simply due to pride, and if you let your pride get in the way of enjoying ANY video game, your not only NOT a hardcore gamer, but your a disgrace to gaming. (That's right, I said it)

A hardcore gamer should not base a game on graphics, but on gameplay, storyline, level design, game length, replay value a little bit, and yes, graphics should also be considered A LITTLE BIT PENDING,  etc. A hardcore gamer SHOULD NOT factor in all those things for every game, he/she should be able to figure out what the game is trying to accomplish, and graphics is often times not one of those goals, and SHOULD ALWAYS be the least important goal of any game.  The prime importance for any game for any hardcore gamer, is simply, how much fun/enjoyable the game is. Graphics should always be the last thing that’s thought about.

Hardcore gamers should have an urge to beat every game they start, unless the game just is simply horrible (although I tend to literally like most any game I play, extremely few exceptions).  I have friends who start games and just lose interest, even in really good games, and never beat them. If your interest ever fades before beating at least the basic storyline of a game, you're not hardcore at all. But a hardcore gamer should go a step further than that, he/she should not only have a strong urge to beat the main basic storyline, but also any sub story lines and even MOST any extra things on the way to beating the game 100%. 

A hardcore gamer should have no problem going hours on end playing a single game, pull all nighters without thinking twice about it, playing a single game, and literally never want to stop playing a great game or ever wanting it to end. (I'm still dreading the end of Zelda... I'm almost there...) Also, a hardcore gamer, when he/she has no current games he/she wants, should have many games they want to play again, as in start a new game. Once I beat a game and work on really beating it in depth (maybe no 100%, but much more than just main and sub storylines) I immediately move on, but there are always lots of games I keep in the back of my mind that I intend on playing through again once I get the chance. This should be typical for a hardcore gamer.

Last but not least, a gamer should want to own any game they like. I rent lots of games, and actually have yet to purchase Zelda due to financial issues. I'm currently playing a borrowed copy of Zelda, and will likely beat it before I get the money to buy it (in about a week).  Zelda really doesn’t have the greatest replay value (unless you want to start over) but I'm going to buy it immediately anyway, because it’s a good game and therefore I must own it.  That's what a hardcore gamers mentality should be like. Games should be a real hardcore gamer's life. 

In my opinion, I just made a solid rubric for hardcore gamers, if you do not come extremely close to filling out the above description, then you are no hardcore gamer to me.

Did somebody in this thread diss Mario?

Seriously, people?  I outta ban you!

There are "Adult" games and then there are "Mature" games. Mature gamers dont need "bouncy titties" or "butt cracks" to be satisfied with a game. They don't need to hand out money to strippers. A mature game would be something more like Eternal Darkness, or some of the scarier Resident Evils where you can't be a little kid playing it, because it's too scary. I think the industry made a mistake by rating games as "Mature" because you can bet for sure that little kids enjoy those M rated games alot more than most adults would. "oooooh did you see that booby! TEEHEE!"

I was waiting for some one to bring up Pokemon...I have yet to play a console Pokemon game, but I can not think of another game that has a more"Kiddie" look yet is one of the most "hardcore" games ever made. For god sake some times you can only find certaian things on certain day(the actual real time day) How much more "hardcore" can you get.. On Saturday I gotta play to go do this.....well i gotta go Tuesday to get that. Damn its only thursday i gotta wait. Thats "hard core"

Now some people will argue that the story makes Pokemon less "Hard core". I wonder if these were not cutesy little creatures but instead elementals. That simple change would make it more hard core to those who think its a kid game now. 

What really seperates a game like Pokemon for a game like Final Fantasy? one is viewed more kidie and one more adult. but really gameplaywise what is the seperating factor. I for one believe they are both great RPGs and very difficult and fun .they both take a fair amount of time to complete and Waaaaay more time to recover evey hidden creature or item. I would say for the most part people view Pokemon as casual though and final Fantasy mor Hard core...Why?

THis is brought up over and over. In my opinion the difference between the two has to do with experience and passion. Hardcore gamerslike to play or are willing to play more complex games..... of course they are going to play mario because it is not that complex just a little time consuming (and Fun..well.... except for sunshine... that one was just pretty).