Your Gaming Timeline in 10 Games

[bob]

It's crazy that wii sports is almost 9 years old now....  man time is flying by fast!

vintage.

[NecroPhile]

This is a tough one to whittle down to just ten games (I refuse to do it), especially since there's so much overlap.  I never really moved on from the OBEY goodies; they remain my favorites and get the most play time, even when I've 'moved on' to PC and PSP games.

1.  MASH (2600) - much like Combat, it's got good variety and is fun with a friend, but you get the added bonus of yelling "Ferret Face!".
2.  Double Dragon II (NES) - beat this one dozens of times at my neighbor's place (interchangeable with Contra and Super Mario Bros. 3)
3.  Tetris (Gameboy) - GB was the first system that was mine (the 2600 was the family's), and I played the shit out of Tetris.
4.  Cosmo Tank (Gameboy) - a fun mish-mash of varying game styles, with overhead action, first person cave exploring, shewty travel stages, and light rpg elements tossed in for good measure.  What's not to like?
5.  Final Fantasy Adventure (Gameboy) - some peeps hate it for being too kiddie and easy, but I loved it.  Along with the FF Legend series and Sword of Hope, I was hooked on RPGs for life.
6.  Ys I & II (Turbob) - a big part of why I bought the ol' Duo.
7.  Soldier Blade (Turbob) - another reason. 
8.  Quake 2 (PC) - in college, many hours were spent blasting away others in this one, time that should've been spent studying.
9.  Command and Conquer (PC) - a few Red Alert skirmishes were played in college too, but mostly I was playing the story missions.  I love 'em all - the original, Red Alert, Tiberian Sun, and the Dune games too.
10.  Dracula X (Turbob) - kick ass all the way around.
11.  Xanadu I & II (Turbob) - they're like Ys I-III mixed together with the visuals cranked up to eleven.
12.  Ys remakes (PSP) - all the fun of the originals and then some.

[DeshDildo]

Necro, I love your list, especially the mention of Command and Conquer.  Red Alert was probably my favorite and I used to get so pissed if someone picked up the phone while I was playing online.  It would disconnect me every time.

Also, I have never heard of Cosmo Tank but you sold me on it so I just ordered a copy.

[CGQuarterly]

11.  Xanadu I & II (Turbob) - they're like Ys I-III mixed together with the visuals cranked up to eleven.

Crank this up to eleven.

[VenomMacbeth]

This might be the neatest thread I've yet seen here.

Well, the very first video game I ever remember playing was Sonic the Hedgehog 2.  I had to have been about 4-5, meaning the game had only been out for about 3 years, and I remember never being able to make it past the first drill boss guy.  Then I went several years without really caring about video games, until my parents' friend moved in with us, along with his awesome collection of video games & vintage toys.  'twas then that I first experienced the N64, and I remember the first time I saw/fought King Bob-omb in Super Mario 64.  When I got my own 64, however, I spent most of my time with Star Wars Episode 1 Racer as my 7th year of life was when I first became a Star Wars buff, but it was also the unfortunate beginning of my die-hard Nintendo fanboy-ism.  However, I do have very fond memories of playing Galaga, Bosconian, and Pole Position on Namco Museum Vol. 1 for the PS1 (probably the reason I'm into retro games/shooters) in the years that followed.

Fast forward a bit, to when I got a GameCube for my 11th/12th Christmas.  I spent lots of time with Pikmin & Star Wars Rogue Leader, but I friggin' worshipped Super Smash Bros Melee.. I can still remember drawing smash scenes on the covers of my binders at school.  I'll include F-Zero GX, Metroid Prime, and Star Fox Assault as honorable mentions because those are the titles that reeeeally kicked my Nintendo love into high gear, but the next mose prominent gc game in my mind was Super Mario Sunshine.  i practically pissed my pants with anticipation when it came out, and my grandmother just randomly bought me a copy from Circuit City for my birthday, probably so I'd shut up about it.  i loved that game, but holy Christ was it frustrating.

Anyway, my Nintendoism lingered for a few years, then my interest in video games tapered off after Smash Bros Brawl came out.  However, I was gifted an XBox 360 for Xmas when I was 16, and while I didn't spend tooo much time with it at first, I made some friends in high school that were fanatical about Halo.  Myself, Rupert, and Larry would meet up Rupe's house, tank up on candy bars & ham and cheese hot pockets, then spend hours playing 3 or Reach.  My fondest memories are of running through the co-op campaigns of each game, and of going to the midnight release of Reach. I hate GameStop with a flaming passion now, but at the time, it was great fun eating pizza & watching Arby & The Chief with the guys, waiting for release hour.

Anyway, that endured for a long time, but I graduated high school, Rupert became an asshat, and Larry's lucky ass went to Japan for the Air Force.  My Xbox became a DVD player for the most part, although that was about the time I figured out that Half-Life 2 is my favorite FPS game ever. Such a memorable experience.  So now we're getting into more recent times, and my heart was yearning for a simpler, less douchey experience than what was given me on the Box.  So my stepdad's father passes away, and I went & bought an atari 2600 for him as I'd heard him speak of his nostalgia for them.  It was then that I first played Asteroids, and I had no idea how addictive such a simple game could be.  From then, my retro gaming interests fanned out into all categories, though it took me awhile to catch on to Sega or NEC.  It's hard for me to pick a #10, as there are currently many games I consider significant to my gaming timeline.  In the past couple years, I've experienced such titles as Alien Soldier, Thunder Force IV, Metal Black, Metroid Mother (hack of the original NES game), Panzer Dragoon, Soldier Blade.  Every game I own has made an impression on me in some way, so that list could go on forever.  However, instead, for my final game, I pick Dr. Mario on the NES.  The grandmother that bought me Mario Sunshine passed away a few years ago now, but it was this year that I inherited her NES game collection, complete with Zeldas, Marios, Metroid, every Mega Man game but the first one, and of course,  Dr. Mario, which is the only video game I actually remember her playing...and DAMN could she play that game.  If Mario's the doctor, then she'd be the chief of medicine.  Needless to say, anytime I see or play that game, I think about her.

[glazball]

Yea cool thread! Here's my list, though I'm too lazy to find pics

1. K.C. Munchkin (Odyssey^2) [~1980] - The first console I/our family had circa 1980, my first exposure to video games along with my TI99/4A

2. Space Invaders (Atari 2600) [~1982] - Even my grandma played Atari (she only played Video Pinball though)! Too many games to list but I played the hell outta Space Invaders on my handed-down black & white TV.

3. Legend of Zelda (NES) [1986-7] - Here's where shit gets real.  Of course SMB revived video games, but Zelda won me over like nothing else.  In fact, this game probably made me into the obsessed video game fan I am today.

4. Golden Axe (Genesis) [1989] - Bought the Genny at launch and it's still one of my fav consoles.  Phantasy Star II probably belongs here, but friends and I played SO MUCH Golden Axe, we could play through without dying.

5. Goldeneye (N64) [1997-8] We spent so much time playing we invented the term "goldeneyed" after having played for hours at a stretch.  Perfect Dark probably belongs here (a Perfect Game imo), but N64 was dying by that point and I just have SO MANY memories of Goldeneye.  Everyone then played it.

6. SoulCalibur (Dreamcast) [1999] - DC took games to the next level, still waiting for a Dreamcast 2

7. Grand Theft Auto III (PS2) [2001] - I realized after approx. 2 days that 9/11 was an inside job and with the world seemingly crumbling around me, I picked up this game at launch in Oct 2001.  The satire and pure enjoyment of GTA3 filled a void like no other game before or since.

8. World of Warcraft (Mac) [2005-8] - Played a priest in a guild with some RL friends and loved it (though my friends soon quit and moved on).  I shunned friends and roommates for years to play WoW.  On weekends, I would rarely leave my computer.  Incredible game, but after meeting my s.o. I had to just quit cold turkey after our guild finished the Lich King expansion.

9. Fallout 3 (PS3) [2009] - This game blew me away.  Never before had I played a game with such huge cajones.

10. Rayman Legends (Wii U) [2013] - Video gaming at it's most fun, esp. couch co-op with my 10 year old stepson.

Edit: Updated because I had cheated and listed 2 games for some, expanded text.

[bob]

Also, I have never heard of Cosmo Tank but you sold me on it so I just ordered a copy.

desh, i just purchased too.  i bet the "trend followers" will see two purchases of this game so quickly and the next listed BINs will be $20+.

[esteban]

11.  Xanadu I & II (Turbob) - they're like Ys I-III mixed together with the visuals cranked up to eleven.

Crank this up to eleven.

Crank this up to Canadu. Skaterz. Great North.

[dingsbums]

Really interesting to see all your picks.
I have to reply to this:

Really interesting to see how everyone's different tastes have developed. I've noticed not alot of people have been explaining the current state of their gaming though.

That has to do with the fact the OP wanted to hear the games that had the most impact on us. I can only speak for myself but games impressed me way more at a younger age - nowadays I have my "gaming taste" - I love Arcade style games, preferebly in 2D. Sadly 2D games are way to few nowadays - which is a shame since todays consoles are so powerful you could do awesome / beautiful 2D games easily. Of course I play newer games also - Rayman Origins/Legends, Bayonetta 1/2, Super Mario 3D Worlds and Dragon's Crown are a few examples and they are great games but they didn't have an impact on me as the titles I listed  .

PS: Cosmo Tank on the GB is great  .

[o.pwuaioc]

PS: Cosmo Tank on the GB is great  .

Make that three who bought it on ebay today.

[bob]

PS: Cosmo Tank on the GB is great  .

Make that three who bought it on ebay today.

Tally is at 4.

[VenomMacbeth]

PS: Cosmo Tank on the GB is great  .

Make that three who bought it on ebay today.

Tally is at 4.

About to be 5.   I'm gonna need to look more into Atlus.

[ToyMachine78]

OK here's mine. Like galam said, this doesn't necessarily represent my favs of all time, but what I remember spending a lot of time with, and really loving



1. DigDug. I had this for the 5200 and 7800, plus's dropped many quarters in the arcade. Classic.



2. Double Dragon (arcade). I absolutely LOVED this game in the arcade. Spent much money plying this with my brother. I was very let down by the NES port. Its still my favorite beat'em up.



3. Legend of Zelda - This game blew my mind withe its size and scope, and was the reason I bought an NES. Still have my original copy with original saves.



4. Metroid - Loved this game. It blew my mind too. I couldn't fathom a game being this big. Thank god for the players hand book. And alternate endings!?!? Sweet!



5. Castlevania - I've always loved horror, and when I played this I was hooked. I borrowed it from a friend, and kept it so long he just sold it to me lol. I still have his copy. This is my favorite franchise, and I have most console versions.



6. Phantasy Star 2- My first true love for the genesis. I loved the fantasy/sci fi mix. It really stood out from most RPGs of the time.



7. Bonks Revenge- My favorite Bonk game, and as a kid my favorite TG16 game.



8. SSI AD&D Krynn Trilogy(PC)- I was a huge AD&D player/fan, and I absolutely love these games! My friend and I spent countless all nighters playing these in middle school. I still have copies I downloaded from Great old Games.



9. SOCOM. PS2- I spent so much time playing this online. It defines my PS2 gaming experience.



10. Fallout 3 (360)- One of my favorite RPGs, I logged a little over 200hrs on this one. It was my first game on 360 that I completed to 100%. Can't wait for 4.

So there it is... Great thread Galam.

[NecroPhile]

You guys buying Cosmo Tank are giving me warm fuzzies.

[EvilEvoIX]

Fallout 3 was a master piece, I did everything you could do but find all of those steel ingots, that was way too tedious.

[jtucci31]

9.  Command and Conquer (PC) - a few Red Alert skirmishes were played in college too, but mostly I was playing the story missions.  I love 'em all - the original, Red Alert, Tiberian Sun, and the Dune games too.

When i first got my own computer my uncle gave me this set with a whole bunch of Command and Conquer games. I remember playing them a ton, specifically Tiberian Sun. I wasn't very good, but i played all the time. I remember liking the live-action cutscenes. Wasn't James Earl Jones in one of the games...?

[ToyMachine78]

9.  Command and Conquer (PC) - a few Red Alert skirmishes were played in college too, but mostly I was playing the story missions.  I love 'em all - the original, Red Alert, Tiberian Sun, and the Dune games too.

When i first got my own computer my uncle gave me this set with a whole bunch of Command and Conquer games. I remember playing them a ton, specifically Tiberian Sun. I wasn't very good, but i played all the time. I remember liking the live-action cutscenes. Wasn't James Earl Jones in one of the games...?

Yes great series of games. My roommate and I played the first one head to head in our dorm. Great times.

[poponon]

Dragon's Crown

Love me some Dragon's Crown. I'm baffled by the latest social justice and "gamergate" trend we see nowadays though. So many people denounce Dragon's Crown as absolute shit because of the art style. I think the aesthetic of the game is amazing, easily one of the best of the entire generation.

Also I realized I sort of failed to mention in my timeline the more recent generation games I've been playing. I definitely got on that dark souls bandwagon, it's such an amazing game and feels inspired from the retro games we all love. Other than that I've got into CAVE bullet hells, Monster hunter (started on ps2 though), and the odd rpg like Nier.  Also i still pick up ps2 games every once a while, such a massive library. No plans on getting into the new generation anytime soon though, maybe in a few years

[NecroPhile]

When i first got my own computer my uncle gave me this set with a whole bunch of Command and Conquer games. I remember playing them a ton, specifically Tiberian Sun. I wasn't very good, but i played all the time. I remember liking the live-action cutscenes. Wasn't James Earl Jones in one of the games...?

Yep.  They've used lots of well known actors, including Billy Dee Williams, Tricia Helfer, Tim Curry, Jenny McCarthy, George Takei, and David Hasselhof.

[BlueBMW]

Great seeing some fans of the original Command and Conquer.  My brother and I used to play it head to head over a parallel cable that ran across the room.  Null modem like a boss!   Though I always liked Dune 2 a little more, C&C was awesome.

[seieienbu]

I thought Dragon's Crown was great.  It's like there's finally a Vanillaware game that doesn't feel like a damn chore to play through.  As much as I loved the look of Princess Crown, Odin Sphere, and Muramasa I can't stand the way those games play.

[jtucci31]

Great seeing some fans of the original Command and Conquer.  My brother and I used to play it head to head over a parallel cable that ran across the room.  Null modem like a boss!   Though I always liked Dune 2 a little more, C&C was awesome.

I've never played Dune 2. I assume it's similar to C&C?

But i remember picking up some C&C game for the 360 later on and being disappointed. I did not like a console version of that game. I just couldn't do it without a mouse and keyboard.

[NecroPhile]

I've never played Dune 2. I assume it's similar to C&C?

It came out a couple years earlier, setting the basic game play conventions used in the Command and Conquer and many other RTS games.  I didn't own it back in the day, so my game time was limited to a few moments here and there at a buddies house until the remake Dune 2000; it's probably my favorite too, but mostly because it's Dune and not because it plays better.

[CGQuarterly]

I've never played Dune 2. I assume it's similar to C&C?

I don't know how it would be for someone who's never played it, but I love that game.  But I played the shit out of it back in its day so my feelings for it have been well marinated in nostalgic goodness. 

HARKONNEN HARVESTER: DEPLOYED.

[ToyMachine78]

2006: Order of the Griffon - my very late entry into SSI and Westwood games. Best RPG I've played since Ultima. Inspired me to track down all of the AD&D NES titles, Eye of the Beholder SNES, and buy a Genesis just for Warriors of the Eternal Sun.

Man did you ever play any of the SSI gold box games? If not, track them down. They are masterpieces. You can still play them on newer PCs too with DOS box.

They are so much better than any of the console D&D games of the time.

[BlueBMW]

Dune 2 was a little less refined than Command and Conquer but still very awesome.  The only gripe you might encounter if you go and play it is the fact that your cursor doesnt do everything automatically.  Like to attack something you dont just click the unit then click the target, you have to click the unit, click attack from a menu to the right and then click the target.  Or if you're a boss you use keyboard short cuts, A for attack, M for move, s for stop etc.

Definitely check it out though.  Its very good, as is its somewhat remake Dune 2000.

[jtucci31]

Yeah, Jibba and NecroPhile, I could definitely see how it would be a different experience for me having already played C&C before. But i enjoyed those game so much when I was younger that I see no reason why i shouldn't at least try Dune.

Dune 2 was a little less refined than Command and Conquer but still very awesome.  The only gripe you might encounter if you go and play it is the fact that your cursor doesnt do everything automatically.  Like to attack something you dont just click the unit then click the target, you have to click the unit, click attack from a menu to the right and then click the target.  Or if you're a boss you use keyboard short cuts, A for attack, M for move, s for stop etc.

Definitely check it out though.  Its very good, as is its somewhat remake Dune 2000.

That would probably take some getting used to, but I feel like i ought to try it anyway. Which Dune should i start with then if i were to give it a shot then?

[shawnji]

1988 - 4 Years Old - Super Mario Brothers -

I spent many an afternoon at my grandparents' house among my aunts and uncles, who were mostly still in their early teens at the time, and I'll never forget the day they got an NES.  My mother had seven brothers and sisters, and the youngest ones all fought each other over who would get to play.  I barely got a few minutes with it myself, but man, right then I knew gaming was going to be a HUGE deal for me.

1990 - 6 Years Old - Mega Man 3 -

My folks had given me an NES for the previous Christmas, and man was it awesome.   My mom surprised me one day when she picked me up from school and presented me with my first issue of Nintendo Power.  I was mesmerized.  Mega Man 3 was on the cover, and I still vividly remember reading it over and over again.  The game itself was okay, but that's not really why I put it on this list.  When I think back to getting that magazine now, I get a little misty-eyed and feel an urge to call my mom and tell her I love her, because she was always doing stuff like this for me when I was a kid.  What I never realized until I was much older was just how hard my parents had it at the time and how much they had to sacrifice to give me little moments like that, and that's memories like this have taken on a whole new meaning for me.  Thanks Mom and Dad.

1990 - 6 Years Old - Dragon Warrior -

The same year, my mom gave me this as a Christmas gift.  Little had I known that she had kept it hidden all year up until then, as it had come with the Nintendo Power subscription I mentioned above.  I mainly remember this as my major introduction to role-playing games.  I had, not one, but TWO big disappointments involving this game.  The first was when my aunt Dawn deleted all of our save games by failing to hold reset as she turned off the power!  Grrahhh!!!  The other was that my mom actually beat the game before I did!  I was like, "Mom!  You were supposed to let me beat it first cause it's MYYYY game!"  Ah, youth.

1992 - 8 Years Old - Final Fantasy II (IV) -

This was a big one for me.  At the time, I was adjusting to a recent move we'd made and my aunt Dawn was actually living with us as she was transitioning into college or... something like that, I think.  Lucky for me, she was dating a guy with good taste in games (he'll be mentioned again later), and he loaned her Final Fantasy II (IV).  I will never forget playing through that game.  The first time I experience the Lunar Whale flying to the moon, it very nearly blew my tiny, little brain to pieces.  My love for FF wouldn't be what it is now without this game, but honestly, the main reason it's on this list is because it reminds me of that time in my life and just how tumultuous everything was at our house at the time.  We had three of my mom's sisters living with us at one time or another during this period of a few years.

1995 - 11 Years Old - Illusion of Gaia -

I had bought my first Super Nintendo a few years prior at a local auction I went to with my dad.  I got the deck with no cables or controllers for about $15 and bought the rest of the stuff I needed later on, as well as getting several games I had wanted not long after that.  I had already played most of the best games via my aunt, but in 1995, I beat her to the punch when I got one of my favorite games of all time. 

This was the first game that I can remember becoming FANATICAL about.  I recorded myself playing through the whole game, and I, embarrassingly, started reading ALL the dialogue aloud and would get really into making unique voices for each character.  I developed a love of acting later on and eventually had a short career working as a stage actor, and I honestly believe this at least partially due to this habit I developed.  This game also infused me with a fascination for ancient historical sites.  I'm still bound and determined to visit Angkor Wat someday.

1997 - 13 Years Old - Final Fantasy VII -

My aunt Dawn had married the boyfriend that I mentioned earlier by this point, and they would often come and visit us for lunch on weekends.  Now, I had only just realized that Playstation was a thing, as I was still primarily a Nintendo guy at that point, but I had recently seen that preview on TV for FFVII that was done like a mock movie trailer and my interest was off the charts.  Enter my new uncle, who decided to bring over his Playstation to show it off.  After he showed me the Bahamut Zero summon, I was literally begging him to let me borrow the system for a day to try it out.  He actually loaned me all of his PS1 games, some of which probably should have caught my attention right then, like Castlevania: SotN, and Wild Arms; but I didn't care about those a bit.  I played all the way up through the Gold Saucer before I had to give it back.  A few weeks later I sold off some other games and used money in combination of what was left of my savings to get my PS1 and my very own copy of FFVII, and I was officially a Final Fantasy fan for life.

**For the record, I had also played FFVI before this.  I loved it, but it didn't have as big of an impact on me.

1998 - 14 Years Old - Xenogears / Final Fantasy VIII -

I really have to include both of these as a single entry because of how close they were in terms of where I was at in my life when I played them.  Honestly, I'd like to include Parasite Eve, Brave Fencer Musashi, and Final Fantasy Tactics in here too, but I guess I can deal with just these two for now.  Gaming had taken over my life fully and completely at this point and that's why I feel like these two kind of go hand in hand. 

When Xenogears came out, I can still remember my mind being blown at what happened after the point where the demo cut off.  Immediately, I knew I had found something amazing.  I think this game may single-handedly be responsible for my general dislike of organized religion.  Despite being raised in a very religious household, this game really started me down the path of asking some very hard questions of myself and others, which ended up being a really positive experience for me. 

Final Fantasy VIII was... not as good.  Still, I can't forget how touched I was by the ending for some reason.  Maybe it was because of the music, but that last shot where Squall and Rinoa embrace made me bawl like a little baby.  I didn't want it to end!  I was attached to the world and the characters now, and I didn't want to have to say goodbye!  It also sticks out because I remember my mom walking in and being surprised to find me with tears rolling down my cheeks. I was about as embarrassed as I could get, let me tell you.

2001 - 17 Years Old - Shenmue -

My aunts had gotten me into gaming and anime over the years, and gaming magazines had done a lot to educate me about where my favorite games originated.  Japan had become this exciting land of mystery for me.  Shenmue gave me my first glimpse into that world in a way no other game could.  I was so into it that I actually stayed up to beat it at 5:30 in the morning on a school day, and yet, just the act of beating it made me feel so awesome that I went through that day like I had just won the lottery.  I couldn't believe how palpable everything in the game felt.  I think it really fed my interest in Japanese life and culture, and it can probably claim a lot of responsibility for me eventually going to Japan as an exchange student at age 19.  One of my best memories is of walking the streets of Dobuita with the Shenmue soundtrack pounding into my headphones.  I would later move back to Japan to teach English from 2009 to the end of 2013, and my time there has played a huge part in my life that I can't imagine having never experienced.

2010 - 26 Years Old - Ys Books I+II -

I had never really paid much attention to the PC Engine.  I had only heard about Rondo of Blood, which by this point I had already played thanks to its inclusion with the PSP remake.  It wasn't until I decided to get Bomberman '94 from the Japanese PSN store on a recommendation from a friend that I started to get curious as to what else was out there.  I opted to get Ys I+II, and holy cow was it AMAZING.  I couldn't believe I had been content playing NES all these years when I could have been playing games like THIS!  It pretty much led to me devouring the entire Ys series, and also to checking out other great series like Tengai Makyou, Exile, Cosmic Fantasy, and Valis.  I still have a ton of games that I want to try for the system and it has really reinvigorated my love of classic gaming.  It's especially poignant to me now, because lately I've been finding it harder and harder to come across newer games that I enjoy, and I often find myself longing for that same feeling of awe and wonder that I got from gaming as a kid all those years ago.

-------------------------------------------------------------

So, that's my life story in gaming!  I'm really curious to see if any games in the future will have as profound an effect on me as these games did.  Honestly, writing all this has been a very interesting exercise, and brought up a lot of old memories that I didn't even think I could remember.  Here's to hoping that there are many more good memories to come.

[graffias79]

1988: Super Mario Bros (NES)

1990: Golden Axe (Genesis)

1991: Super Mario World (SNES)

1992: Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past (SNES)

1993: Ys Book I & II (Duo)

1994: Shinobi III (Genesis)

1998: Mario 64 (N64)

1999: Soul Calibur (Dreamcast)

2004: Mario Golf (Gamecube)

2008: Animal Crossing (Wii)

These I guess were the most standout titles I played in the "eras" listed.  There were of course many more that I played at the time.  I started out playing on friends' systems until 1992 when we came into some money.  To make up for lost times I guess my mom bought me all the game systems I wanted.  She actually enjoyed watching me play them.  After the Dreamcast came out I started getting less interested in modern games.  I'm just more of a 16-bit era kind of guy I guess.  As time went on you can see my "current generation" gaming took a turn for the casual.

[bob]

bump.  shameless plug, but people should add to this.  the responses were fun.

[ToyMachine78]

Agreed. This was a fun thread, and it's a good way to get to know the new guys.

[Digi.k]

Mr Do! was perhaps the first arcade game that had a huuuuge impact on me.  I've always wanted an arcade perfect game but sadly the ones by US Gold for C64, colecovision and variants on Neo Geo and Superfamicom just didn't didn't compare to the arcade greatness and even to this day I don't think there has ever been an arcade perfect version of this...

Someone port it to the pce along with Mr Do's Castle and Do Run Run?


Bubble Bobble another game where the cute 2D sprites just made me fall in love with those simple colorful and cutest sprites I ever seen.  I should have gotten a master system back in those days and grabbed this but I had the pc engine bias in my blood... So I had to deal with the poor gameplay of C64 and Amiga ports.

Gunhed just set a whole new level of music and graphics.  My friends were just blown away by this and we couldn't believe how much they fitted on those small tiny cards! Man those sampled speech and drums...

Ys Book I & II
music and cut scenes,  lovely and one of the first games I can remember that made me cry at the end.


Parodius Da!
I was so surprised to see this japanese game in one of the city arcades back in Soho fell in love with that cute and out of this world designs and that gameplay was just perfect.  I was impressed with the pc engine port although the missing levels, slight low sound and slight pauses in the gameplay made me feel a little sour but the gameplay is still golden and feels almost just the arcade bar the vertical screen scrolling.
final Fantasy III (aka FF6)
Square was just on a different level back in those 16-bit years and this game although I wasn't grabbed by it at first but a few hours in and meeting the cast I was sooo hooked and just fell in love with most of the characters and that music and scaling transparency spells etc...Absolutely beautiful music and epic gameplay.

Chrono Trigger
Amazing art and music.  gameplay was fantastic.  Not much to say except a very polished JRPG

Super Puyo Puyo
The Superfamicom game got me hooked on my puyos and I just love that tune played throughout the first few characters. To this day I still crave that puyo action.

Darkstalkers & Vampire Hunter
I put a lot of money into these arcade games and I was overjoyed with the Saturn port.  I have a lot of love for this game moreso than the street fighter games.  The fighting is just fast and feels much more free and fluid than any of the Ryu and co games.

Grandia
I love the world of Grandia and honestly felt Game Arts poured so much love into this game.  Music, Graphics are just dreamy and great cast of characters.

Phantasy star online
what an amazing online experience for consoles the auto/word translate just brought all gamers together and I had amazing time with Japanese/Europeans and American gamers. Unfortunately the community was ruined.

[Gredler]

Mario Bros
Gunsmoke
Zelda
Bonks Adventure
Fantasy Zone
Diablo
Half Life
Ultima Online
Final Fantasy XI
Ben 10 Alien Force Vilgax Attacks

[Digi.k]

Final Fantasy XI

This game was just hell for my Red Mage Taru. Being agro'd by nearly every monster throughout life on there and then when I hit that limit break 5 I just couldn't beat Maat and then when I lost I cried to all the peeps in the linkshell but I just couldn't bring myself to ask them to help get another testimony..  I just kept getting told by lots of people that it was hard and then when I confronted him I was way too nervous that I screwed up the debuffs and then he pwned my ass.

God I can faintly remember my first trip to jeuno and the ferry getting assaulted by pirate skeletons that shit me up.. and then running cross the field was equally terrifying with that sneak and invis and preying it wouldn't rub off.

[Gredler]

Final Fantasy XI

This game was just hell for my Red Mage Taru. Being agro'd by nearly every monster throughout life on there and then when I hit that limit break 5 I just couldn't beat Maat and then when I lost I cried to all the peeps in the linkshell but I just couldn't bring myself to ask them to help get another testimony..  I just kept getting told by lots of people that it was hard and then when I confronted him I was way too nervous that I screwed up the debuffs and then he pwned my ass.

God I can faintly remember my first trip to jeuno and the ferry getting assaulted by pirate skeletons that shit me up.. and then running cross the field was equally terrifying with that sneak and invis and preying it wouldn't rub off.

I played a taru black mage, and was not in a linkshell, so I didn't get super far but played it too much for how little progress I made. I also had to start over once, so that din't help things. Everyone thought I was a healer despite being a main blackmage lol

[NightWolve]

So, that's my life story in gaming!  I'm really curious to see if any games in the future will have as profound an effect on me as these games did.  Honestly, writing all this has been a very interesting exercise, and brought up a lot of old memories that I didn't even think I could remember.  Here's to hoping that there are many more good memories to come.

Very good job recalling and writing all of that, I read it in full.

[wilykat]

My memories are a bit fuzzy on the first games as I played Atari 2600 the first time when I was about 4 or 5. My cousin had the system and he had it set up at my grandparent's house during Christmas party.  My brother and I got one a few months later for Easter with Circus and Combat. I still have the same exact console, a Sears 6-switch heavy model.

I can remember Asteroids, Space Wars, and Video Olympics. Space Wars and Combat were the 2 games my little brother and I played quite often. Other games like Empire Strikes Back (AT-AT battle), Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Yars Revenge but those came out a few years later.

Unfortunately I can't remember which other games at all.

[esteban]

#1-10 Karnov (NES) because....ugghhhhh....pfssshhh

[bob]

#1-10 Karnov (NES) because....ugghhhhh....pfssshhh

Iron Tank

[esteban]

#1-10 Karnov (NES) because....ugghhhhh....pfssshhh

Iron Tank

Another great game! Tough and satisfying. Weapon management is divine.

Loved some of the tunes, too.

Ugghhhhhh...my arse is burning.

Pfssshhhhhh.