The Five games that define you as a gamer
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Megaman Battle Network- A extremely innovative series (No matter how repetitive) that really defines what an Action RPG can do. One of the first games I ever owned and I still play it from time to time. Also, Protoman.EXE is a badass without compare.
Cave Story- My number one criteria for how good a game is is fun the protagonist is to play as. Cave Story answered my call perfectly. Quote is the absolute apex of how a platforming character should behave. He has high, slightly floaty jumps, coupled with precision handling and a powerful, button-mashing weapon. Never will there be a better character. You could tell that Pixel knew video games better than the player (or, at least I) did.
Halo 3- Sure, there are better FPS games out there, but this was the first one I ever played (my parents are ESRB freaks). I spent that game at my friends house, playing Co-op as the Arbiter. To this day, I hold all FPS weapons to the golden standard of the Covenant Carbine. Every game needs a good semi-automatic.
Super Smash Brothers- This game series, in my opinion, is the most fun anybody can have in multiplayer. SSB was probably the second or third game I had ever played, and I still find it to be a triumphant fusion of fighting and platforming. The best part about that series is how it can give players the freedom of an easy 2D platformer, within the framework of a brawler.
Just Cause 2- No matter how repetitive a game is, if you give a character who is fun enough to play as, I will always come back for more. I've spent many a night chatting away with my buddies on XBL while lazily grappling along the highways of Panau. And many more spent chain-hijacking helicopters, of course.
Cave Story- My number one criteria for how good a game is is fun the protagonist is to play as. Cave Story answered my call perfectly. Quote is the absolute apex of how a platforming character should behave. He has high, slightly floaty jumps, coupled with precision handling and a powerful, button-mashing weapon. Never will there be a better character. You could tell that Pixel knew video games better than the player (or, at least I) did.
Halo 3- Sure, there are better FPS games out there, but this was the first one I ever played (my parents are ESRB freaks). I spent that game at my friends house, playing Co-op as the Arbiter. To this day, I hold all FPS weapons to the golden standard of the Covenant Carbine. Every game needs a good semi-automatic.
Super Smash Brothers- This game series, in my opinion, is the most fun anybody can have in multiplayer. SSB was probably the second or third game I had ever played, and I still find it to be a triumphant fusion of fighting and platforming. The best part about that series is how it can give players the freedom of an easy 2D platformer, within the framework of a brawler.
Just Cause 2- No matter how repetitive a game is, if you give a character who is fun enough to play as, I will always come back for more. I've spent many a night chatting away with my buddies on XBL while lazily grappling along the highways of Panau. And many more spent chain-hijacking helicopters, of course.
Congratulations and respect for creating an intriguing forum question that hasn't been asked five times in the last few months.
And curse you for making me wrack my brain.
Um...
In no particular order:
1. Mario Bros.
Not "Super Mario Bros." The original, that came out while "Donkey Kong" was still a mainstay in many arcades. I used to play this in grocery stores and arcades with my father; it was probably the first game to really clue in for me the joy of cooperative gaming.
2. Ultima III
I played (and beat) Ultima II, and it was a fairly fun game for its time. But for all the intricacies of time travel and classes and the ridiculously long list of objects the player could get and use, it ultimately came down to "Get a ship. Sail around the continent until enough monsters spawn. Go to the shore and blow them all away with cannons to get their gold. Lather, rinse, and repeat until you have enough to proceed to the next part of your quest."
Ultima III is when the series started gaining some depth, with a party of four, classes that actually meant something, and something resembling an actual story. IV was deeper, of course, introducing a more sophisticated conversation mechanic, virtues, and the "Avatar" storyline, but III was the first that felt like something more than a glorified dungeon crawl.
Ah, Lord British- how we miss thee. (Don't talk to me about casino games. That's Blackthorne in disguise.)
3. The Count, by Scott Adams (not the Dilbert creator)
Yes, I am old enough to remember when text adventures were in vogue. We clustered around my sister's Atari 800 and waited for the game to load off of a cassette tape so we could watch the attempt to defeat Dracula unfold, murmuring suggestions on how the next puzzle might be overcome. I have vivid memories of watching the dreams flash by on the screen when the player inevitably succumb to the need to sleep (and thus incurred another vampire bite, bringing the game one step closer to a failing conclusion.) Some people think that the perceived need for games to tell stories is a recent trend, and a failing. Those people are wrong.
4. Command and Conquer: Red Alert
Someone else brought up this one, but it's a good one. It's also the game that kept me up until five in the morning in my college's computer labs, howling as a mob of Iron-Curtained tanks mowed through my defenses or laughing in glee as an APC full of engineers and commandos dismantled my enemy's base. If Mario Bros. turned on my lights to the joy of coopertaive gaming, C&C:RA did something similar for competitive gaming, and especially the combination of the two.
Only one more offering? Damn, I'm sure I'm going to miss out on something worthy. Hmm.
5. Defender of the Crown
I felt positively naughty managing to get my parents to get this game for me. It had a sex scene. Ooh! (An incredibly demure, PG sex scene, to be sure. But this was, like, 1986.)
In some ways, especially by modern standards, DoTC was not an especially good game. It had the player do a lot of different things, some based on reflexes, others strategy or long-term planning. They tied into each other in some interesting ways, but also in some ways that meant that unless you were fairly good at all of them, the ones you failed at were quite likely to bite you in the ass. And I don't think any of the "minigames" in and of themselves would have been all that enthralling.
And yet, it was perhaps the first game that, by attempting to be cinema (the company's name was "Cinemaware") may have succeeded in being a real spectacle. It was gorgeous and mesmerizing, full of new things to see and do. Unseating an opponent at a tournament or knocking down the wall of a castle with a catapult felt like a real accomplishment, all steps towards the ultimate goal of uniting England. Music and visuals were all crafted with real care to create a unified experience that was something more than a game.
And curse you for making me wrack my brain.
Um...
In no particular order:
1. Mario Bros.
Not "Super Mario Bros." The original, that came out while "Donkey Kong" was still a mainstay in many arcades. I used to play this in grocery stores and arcades with my father; it was probably the first game to really clue in for me the joy of cooperative gaming.
2. Ultima III
I played (and beat) Ultima II, and it was a fairly fun game for its time. But for all the intricacies of time travel and classes and the ridiculously long list of objects the player could get and use, it ultimately came down to "Get a ship. Sail around the continent until enough monsters spawn. Go to the shore and blow them all away with cannons to get their gold. Lather, rinse, and repeat until you have enough to proceed to the next part of your quest."
Ultima III is when the series started gaining some depth, with a party of four, classes that actually meant something, and something resembling an actual story. IV was deeper, of course, introducing a more sophisticated conversation mechanic, virtues, and the "Avatar" storyline, but III was the first that felt like something more than a glorified dungeon crawl.
Ah, Lord British- how we miss thee. (Don't talk to me about casino games. That's Blackthorne in disguise.)
3. The Count, by Scott Adams (not the Dilbert creator)
Yes, I am old enough to remember when text adventures were in vogue. We clustered around my sister's Atari 800 and waited for the game to load off of a cassette tape so we could watch the attempt to defeat Dracula unfold, murmuring suggestions on how the next puzzle might be overcome. I have vivid memories of watching the dreams flash by on the screen when the player inevitably succumb to the need to sleep (and thus incurred another vampire bite, bringing the game one step closer to a failing conclusion.) Some people think that the perceived need for games to tell stories is a recent trend, and a failing. Those people are wrong.
4. Command and Conquer: Red Alert
Someone else brought up this one, but it's a good one. It's also the game that kept me up until five in the morning in my college's computer labs, howling as a mob of Iron-Curtained tanks mowed through my defenses or laughing in glee as an APC full of engineers and commandos dismantled my enemy's base. If Mario Bros. turned on my lights to the joy of coopertaive gaming, C&C:RA did something similar for competitive gaming, and especially the combination of the two.
Only one more offering? Damn, I'm sure I'm going to miss out on something worthy. Hmm.
5. Defender of the Crown
I felt positively naughty managing to get my parents to get this game for me. It had a sex scene. Ooh! (An incredibly demure, PG sex scene, to be sure. But this was, like, 1986.)
In some ways, especially by modern standards, DoTC was not an especially good game. It had the player do a lot of different things, some based on reflexes, others strategy or long-term planning. They tied into each other in some interesting ways, but also in some ways that meant that unless you were fairly good at all of them, the ones you failed at were quite likely to bite you in the ass. And I don't think any of the "minigames" in and of themselves would have been all that enthralling.
And yet, it was perhaps the first game that, by attempting to be cinema (the company's name was "Cinemaware") may have succeeded in being a real spectacle. It was gorgeous and mesmerizing, full of new things to see and do. Unseating an opponent at a tournament or knocking down the wall of a castle with a catapult felt like a real accomplishment, all steps towards the ultimate goal of uniting England. Music and visuals were all crafted with real care to create a unified experience that was something more than a game.
Pokemon Blue
Pokemon was there since the beginning for me and it taught me a lot about friendship and teamwork. This entry is pretty biased because of the anime it's founded on, but those Pokemon were my team and my friends. I can't find the magic that the games used to hold for me with a lot of the modern games but that doesn't mean I've stopped loving Pokemon, most of my favorites are from newer generations. I gained a pretty solid belief that working together with friends gets you farther.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Truth told I liked Ocarina more at the time. But over time I began to appreciate the intricacies of this game beyond my love for the Zelda formula. The color, the sound, the premise. This game did a lot for me. Beyond the amazing aesthetics and gameplay I got two primary things from Majora's Mask.
1: Heroism
This is the game where Link matures beyond that of a weapon. In previous games I'd always pictured myself a weapon aimed at the other half of a binary equation. My favorite part of this game was being a real god damned Hero to every half bit Tertiary character AND their dog. Personally. It wasn't enough to save the world, Link made up for that 7 years lost by relieving these 3 days endlessly doing nothing but becoming a better, stronger, and more mature person that never considered the odds too high to go out of his way to see a marriage happen, save a little girl from losing her mind to aliens, or reuniting a band of musical frogs.
2:Time
This game is the first I played that I consider as using Time Travel as a real mechanic. I've been in BIG arguments where people just do not accept my definition of Time Travel but this is why the game was important to me not them. Ocarina of Time for reference. Time was a door in that game, you walked through one end and out the other. The day and night looped endlessly and did not effect play at all. If you left the console on for 7 years Link would not automatically age to adult form, thus that cycle is not time it's atmosphere. Majora's Mask used time as a true series of threads and flags, it had cause and effect at a much higher level. You went back and took different doors to as you went forward in time and ended up in a world that was entirely its own based on choices you made. People suffered because you were helping others. Time put the above Heroism into scale for me. Every person I helped was hundreds of others I sacrificed in that cycle. This introduced me to the idea that a Hero can't always save everyone.
Final Fantasy IX
This is what started me on RPGs. I saw some of 7 and 8 at friends houses but I never got a lot of play until I got this game with my ps1. It introduced the idea of characters, story, emotional stakes, epic worlds, and the character building elements of the RPG genre. I liked other game characters but this game made them more than "Events" this elevated character to entity for me. Forces that stood on their own.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
This is the game that introduced me to the idea of choice in play style in a lot of ways. It was the first to let me pick a role decide how I as that character would tackle situations. It came down to a lot of Social and Stealth gameplay for me and it really taught be how much I enjoy non combat gameplay. It took this game to show me I almost always prefer talking my way out of anything than actually coming to blows. The Malkavian's Dementation only made it even more amazing to run around convincing people of the most ludicrous things.
Persona 3 Portable
This game is an extension of earlier games for me. Bloodlines had social but it was more about winning than interacting. Final Fantasy had characters and stories but I watched more than I touched.
This game, specifically with the Female Protagonist is the first time I really felt like I was playing an RPG, even more so than Dragon Age which seemed to come with pre-flavoured Protagonists to select. It included me, I knew these people, we disagreed, we struggled through hard times, we had a lot of laughs. I enjoyed going to school in this game! I liked hanging out with friends, I liked breeding the different reflections of my psyche for battle. I don't really know what else to say other than it's probably my favorite story in gaming, and my favorite final boss of all time.
Pokemon was there since the beginning for me and it taught me a lot about friendship and teamwork. This entry is pretty biased because of the anime it's founded on, but those Pokemon were my team and my friends. I can't find the magic that the games used to hold for me with a lot of the modern games but that doesn't mean I've stopped loving Pokemon, most of my favorites are from newer generations. I gained a pretty solid belief that working together with friends gets you farther.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Truth told I liked Ocarina more at the time. But over time I began to appreciate the intricacies of this game beyond my love for the Zelda formula. The color, the sound, the premise. This game did a lot for me. Beyond the amazing aesthetics and gameplay I got two primary things from Majora's Mask.
1: Heroism
This is the game where Link matures beyond that of a weapon. In previous games I'd always pictured myself a weapon aimed at the other half of a binary equation. My favorite part of this game was being a real god damned Hero to every half bit Tertiary character AND their dog. Personally. It wasn't enough to save the world, Link made up for that 7 years lost by relieving these 3 days endlessly doing nothing but becoming a better, stronger, and more mature person that never considered the odds too high to go out of his way to see a marriage happen, save a little girl from losing her mind to aliens, or reuniting a band of musical frogs.
2:Time
This game is the first I played that I consider as using Time Travel as a real mechanic. I've been in BIG arguments where people just do not accept my definition of Time Travel but this is why the game was important to me not them. Ocarina of Time for reference. Time was a door in that game, you walked through one end and out the other. The day and night looped endlessly and did not effect play at all. If you left the console on for 7 years Link would not automatically age to adult form, thus that cycle is not time it's atmosphere. Majora's Mask used time as a true series of threads and flags, it had cause and effect at a much higher level. You went back and took different doors to as you went forward in time and ended up in a world that was entirely its own based on choices you made. People suffered because you were helping others. Time put the above Heroism into scale for me. Every person I helped was hundreds of others I sacrificed in that cycle. This introduced me to the idea that a Hero can't always save everyone.
Final Fantasy IX
This is what started me on RPGs. I saw some of 7 and 8 at friends houses but I never got a lot of play until I got this game with my ps1. It introduced the idea of characters, story, emotional stakes, epic worlds, and the character building elements of the RPG genre. I liked other game characters but this game made them more than "Events" this elevated character to entity for me. Forces that stood on their own.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
This is the game that introduced me to the idea of choice in play style in a lot of ways. It was the first to let me pick a role decide how I as that character would tackle situations. It came down to a lot of Social and Stealth gameplay for me and it really taught be how much I enjoy non combat gameplay. It took this game to show me I almost always prefer talking my way out of anything than actually coming to blows. The Malkavian's Dementation only made it even more amazing to run around convincing people of the most ludicrous things.
Persona 3 Portable
This game is an extension of earlier games for me. Bloodlines had social but it was more about winning than interacting. Final Fantasy had characters and stories but I watched more than I touched.
This game, specifically with the Female Protagonist is the first time I really felt like I was playing an RPG, even more so than Dragon Age which seemed to come with pre-flavoured Protagonists to select. It included me, I knew these people, we disagreed, we struggled through hard times, we had a lot of laughs. I enjoyed going to school in this game! I liked hanging out with friends, I liked breeding the different reflections of my psyche for battle. I don't really know what else to say other than it's probably my favorite story in gaming, and my favorite final boss of all time.
Well i was three when i first played it . I saw my dad playing it , and wanted to play , and he said , you can play , but i wont read the whole thing for you. So final fantasy acted as a incentive to learn to read . My father did explain big words to me , but for the most part i was on my own . Plus reading a jrpg ( even though it may have been poorly translated at the time ) did help my comprehension skills . Plus it taught me old english . So win/win? I remember going into kindergarten and being the best reader . I have Squaresoft to thank for that .alphamalet said:
Edit: Oh wow , typo in the first sentence , probably the same kind of poor typo you would see in the first FF game . That is ironic .
So easy to put down 5 favorite games rather than 5 games that define me as a gamer. Not sure I can only find 5 games can really define me as a gamer, but let's try anyway.
Combat - this is an old Atari game where you were a tank or plane (or group of planes) and attacking a similar enemy in a obstacle ridden environment. The AI was crap (as most Atari games AI was) but the option for multiplayer was there. I played this game a lot and is one of the first ones I remember playing (along with classics like Pitfall, Pac-Man, Centipede, Asteroids, etc.), which ultimately set me on the path of becoming a gamer.
Star Wars: X-Wing - This was one of my first computer games and began a love of space combat simulators. The graphics at the time were awesome (though they were unskinned polygons), the combat was fun and the missions ranged from easy to incredibly challenging. From this game I went on to the Wing Commander series, later Star Wars titles, Privateer, and pretty much anything that put me in a spaceship. And I am really hoping Chris Roberts' project Star Citizen makes it, as I have missed this genre greatly.
Star Wars: Dark Forces - essentially the first FPS I played. Most began with Doom, or even Wolfenstein 3D (which I had played a bit at a friends house), but Dark Forces is what made me see the potential of the FPS. It was a bit more advanced than Doom in its options, just as look up and down and crouch. But what sold it for me was the story. Every other FPS I had seen basically gave you a small overview (prisoner escaping from confinement, space marine killing hellspawn) and then let you kill everything. Each level of Dark Forces was a mission, starting with retreiving the Death Star plans to infiltrating a base to learn what the Empire is developing next, etc. Everything made sense in a story context that would only get built upon more in the later installment, Jedi Knight.
Final Fantasy II (IV) - Released on the SNES, I remember going to a friend's birthday party and he had rented this game. For a couple of hours the four of us there played through, watching the storyline and seeing Cecil go from loyal Dark Knight to questioning his actions. The others began to get bored and went off to do other things, but I kept playing. Hours later my friends came in and were like, "You're STILL playing this?" I played it for hours more. I thought I was almost finished by the time I finally put it down, though later once I got my own copy I found out how wrong I was. Seeing this story unfold was amazing. I had played the original FF a little bit, as one of my friends owned it, but the difference between the first and the (what I thought at the time) second was night and day. The first gives you an overall goal, but very little direction. The characters you control have no personality whatsoever, no voice, no say in anything. You just follow instructions. II on the other hand gives every character a voice, a personality, a reason they are involved in this quest. And, of course, it gave us the line "you spoony bard," which shall live forever. FF2/4 showed me what a video game could be capable of in terms of story and sheer scope.
Metal Gear Solid - this game basically taught me what I should expect from games of the generation. A great (if somewhat crazy) story, good cutscenes, tense action, lots of options in how you approached each new area, MGS was all around a great game. It is one of the first games I played where I could actually feel sorry for the villians. There was just something tragic about most of them, especially Vulcan Raven and Sniper Wolf, that even though I needed to defeat them, I still felt kinda bad about it. Overall it was just one of the most original experiences in video gaming.
Among a ton of other games, I would say the above 5 have influenced me most as a gamer.
Combat - this is an old Atari game where you were a tank or plane (or group of planes) and attacking a similar enemy in a obstacle ridden environment. The AI was crap (as most Atari games AI was) but the option for multiplayer was there. I played this game a lot and is one of the first ones I remember playing (along with classics like Pitfall, Pac-Man, Centipede, Asteroids, etc.), which ultimately set me on the path of becoming a gamer.
Star Wars: X-Wing - This was one of my first computer games and began a love of space combat simulators. The graphics at the time were awesome (though they were unskinned polygons), the combat was fun and the missions ranged from easy to incredibly challenging. From this game I went on to the Wing Commander series, later Star Wars titles, Privateer, and pretty much anything that put me in a spaceship. And I am really hoping Chris Roberts' project Star Citizen makes it, as I have missed this genre greatly.
Star Wars: Dark Forces - essentially the first FPS I played. Most began with Doom, or even Wolfenstein 3D (which I had played a bit at a friends house), but Dark Forces is what made me see the potential of the FPS. It was a bit more advanced than Doom in its options, just as look up and down and crouch. But what sold it for me was the story. Every other FPS I had seen basically gave you a small overview (prisoner escaping from confinement, space marine killing hellspawn) and then let you kill everything. Each level of Dark Forces was a mission, starting with retreiving the Death Star plans to infiltrating a base to learn what the Empire is developing next, etc. Everything made sense in a story context that would only get built upon more in the later installment, Jedi Knight.
Final Fantasy II (IV) - Released on the SNES, I remember going to a friend's birthday party and he had rented this game. For a couple of hours the four of us there played through, watching the storyline and seeing Cecil go from loyal Dark Knight to questioning his actions. The others began to get bored and went off to do other things, but I kept playing. Hours later my friends came in and were like, "You're STILL playing this?" I played it for hours more. I thought I was almost finished by the time I finally put it down, though later once I got my own copy I found out how wrong I was. Seeing this story unfold was amazing. I had played the original FF a little bit, as one of my friends owned it, but the difference between the first and the (what I thought at the time) second was night and day. The first gives you an overall goal, but very little direction. The characters you control have no personality whatsoever, no voice, no say in anything. You just follow instructions. II on the other hand gives every character a voice, a personality, a reason they are involved in this quest. And, of course, it gave us the line "you spoony bard," which shall live forever. FF2/4 showed me what a video game could be capable of in terms of story and sheer scope.
Metal Gear Solid - this game basically taught me what I should expect from games of the generation. A great (if somewhat crazy) story, good cutscenes, tense action, lots of options in how you approached each new area, MGS was all around a great game. It is one of the first games I played where I could actually feel sorry for the villians. There was just something tragic about most of them, especially Vulcan Raven and Sniper Wolf, that even though I needed to defeat them, I still felt kinda bad about it. Overall it was just one of the most original experiences in video gaming.
Among a ton of other games, I would say the above 5 have influenced me most as a gamer.
Super Mario Bros & Duck Hunt: first game ever played
MK/Soul Calibur: Introduced me to fighting games (played both the same weekend at a friends, I prefer the MK series though)
FF Tactics: started me on JRPGs and more adventure games
Guild Wars: first MMO game played, still love the original
Ninja Gaiden Black/ Onimusha: started me on Hack-n-slash adventure games
(Notable mention is the DMC series, that would be my 6th entry in the list for over the top Hack-n-slash games)
MK/Soul Calibur: Introduced me to fighting games (played both the same weekend at a friends, I prefer the MK series though)
FF Tactics: started me on JRPGs and more adventure games
Guild Wars: first MMO game played, still love the original
Ninja Gaiden Black/ Onimusha: started me on Hack-n-slash adventure games
(Notable mention is the DMC series, that would be my 6th entry in the list for over the top Hack-n-slash games)
Yeah, lol. It's always funny when typos happen in the last place you want them to. I think games played an important role in helping me read and analyze complex stories as well, so I can relate with you there.krazykidd said:
1. Super Mario World (SNES)
Introduced me to video games. The beginning of it all.
2. Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2)
Showed me that video games can have stories as intricate, complicated, and mindfucky as any movie or book.
3. Final Fantasy X (PS2)
The first game that made me cry (at the ending), demonstrating the special power video games have to develop, and inspire investment in, their cast of characters.
4. Fallout 3 (PS3)
The first video game world that I immersed myself completely into. The Capital Wasteland is one of my favorite video game settings, and I still go back for a play through every year or two.
5. Journey/Flower (PS3)
These games, mechanically minimalistic yet extremely impactive emotionally and visually, erased any remaining doubts in my mind of video games being art. Perhaps my favourite games of all time.
Introduced me to video games. The beginning of it all.
2. Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2)
Showed me that video games can have stories as intricate, complicated, and mindfucky as any movie or book.
3. Final Fantasy X (PS2)
The first game that made me cry (at the ending), demonstrating the special power video games have to develop, and inspire investment in, their cast of characters.
4. Fallout 3 (PS3)
The first video game world that I immersed myself completely into. The Capital Wasteland is one of my favorite video game settings, and I still go back for a play through every year or two.
5. Journey/Flower (PS3)
These games, mechanically minimalistic yet extremely impactive emotionally and visually, erased any remaining doubts in my mind of video games being art. Perhaps my favourite games of all time.
This will more than likely be in no particular order so here we go!
Some time after Link saves Princess Zelda and, Hyrule by restoring the Triforce of Courage another Princess Zelda (whu?) has fallen into an enchanted sleep. Only Link can save this other Princess but all around him are the fragmented remnants of Ganon's followers who can only restore him with the blood of the Hero who wields the Triforce of Courage eg Link. This is widely considered the most difficult Legend of Zelda title that has nothing to do with Panasonic and for good reason. Link levels up in a very RPG style, gaining EXP from certain enemies and losing that EXP when he's hit by certain other enemies. The style is drastically different from most other Zelda games: an over world where enemy encounters and, dungeons send Link into a 2-D side scrolling type of level which was far more common on the NES. This game beat your ass raw with a difficulty curve made up of two 89 degree angles (Death Mountain and, the final dungeon respectively). To its credit and as a reminder to the naysayers, This is one of the few Zelda games that doesn't have a Water Dungeon! Anyway, this game is important to me as it wasn't just one of the notoriously difficult NES games I've beaten but it is also the most satisfying Zelda adventure I've ever completed. It kind of mirrors how in real life trudging through shit and, blood thirsty moblins rewards you with bags of P and swords.
There was going to be a Final Fantasy game here and out of the many that I always quote as being FF titles that I love and would always go back to replay, Mystic Quest is the one that started me on JRPGs to begin with. There are two types of late 80's/90's kids: the kind who rented Mario RPG or the ones who rented Mystic Quest as their baby's first JRPG and this was MY baby's first RPG. The plot is bare bones and the gameplay is extremely easy to pick up and play but I defy you to pick it up and not have fun. The fights are visceral and unlike other JRPGs the enemies you face show physical degradation as they lose HP. Also, LISTEN TO THE FREAKING MUSIC!
There are two types of JRPG fans: the kind who just paused Dragon Quest IX to head bang to that song and the kind who are continuing on with whatever the Hell they're playing because they're already banged their heads enough to that above song so hard they've filed a class action suit for whip-lash.
The funny thing about this game is, I couldn't beat it as a kid. I just couldn't wrap my head around most puzzles until I got to the age of reason. I did finally beat it as a humble 23 year old and this will likely be the next FF game I replay and actually beat. Anyway, this is the reason I like JRPGs and Final Fantasy in particular.
Everyone is a gamer and every gamer has played a casual game. The reason I put Galaga here instead of Pac-Man, Tetris, etc is because this is the one game that I will always spend some time and money on if I encounter it while I'm out and about. I've been playing Galaga for as far back as I can remember and while I've never been really, really good (I think the best I've ever done was top 10 high score at a pizza place as in 5 - 10) but I'll always spend some time with this game. This wasn't the game that got me into gaming, this isn't the first game that I played in the arcade but this is a really important game to me like a really close grandfather. Only unlike the Grandfathers I technically don't have because of a slightly shit family, Galaga will always, ALWAYS be there in some form or another (even if I run out of family run pizza places and quarters).
Also, everyone knows Galaga. It's Galaga! That's why this one section is of a decent length and not 25+ paragraphs.
You know what I really love? Final Fantasy. Ya know what else I really love? rhythm games made out of excellent music. I loved the J-Pop-Rocks heavy DDR titles from the PSX and PS2 era. I love Guitar Hero and Rock Band, prefering guitar and/or vocals (yeah...I can do both...I would get the Dave Mustane Achievement if there was one). What these games all have in common in relation to me though is how I haven't technically beaten many of them. I just play around with them for the most part, unable to beat the music games on expert and for the FF games, the only ones I've beaten were only beaten once through means I'm still not completely sure of.
Theatrhythm however is a game that doesn't end (like Guitar Hero) but has a number of milestones built in wherein one could reasonably say "I have beaten this game and am done". More importantly though is the 100 hour milestone and while I'm sure that in my lifetime I've played a Final Fantasy or few over 100 hours there's no tangible way of really proving that whereas with Theatrhytm, it's straight up told me that I've rocked out through that game for 92+ hours in 2 glorious, magical and, tearful (because FF9) weeks. For context, I just started a new FF8 campaign, grinding the Hell out of it and I'm just past the 15 hour mark: It feels like I've been grinding for much longer! I guess Theatrhythm is a multitasking title here since it showcases how I love the main, numerical Final Fantasy games and the Rhythm genre which shouldn't be a problem.
This game not only represents a happier time in first person shooting but also the happier time in my life (supposedly). Of course hindsight and experience makes it so that I would never willingly go back to 1996 and my 8 year old self but I can't help but wear those rose-tented shades every now and then. Either way, some of my best childhood memories aren't from 96 but closer to Y2K when I would play Duke Nukem 64 bot matches. I knew my cousins from Dad's side of the family, was on good terms with the prick and it was just a good time. This is a game that I'll still pop into my N64 and even on my X360 just for a rush of that good old rose tint. Then I get motion sick and pop in a game from a less painful era of gaming visually. Duke Nukem 3D also represents how I'll sometimes take a baby step into PC gaming only to realize that I'm only able to play a PC game because it's older than my fossilized cat who lives in underground by the apartments where I lived as a 7 year old.
Some time after Link saves Princess Zelda and, Hyrule by restoring the Triforce of Courage another Princess Zelda (whu?) has fallen into an enchanted sleep. Only Link can save this other Princess but all around him are the fragmented remnants of Ganon's followers who can only restore him with the blood of the Hero who wields the Triforce of Courage eg Link. This is widely considered the most difficult Legend of Zelda title that has nothing to do with Panasonic and for good reason. Link levels up in a very RPG style, gaining EXP from certain enemies and losing that EXP when he's hit by certain other enemies. The style is drastically different from most other Zelda games: an over world where enemy encounters and, dungeons send Link into a 2-D side scrolling type of level which was far more common on the NES. This game beat your ass raw with a difficulty curve made up of two 89 degree angles (Death Mountain and, the final dungeon respectively). To its credit and as a reminder to the naysayers, This is one of the few Zelda games that doesn't have a Water Dungeon! Anyway, this game is important to me as it wasn't just one of the notoriously difficult NES games I've beaten but it is also the most satisfying Zelda adventure I've ever completed. It kind of mirrors how in real life trudging through shit and, blood thirsty moblins rewards you with bags of P and swords.
There was going to be a Final Fantasy game here and out of the many that I always quote as being FF titles that I love and would always go back to replay, Mystic Quest is the one that started me on JRPGs to begin with. There are two types of late 80's/90's kids: the kind who rented Mario RPG or the ones who rented Mystic Quest as their baby's first JRPG and this was MY baby's first RPG. The plot is bare bones and the gameplay is extremely easy to pick up and play but I defy you to pick it up and not have fun. The fights are visceral and unlike other JRPGs the enemies you face show physical degradation as they lose HP. Also, LISTEN TO THE FREAKING MUSIC!
There are two types of JRPG fans: the kind who just paused Dragon Quest IX to head bang to that song and the kind who are continuing on with whatever the Hell they're playing because they're already banged their heads enough to that above song so hard they've filed a class action suit for whip-lash.
The funny thing about this game is, I couldn't beat it as a kid. I just couldn't wrap my head around most puzzles until I got to the age of reason. I did finally beat it as a humble 23 year old and this will likely be the next FF game I replay and actually beat. Anyway, this is the reason I like JRPGs and Final Fantasy in particular.
Everyone is a gamer and every gamer has played a casual game. The reason I put Galaga here instead of Pac-Man, Tetris, etc is because this is the one game that I will always spend some time and money on if I encounter it while I'm out and about. I've been playing Galaga for as far back as I can remember and while I've never been really, really good (I think the best I've ever done was top 10 high score at a pizza place as in 5 - 10) but I'll always spend some time with this game. This wasn't the game that got me into gaming, this isn't the first game that I played in the arcade but this is a really important game to me like a really close grandfather. Only unlike the Grandfathers I technically don't have because of a slightly shit family, Galaga will always, ALWAYS be there in some form or another (even if I run out of family run pizza places and quarters).
Also, everyone knows Galaga. It's Galaga! That's why this one section is of a decent length and not 25+ paragraphs.
You know what I really love? Final Fantasy. Ya know what else I really love? rhythm games made out of excellent music. I loved the J-Pop-Rocks heavy DDR titles from the PSX and PS2 era. I love Guitar Hero and Rock Band, prefering guitar and/or vocals (yeah...I can do both...I would get the Dave Mustane Achievement if there was one). What these games all have in common in relation to me though is how I haven't technically beaten many of them. I just play around with them for the most part, unable to beat the music games on expert and for the FF games, the only ones I've beaten were only beaten once through means I'm still not completely sure of.
Theatrhythm however is a game that doesn't end (like Guitar Hero) but has a number of milestones built in wherein one could reasonably say "I have beaten this game and am done". More importantly though is the 100 hour milestone and while I'm sure that in my lifetime I've played a Final Fantasy or few over 100 hours there's no tangible way of really proving that whereas with Theatrhytm, it's straight up told me that I've rocked out through that game for 92+ hours in 2 glorious, magical and, tearful (because FF9) weeks. For context, I just started a new FF8 campaign, grinding the Hell out of it and I'm just past the 15 hour mark: It feels like I've been grinding for much longer! I guess Theatrhythm is a multitasking title here since it showcases how I love the main, numerical Final Fantasy games and the Rhythm genre which shouldn't be a problem.
This game not only represents a happier time in first person shooting but also the happier time in my life (supposedly). Of course hindsight and experience makes it so that I would never willingly go back to 1996 and my 8 year old self but I can't help but wear those rose-tented shades every now and then. Either way, some of my best childhood memories aren't from 96 but closer to Y2K when I would play Duke Nukem 64 bot matches. I knew my cousins from Dad's side of the family, was on good terms with the prick and it was just a good time. This is a game that I'll still pop into my N64 and even on my X360 just for a rush of that good old rose tint. Then I get motion sick and pop in a game from a less painful era of gaming visually. Duke Nukem 3D also represents how I'll sometimes take a baby step into PC gaming only to realize that I'm only able to play a PC game because it's older than my fossilized cat who lives in underground by the apartments where I lived as a 7 year old.
Minecraft: Sometimes you have to make yur own fun, also, its nice to be creative sometimes 
League of Legends: If I'm playing a game, I try my best to win; saying I have a competitive nature is an understatement.
Paper Mario Series: Childlike nostalgia reminds me of my early gaming days and also reminds me that I enjoy so light-hearted fun
Dark Souls: I love a challenge and this game is all challenge
Halo Series: Shooting some friends in matchmaking, whether competitive or casually, is one of the best things ever.
League of Legends: If I'm playing a game, I try my best to win; saying I have a competitive nature is an understatement.
Paper Mario Series: Childlike nostalgia reminds me of my early gaming days and also reminds me that I enjoy so light-hearted fun
Dark Souls: I love a challenge and this game is all challenge
Halo Series: Shooting some friends in matchmaking, whether competitive or casually, is one of the best things ever.
No particular order to these.
1) Chrono Cross:
I actually like Chrono Trigger more and played it first, but I choose Chrono Cross here because it's one of the first RPGs that I played all the way through and fell in love with. Without playing this game I may not have gone back and played through Chrono Trigger completely years later or even started playing the Final Fantasy series (for better or worse).
2) Resident Evil 2:
My older brother was actually the one with the PS1 when I was a kid and when he was away I'd play some games (usually Spyro or something), but one day I decided to see what this game was... It gave me nightmares for a while, but I couldn't stop playing it. From RE2 I went on to play RE3, RE4, Silent Hill 2, Amnesia, Bioshock, etc. I love horror games even though I almost never finish them out of fear.
3) World of Warcraft:
It's open behind my browser right now. working on my 2nd lvl 90...
Not the first MMO (Runescape was first), but definitely the one I've played longest and gotten most enjoyment from.
4) Diablo II:
Again, played this because of my brother and would spend hours on it. I didn't actually get into the high end stuff like hell difficulty, rune words, and item sets until many years later, but at the time I felt like a boss making normal mode my bizznitch lol. Overall, I've probably sank more time into Diablo 2 more than any other game in my collection. Moreso than WoW (maybe).
5) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time:
Oh the game that made me a "fanboy". Once again, a game that my brother got me in to and I love him for that because the Zelda series is THE defining game for me. Without Zelda, I may not have gotten into gaming at all. I must say that I actually prefer Majora's Mask, Windwaker, and A Link to the Past all over OoT, but I list OoT as being the most influential because without out it I may not have played my other favorites.
1) Chrono Cross:
I actually like Chrono Trigger more and played it first, but I choose Chrono Cross here because it's one of the first RPGs that I played all the way through and fell in love with. Without playing this game I may not have gone back and played through Chrono Trigger completely years later or even started playing the Final Fantasy series (for better or worse).
2) Resident Evil 2:
My older brother was actually the one with the PS1 when I was a kid and when he was away I'd play some games (usually Spyro or something), but one day I decided to see what this game was... It gave me nightmares for a while, but I couldn't stop playing it. From RE2 I went on to play RE3, RE4, Silent Hill 2, Amnesia, Bioshock, etc. I love horror games even though I almost never finish them out of fear.
3) World of Warcraft:
It's open behind my browser right now. working on my 2nd lvl 90...
Not the first MMO (Runescape was first), but definitely the one I've played longest and gotten most enjoyment from.
4) Diablo II:
Again, played this because of my brother and would spend hours on it. I didn't actually get into the high end stuff like hell difficulty, rune words, and item sets until many years later, but at the time I felt like a boss making normal mode my bizznitch lol. Overall, I've probably sank more time into Diablo 2 more than any other game in my collection. Moreso than WoW (maybe).
5) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time:
Oh the game that made me a "fanboy". Once again, a game that my brother got me in to and I love him for that because the Zelda series is THE defining game for me. Without Zelda, I may not have gotten into gaming at all. I must say that I actually prefer Majora's Mask, Windwaker, and A Link to the Past all over OoT, but I list OoT as being the most influential because without out it I may not have played my other favorites.
Battlefield 1942 - literally the first FPS I ever played, immediately fell in love with the whole genre
Pokemon Red - first handheld game I played, and the only one (at the time) that interested me enough to do multiple playthroughs
Call of Duty - gives me that adrenaline rush that few other games have been able to provide consistently
X-com - I still believe this to be one of the greatest strategy games that I've ever played, though it had a ton of issues
Touhou Project - one of the few game series that actually challenges me, most modern games just aren't hard for me unless I add extra rules (e.g. pistols only)
Pokemon Red - first handheld game I played, and the only one (at the time) that interested me enough to do multiple playthroughs
Call of Duty - gives me that adrenaline rush that few other games have been able to provide consistently
X-com - I still believe this to be one of the greatest strategy games that I've ever played, though it had a ton of issues
Touhou Project - one of the few game series that actually challenges me, most modern games just aren't hard for me unless I add extra rules (e.g. pistols only)
Morrowind The first time I climbed a mountain and gazed at the huge open world i was in awe.
Super Metroid: I was a teen when this came out, I bought my first console "one not given to me by family as a gift" and this was the first game I bought for it Simply amazing.
EverQuest So many hours lost......
ShadowGate "SNES" This game is what every rpg should strive for great plot and atmosphere to spare. This game made me a life long fan of cyberpunk.
GoldenEye. Me and friends would play this split screen for hours on end, good times.
Sorry but I have to do another
Doom This game changed my life. made me see what games can be. This game I still play all the time graphics are dated but its still just so much fun.
Super Metroid: I was a teen when this came out, I bought my first console "one not given to me by family as a gift" and this was the first game I bought for it Simply amazing.
EverQuest So many hours lost......
ShadowGate "SNES" This game is what every rpg should strive for great plot and atmosphere to spare. This game made me a life long fan of cyberpunk.
GoldenEye. Me and friends would play this split screen for hours on end, good times.
Sorry but I have to do another
Doom This game changed my life. made me see what games can be. This game I still play all the time graphics are dated but its still just so much fun.
Hmmmm... 5 games to define myself or gaming tendencies...
In no particular order.
1: Chrono Trigger; The game that got me into RPG's. Great characters, plot, mechanics, and all the little bonuses you can find if you know what your doing. Or have a guide.
2: Pokemon; I still have memories of playing Yellow with a level 50 butterfree. The series has entertained me for years. As well as it being one of my first games.
3: Mass Effect series; What got me into real plot heavy games like Deus Ex: HR.
4: Final fantasy Tactics Advance; Fun plot and mechanics.
4: Saints Row; Sometimes you just want to go nuts and this game know it. Like Yahtzee said, If we have guns, we're gonna shoot old ladies, we're gonna run over old ladies in cars, if we have aircraft we will ascend as high as we can and hurl ourselves out, ONTO old ladies.
5: Legend Of Zelda; Despite the few real innovations throughout each iteration, it's still a fun series you can easily lose whole days to.
In no particular order.
1: Chrono Trigger; The game that got me into RPG's. Great characters, plot, mechanics, and all the little bonuses you can find if you know what your doing. Or have a guide.
2: Pokemon; I still have memories of playing Yellow with a level 50 butterfree. The series has entertained me for years. As well as it being one of my first games.
3: Mass Effect series; What got me into real plot heavy games like Deus Ex: HR.
4: Final fantasy Tactics Advance; Fun plot and mechanics.
4: Saints Row; Sometimes you just want to go nuts and this game know it. Like Yahtzee said, If we have guns, we're gonna shoot old ladies, we're gonna run over old ladies in cars, if we have aircraft we will ascend as high as we can and hurl ourselves out, ONTO old ladies.
5: Legend Of Zelda; Despite the few real innovations throughout each iteration, it's still a fun series you can easily lose whole days to.
In no order:
Pokémon. I had dreamed of an RPG with similar elements for years. R/B gave me as close as I'm probably ever going to see to that dream.
Saints Row 2: Remains one of my most played games, outranking even most games I've had since my NES days as a wee child. Tetris probably outdoes it, though. Poke'mon does for sure if you count all the games, but I doubt any one tops it.
Mass Effect (1 and only 1): This was the first game that truly felt like a space epic. A shame there's no sequels.
Burnout 3: The pinnacle of the series. My friends and I loved the concept since 1, but this was THE game for us in terms of racing, crashing, and being idiots.
Rock Band 3: The series as a whole, really, but with pro instruments it finally truly combined my love of music with my love of flashy effects and high scores.
Honourable mentions to Tetis, Smackdown:HCTP, Super Mario world, and Dick Tracy. >.>
Pokémon. I had dreamed of an RPG with similar elements for years. R/B gave me as close as I'm probably ever going to see to that dream.
Saints Row 2: Remains one of my most played games, outranking even most games I've had since my NES days as a wee child. Tetris probably outdoes it, though. Poke'mon does for sure if you count all the games, but I doubt any one tops it.
Mass Effect (1 and only 1): This was the first game that truly felt like a space epic. A shame there's no sequels.
Burnout 3: The pinnacle of the series. My friends and I loved the concept since 1, but this was THE game for us in terms of racing, crashing, and being idiots.
Rock Band 3: The series as a whole, really, but with pro instruments it finally truly combined my love of music with my love of flashy effects and high scores.
Honourable mentions to Tetis, Smackdown:HCTP, Super Mario world, and Dick Tracy. >.>
I feel left out. I have never had a WoW account nor a piece of IKEA furniture.Phaerim said:
Oh my the nostalgia levels on this tread are high, and I shall add to them.
1. Red alert 2 and Yuri's revenge. The first games I played outside of flash games on website like addicting games and cartoon network.
2. Halo: CE Got me into more games series than I can count after playing it. and got interested in the internet to.
3. World of Warcraft. meant many good people there, Miss many of them. But darn gon if I didn't enjoy the years I played it. Also made my interest in the internet and its culture much bigger...
4. Kotor 1, Yes I also love kotor 2 too, but kotor 1 was the first I played Long before I knew the second one even existed, and will hold a special place in my heart, and my rpg fix.
5. Fable, and also the lost chapters. My first ever rpg. and likely my top 3 rpgs if not the top. Yea they may be better on gameplay wise, story wise, or loot wise, but its my first one, and will be near to my heart, as will my warhammer.
These games shaped me to the gamer, and to a lesser degree the person I am today. Ah the nostalgia It feels good.
1. Red alert 2 and Yuri's revenge. The first games I played outside of flash games on website like addicting games and cartoon network.
2. Halo: CE Got me into more games series than I can count after playing it. and got interested in the internet to.
3. World of Warcraft. meant many good people there, Miss many of them. But darn gon if I didn't enjoy the years I played it. Also made my interest in the internet and its culture much bigger...
4. Kotor 1, Yes I also love kotor 2 too, but kotor 1 was the first I played Long before I knew the second one even existed, and will hold a special place in my heart, and my rpg fix.
5. Fable, and also the lost chapters. My first ever rpg. and likely my top 3 rpgs if not the top. Yea they may be better on gameplay wise, story wise, or loot wise, but its my first one, and will be near to my heart, as will my warhammer.
These games shaped me to the gamer, and to a lesser degree the person I am today. Ah the nostalgia It feels good.
Wow, this is a fantastic question. These would have to be mine:
1. Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt-
First game I ever played. We only busted out the NES a couple times a year because it was such a pain to set up with our old television, and for some reason my parents always kept it up in the attic when no one was using it. I guess they didn't want me to play it too often for fear that I would never do anything else. I do have a lot of fond memories swapping out between Mario and Luigi with my dad though. He was always much better than I was at that age. Not so much anymore.
2. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle-
Probably the game that really got me into gaming. I played Sonic 3 and Knuckles and Sonic CD on the PC a lot, but playing this game at a friend's house in second grade is what made me realize how much fun games really were. Sometimes I would just go over to his house so I could play his games, but we ended up becoming great friends, even to this day.
3. Kirby Air Ride-
Believe it or not, some of my favorite gaming memories are of playing this game all night with my friends, something we did many times over the years. The way we would play it is three of us would pick Dragoon (a car good at flying and going fast), and the one friend who owned the game (he was the one who was good at it) would pick Hydra (a car that was super fast but had a long charge up time and could kill Dragoon in one hit) and we would start a game in City Trail Free Run (a mode that pretty much gave you a city to mess around in to do whatever you wanted). The three of us would try to stay alive as long as we could, and when we all three were down, we would all make a mad dash to grab the one Dragoon that respawned. Then someone else would grab the Hydra and the other two players would just do whatever they felt like, which could be anything from trying to kill the Hydra, to helping it so they could steal the new Dragoon, to destroying all the destroyable items, to playing a game of tag in the volcano. Ah, the memories...
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl-
The first game to introduce me to so many Nintendo characters. Until I played this, the only games I ever played were mostly either Mario or Sonic games. I never realized that there were actually so many other great games out there. If it weren't for this game, my entire life might have turned out differently.
5. Assassin's Creed Series-
The first mature game that I ever played. It was amazing to me that it actually had a big sandbox world where you could just do whatever you wanted. Characters and story were actually a major focus in a video game. It was sort of a gateway to my experience of many of my favorite games today. I put this one down as the whole series because I got the first three games at once during a Steam sale, and had gotten Revelations before I even finished with the first three. I like to consider them to be one very long game.
An Honorable Mention would have to go to BIT.TRIP, for being the game that I played where I could actually talk to the developers over facebook, which made me realize that these people were just humans and maybe I could be one some day. I'd also give one to Earthbound for introducing me to JRPGs and being one of the most enjoyable games that I have ever played. There are tons more I could mention, but I already am past the limit of five so I'll just stop now.
1. Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt-
First game I ever played. We only busted out the NES a couple times a year because it was such a pain to set up with our old television, and for some reason my parents always kept it up in the attic when no one was using it. I guess they didn't want me to play it too often for fear that I would never do anything else. I do have a lot of fond memories swapping out between Mario and Luigi with my dad though. He was always much better than I was at that age. Not so much anymore.
2. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle-
Probably the game that really got me into gaming. I played Sonic 3 and Knuckles and Sonic CD on the PC a lot, but playing this game at a friend's house in second grade is what made me realize how much fun games really were. Sometimes I would just go over to his house so I could play his games, but we ended up becoming great friends, even to this day.
3. Kirby Air Ride-
Believe it or not, some of my favorite gaming memories are of playing this game all night with my friends, something we did many times over the years. The way we would play it is three of us would pick Dragoon (a car good at flying and going fast), and the one friend who owned the game (he was the one who was good at it) would pick Hydra (a car that was super fast but had a long charge up time and could kill Dragoon in one hit) and we would start a game in City Trail Free Run (a mode that pretty much gave you a city to mess around in to do whatever you wanted). The three of us would try to stay alive as long as we could, and when we all three were down, we would all make a mad dash to grab the one Dragoon that respawned. Then someone else would grab the Hydra and the other two players would just do whatever they felt like, which could be anything from trying to kill the Hydra, to helping it so they could steal the new Dragoon, to destroying all the destroyable items, to playing a game of tag in the volcano. Ah, the memories...
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl-
The first game to introduce me to so many Nintendo characters. Until I played this, the only games I ever played were mostly either Mario or Sonic games. I never realized that there were actually so many other great games out there. If it weren't for this game, my entire life might have turned out differently.
5. Assassin's Creed Series-
The first mature game that I ever played. It was amazing to me that it actually had a big sandbox world where you could just do whatever you wanted. Characters and story were actually a major focus in a video game. It was sort of a gateway to my experience of many of my favorite games today. I put this one down as the whole series because I got the first three games at once during a Steam sale, and had gotten Revelations before I even finished with the first three. I like to consider them to be one very long game.
An Honorable Mention would have to go to BIT.TRIP, for being the game that I played where I could actually talk to the developers over facebook, which made me realize that these people were just humans and maybe I could be one some day. I'd also give one to Earthbound for introducing me to JRPGs and being one of the most enjoyable games that I have ever played. There are tons more I could mention, but I already am past the limit of five so I'll just stop now.
The five games that define me? Oh, boy, this'll be fun. In no particular order...
1) Rollercoaster Tycoon
I started playing this game at I think the age of around ten, and it remains one of my favorite games of all time. I sank hundreds of hours into this at my grandparents' house. I think I liked the strategy of it, the thrill of maintaining what was, to me, an actual, living, breathing, theme park. Not to mention building the loop track and sending my park guests flying off to perish in a horrible fireball. (not crazy) Nothing but nostalgia for this.
2) Knights of the Old Republic
I borrowed this game from a friend some time after I got an Xbox, and fell in love with it. This is one of the few games that I've replayed over and over, and it's what introduced me to Bioware and solidified my love of RPGs and story based games. Same story with the Mass Effect series, but this is where it started.
3) Spider-Man 2
I love Spider-Man. No, seriously, I adore the character - he's my favorite superhero ever. I loved the old Spider-Man games on the first Playstation, but this was the game that really made me feel like Spider-Man. The open world was amazing, and while it seems empty now, it really felt believable and awe-inspiring to me as a kid. Not to mention there were a couple of actual jokes in the game.
4) RIIIIDDGEE RACCCEEERRRRRR
The one on the PSX, by the way. This was the first racing game I ever owned, and I think it made me a fan of driving around a track in circles. It was old, but I played the hell out of it. Moving on.
5) Day of Defeat: Source
Even if it seems a little odd, this is what introduced me to PC gaming and shooters in general. When I got my laptop two years ago, my friend gifted this to me. I fell in love with this game, played it for many hours. It also helped me get confident to buy later Valve titles like Half-Life.
*whew* Glad that's over.
1) Rollercoaster Tycoon
I started playing this game at I think the age of around ten, and it remains one of my favorite games of all time. I sank hundreds of hours into this at my grandparents' house. I think I liked the strategy of it, the thrill of maintaining what was, to me, an actual, living, breathing, theme park. Not to mention building the loop track and sending my park guests flying off to perish in a horrible fireball. (not crazy) Nothing but nostalgia for this.
2) Knights of the Old Republic
I borrowed this game from a friend some time after I got an Xbox, and fell in love with it. This is one of the few games that I've replayed over and over, and it's what introduced me to Bioware and solidified my love of RPGs and story based games. Same story with the Mass Effect series, but this is where it started.
3) Spider-Man 2
I love Spider-Man. No, seriously, I adore the character - he's my favorite superhero ever. I loved the old Spider-Man games on the first Playstation, but this was the game that really made me feel like Spider-Man. The open world was amazing, and while it seems empty now, it really felt believable and awe-inspiring to me as a kid. Not to mention there were a couple of actual jokes in the game.
4) RIIIIDDGEE RACCCEEERRRRRR
The one on the PSX, by the way. This was the first racing game I ever owned, and I think it made me a fan of driving around a track in circles. It was old, but I played the hell out of it. Moving on.
5) Day of Defeat: Source
Even if it seems a little odd, this is what introduced me to PC gaming and shooters in general. When I got my laptop two years ago, my friend gifted this to me. I fell in love with this game, played it for many hours. It also helped me get confident to buy later Valve titles like Half-Life.
*whew* Glad that's over.