Even from the very beginning, I always thought of Fallout's crotch shots as a bit juvenile, but I was as upset as anyone to see them go, because they always made a fight more personal. An unarmed or melee groin hit just seemed a fitting tactic in a wasteland where the only fair fight is one you're winning, and in ranged, it was the ultimate "fuck you." I usually didn't ever use them unless the combatant I was using it against had really, really asked for it.
I'm not an aggressive guy by any means, but put in a Fallout situation, I'd like to think that yeah-- you pick up my dropped gun and use it to kill my dog, I'm making it a point to shoot you in the penis.