So this may require a bit of thought if you want to respond, but essentially, if you were to look back at your gaming past, what ten games (rough, chronological order) would you say define your timeline ? These are not necessarily your OMG 10 FAVORITE GAMES of all time. Well, these 10 certainly aren't my "favorites", but from when I started playing video games (age 6ish, 1982ish), these 10 certainly had an impact on me. A few of them were the reason I wanted/bought a system and may not have turned out great, but still hold a place with me.
#1. Combat (2600)
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line1.jpg
My friend Joe had a 2600 before me. I always played at his house and I can't tell you the countless hours we spent with the tank-pong game. It was exhilarating at the time. I remember wasting a ton of time flipping the 2600 switches to see what other variations were on the cart and being surprised when we found planes. Combat was my first foray into home video games and I needed a 2600 badly.
#2. Super Mario Bros. (NES)
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line2.jpg
When I was 12, I played soccer after school. There was a pair of twins (Andy and Doug) on my team that were a year older than me. During a game, they talked about how they just couldn't wait to get home and play Nintendo. Nintendo Nintendo Nintendo. I asked them..."What's Nintendo ?"
The answer at the time..."Atari but better". Ok, I need one.
Anyway, we are all familiar with SMB, but that Christmas was literally like the day I climbed out of the womb and felt heat for the first time.
By the way, Joe (from above) ended up hitting one of the twins with his car years later in high school and broke his knee.
#3. Megaman 2
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line3.jpg
I am NOT a Megaman fan. Let's start there. Now lets back up a bit. The Christmas of (I want to say) 1988 my Dad was in the hospital. When we went to visit him, he muscled up the energy to reach into the drawer next to him and pulled out two Christmas presents. They were Double Dribble and Track & Field. I loved both of them. The following summer was when Track & Field 2 was scheduled to come out and I was dying for it. Anyway, we went to the local Good Vibrations (music store back in the 80's) and I said "Give me Track & Field 2". Response was "We're out."
Dad looks at me and says "Pick something else". Megaman 2.
#4. Bonk's Adventure (TG-16)
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line4.jpg
Ever heard of it ? Joe (from above) and I used to go to the mall almost every weekend. There was a JVC store that had Bonk on display. We would play it for long stretches until somebody kicked us out for not buying anything. I already had a turbo when Bonk came out, but this game really did punch me in the tits at the time. I was tired of Mario, sonic wasn't out yet (not that it really mattered) and I loved the subject matter in Bonk at the time. Easy cake walk of a game at the time was actually refreshing to me because so many NES games were hard as nails and I hardly ever got to see most of the good stuff that came much later in many games. (I never said I was a great player of video games, just a fan)
#5. Dick Tracy (Genesis)
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line6.jpg
I loved the Warren Beatty version of Dick Tracy in 1989(?). I remember seeing the Genesis game on the rack and thinking "whoa, cool". That was the first time I wanted a Genesis. I love this game. If you aren't familiar, DT plays like a cross between original Shinobi (shoot straight, jump on/over crates) and Cabal.
You are fighting goons on two plains. The baddies are running right at you that you have shoot/punch (shinobi style), but in the distant background (think "accross the street") there are also fedora fighters that you can shoot with a tommy gun (cabal style). It keeps the action moving at a good pace as there is a lot you have to pay attention to. I highly recommend it, even though many think it's crap. If anybody has any suggestions for a DT clone, I'm all ears.
#6. Cosmic Fantasy 2 (TGCD)
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line5.jpg
Joe (from above) and I played Cosmic Fantasy 2 for something like three days straight during a high school winter break. Literally, didn't leave the TV for those three days until we finished it. Mind you, we must have explored every inch of that game and wasted so much time grinding levels but we didn't care. There were no guides, no internet access for us and pretty much nobody I knew even knew the game existed. So there was no help, just us and that CD. Still one of my favorite gaming memories of all time
#7. NHL (Genesis)
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line7.jpg
Just straight, addictive, head to head fun. It was the perfect sports game for a group of friends that thought you couldn't get any better than Blades of Steel. NHL blew me away.
#8. Battle Arena Toshinden (Playstation)
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line8.jpg
I was in a funny place from a gaming standpoint in the 1994-95 timeframe. I was a junior in high school, doing other things (skateboarding many hours a day) and lost a bit of interest. I enjoyed the fighting game craze at the time because they were quick, pick-em-up and play, no commitment fun. Battle Arena Toshinden is the game that made me want a Playstation (along with MK3 port). I couldn't believe what the Playstation was promising to do graphically when I saw that game box at the store and subsequent commercials. As I slowly got out of gaming, I never did play it until a few years later, and the game plays like crap now (kind of always did), but I will always have a copy in my collection.
#9. Tony Hawk Pro Skater (Playstation)
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line9.jpg
The Playstation era really is like two bookends of my gaming past. I got out of gaming not long after the Playstation hit it's stride, and THPS is the game that got me to jump back in. After playing it at a friends house, I bought the game and didn't even have the system, but I knew plenty of people that did. It came out somewhat late in the PS lifecycle, so technically it had all the bells and whistles. It played like a dream for a skateboarder since we really had nothing that even came close to matching it. Skate or Die 2 Halfpipe was as close as you were getting. THPS had real pro's, real moves, real locations, and real music. This game actually was responsible for a skateboarding renaissance in the early 2000's which died a few years later when people realized they couldn't really do 30 trick combos and it's hard enough to learn how to ollie. I love the entire series, and I think I have 5000% all of the games with my eyes closed. R.I.P. THPS, you are sorely missed.
#10. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
dotsandloops.com/timeline/line10.jpg
I love the Wii and I'm not afraid to say it. I do. Remember from above, I got out of gaming during the N64 era, so I totally skipped Mario 64. Super Mario Galaxy was really my first experience with anything 3D Mario and I just couldn't put down this acid trip. SMG was the first "new" game that came out in a long time where I couldn't wait to get back to it after work, on weekends, when wife went out, etc. I thought the controls were spot on, the puzzles were great without being frustrating, and just all around a very polished game. I still pick it up once in a while, and I enjoyed 2, but SMG is probably my favorite game in my Wii collection.
Obviously, this thread is not for everybody to post 10 pics and write a novel on each game. But what 10 games over the years and console generations would you say visualize your timeline ?
Wow man, great question...
For me it started with my Radio Shack TRS-80 back in the 80's. Word adventures to cartridges like Dungeons of daggorath
Then it was a SMS.. I solved every game I owned.. Black Belt and Phantasy Star were my best memories and the games that impacted me.
After that I took a break and got into girls :P, but the gamer in me got me playing Marathon on my Mac at work in the 90's, then later a fantastic fucking game called MYTH... This game hooked me so hard I bought every version they put out. I can remember it all still!
Later on buying an Atari at a flemarket it got my gamer in me growing again, I then picked up a used playstation... Resident evil was an eye opener and I loved it, also Ridge Racer started me into driving games which I am still good at to this day ( I think) which lead to the Driver series.. That for me was the best fucking driving game ever... I mean ever.
.. Then Remembering the TG16 as I always wanted it , I bought one at a feamarket and later bought Dragon Spirit and it was the highlight to my candled retro gaming..... But it even got better.. Multiplayer with my friends with a game called Resistence on my PS3 many years ago..which opened my eyes on how gaming should be... Playing with friends.
Wow, this is a great idea for a topic.
1. Super Mario Bros.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/Super_Mario_Bros._box.png)
The NES was the first system I ever had. Got it as a very early Christmas present in the fall of 1987. I used to play 2-player with my dad. I would always be Mario and he would always be Luigi. Now whenever I see Luigi I think of him.
2. The Legend of Zelda
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Legend_of_zelda_cover_(with_cartridge)_gold.png)
I actually got this game when I got my NES. But of all the games I ever had for the system, these were the two that I remember the most fondly. I still think it's the best Zelda game, but that opinion is heavily tainted by nostalgia.
3. Tetris
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Tetris_Boxshot.jpg)
I got my Game Boy the first Christmas that it was out, after a LOT of cajoling and lobbying. I only ever had a handful of games for it, but this is the one that takes me back any time I hear the music.
4. Sim City (DOS PC)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20120414230348im_/http://pics.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/950164520-00.jpg)
Started playing this sometime in 1991, I'm guessing. Along with Wolfenstein 3D, this was the first PC game that I got really hooked on. I actually printed out one of my cities, using my dot matrix printer, carefully cut out all of the margins, and taped the sheets together to make a big poster for my wall. It hung there until I moved out to go to college when I was 21.
5. Sonic The Hedgehog
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/ba/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_1_Genesis_box_art.jpg)
I got the Sega Genesis for my 15th birthday, in 1992. I was already really in to PC gaming by that time, but Sonic blew me away, and as soon as I played it I had to have a Genesis. I only ever had a handful of Genesis games, but I was lucky in that they were all great. But this will always be my favorite. If you can't get all of the chaos emeralds before finishing the games, you're a fag.
6. X-Wing
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/X-Wing_-_Space_Combat_Simulator_(box_cover).jpg)
Probably the last DOS PC game that I really played the shit out of, in 1993 and maybe 94. After this game, it seemed like every new release was on CD, and I didn't have a CD drive. There are so many other PC games that I want to put on this list, like the Lucasarts and Sierra adventure games, Epic Pinball, Doom, Blackthorne, Syndicate, etc. But Sim City and X-Wing were the two that I loved the most.
INTERMISSION
I actually quit playing games for a few years after my PC became too obsolete for then-current releases. I wish I could say that it was because I was out dating girls and sowing my wild oats, but the truth is that I just wandered away from it and did other stuff, like just hanging out with friends. But in 1997 I bought a Playstation and got sucked right back in to gaming.
7. Final Fantasy VII
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/Final_Fantasy_VII_Box_Art.jpg)
I bought this game right when it came out, which was a couple of months after I bought my Playstation. The Playstation was the first console that I bought as an adult, with my own money. I was working, and had money to buy the occasional game or magazine, which I was never able to do as a kid. Final Fantasy VII was the first game that sucked me in so much, that I could literally play it all day on my days off. I would literally get up, get dressed, eat, and then play this all day until it was time to watch TV in the evening. I have as much nostalgic love for this game as I do for SMB or Sonic.
8. SSX
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/SSX_box_art.jpg)
The Playstation 2 was the first system that I ever bought at launch. This system was hyped like nothing else, and I waited in line outside of Best Buy to buy one of the 7 systems that they had for sale. I bought SSX at the same time, and it is the game that I most closely associate with the system. There was a real drought of good games for the system post-launch (so much so that I mostly used mine to play PSX games and watch DVDs), and by the time the quality titles started rolling out, I had bought a new computer and was back to PC gaming.
9. Civilization III
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/Civilization_III_Coverart.png)
Sometime in 2001 I bought a new PC from Dell that was powerful enough to play any game on the market. Standout titles that I was in to back then were Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Call of Duty, and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit II. But nothing could make me burn away the hours like Civ III. I would get up, start up a game, and see it through to completion without stopping. I can probably say that I flunked a class or two in college because of this game.
10. Gran Turismo 6
(https://web.archive.org/web/20131210060033im_/http://www.noreset.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/image001.jpg)
This was the last new, current generation game that I bought, so that's part of the reason that it's at the end of this list. But I also love the shit out of it. I bought GT2, then bought GT3 right when it came out and played it endlessly. Bought 4 but didn't play it much, then skipped 5 because I didn't have a PS3. I bought a PS3 purely so that I could play this game, which I decided that I needed to do once it was announced that there was going to be downloadable Ayrton Senna content released. I have other PS3 games, but I never play them. If it wasn't for this game, I would just get rid of my PS3.
1.0. Lemonade Stand (PET)
1.4. Galaga
1.6. MEGA ZONE
2.0 Lode Runner (Apple ][)
3.0 Kaboom! / Asteroids / Combat
3.9 Calculator/Shoot-em-up LCD (the name of the manufacturer escapes me at the moment...)
4.0. Jackie Chan J-Mat Fitness
5.0 PowerBoxing (XaviX)
6.0 The Sims Go Bowling (PC)
9.0 Evolve
Wow, that's hard but based on brainstorming mainly:
1. Space Invaders (zx spectrum)
2. Green berret (msx)
3. Loom (amiga)
4. Super mario land (gameboy)
5. Xybots (lynx)
6. Alone in the dark 1,2,3 (pc 486)
7. Wing commander 3 (pc pentium)
8. Ultima Online (modern pc with internet conenction)
9. Fatal Frame (xbox)
10. Dark souls (ps3)
top 10 games that made a big impact for me
1. bubble bobble (arcade)
2. king of fighters 94 (arcade)
3. sonic 2 (genesis)
4. streets of rage 2 (genesis)
5. super mario 64 (n64)
6. tony hawk pro skater (ps1)
7. mortal kombat trilogy (n64)
8. tekken 2 (ps1)
9. grand turismo 3 (ps2)
10. pokemon yellow (gameboy)
My ten game history, though basically the games I loved and still love.
1. Great American Cross Country Road Race (Atari 800) - 1989 Age 5, used to love this one...
(https://web.archive.org/web/20150106104515im_/http://www.atarimania.com/8bit/screens/the_great_american_cross_country_road_race_firebird_uk_7.gif)
2. Civilization (PC) - 1990 Age 6, used to watch my dad play for HOURS, finally just started playing myself
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ec/Civilizationboxart.jpg)
3. Powerhouse (PC) - 1995 Age 11, Horrible horrible game, but the premise of it... providing electricity to the world using alternative energy sources. This game basically inspired me to what my life's interest / goal is. (I want to get into alternative energy research)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20130727174617im_/http://homeoftheunderdogs.net/games/p/powerhouse/powerhouse-c.jpg)
4. Heroes of Might and Magic (PC) - 1995 Age 11, one of my favorite strategy series period.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7c/Heroes_of_Might_and_Magic_box.jpg/250px-Heroes_of_Might_and_Magic_box.jpg)
5. Super Mario 64 and Waverace 64 together (N64) - 1996 Age 12, These two basically introduced me to 3d gameplay, I was blown away at the time.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6a/Super_Mario_64_box_cover.jpg)
6. Final Fantasy 7 (PS1) - 1997 Age 13, I'd never played this sort of RPG before. I absolutely loved it and it made me consider RPGs in the future
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/Final_Fantasy_VII_Box_Art.jpg)
7. Banjo Kazooie (N64) - 1998 Age 14, Probably my favorite platformer ever. I play this game through every single year around Christmas time
(https://web.archive.org/web/20140916123431im_/http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CXdLRZthL._SX300_.jpg)
8. Skies of Arcadia (DC) - 2000 Age 16, I didn't think I'd ever find an RPG I liked more than FF7, but this one I did... I still go back and play this one plenty.
(https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSgMCjndN1kl_ncNBqlBwlP4IuDcTHCyn7TlLZ8fSx5lILiH_ZC6XpY8trV)
9. Civilization 4 (PC) - 2005 Age 21, I played this one with my dad and still do to this day.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7e/CivIVboxshot.jpg/256px-CivIVboxshot.jpg)
10. Super Mario 3d World - 2013 Age 30, This game is the first new game in a LONG time to give me that giddy little kid feeling.
(http://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/e/e2/Box_NA_-_Super_Mario_3D_World.png/250px-Box_NA_-_Super_Mario_3D_World.png)
This is a great topic!
I will post later when I'm not on a phone.
1: Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt NES
2: Sim Farm PC
3: Super Mario World snes
4: TMNT 4 snes
5: Golden eye 007 n64
6: crash bandicoot 3 psx
7: Gran Turismo 2 psx
8: nhl 2001 PC
9: Call of Duty 5 xbox360
10: Red dead Redemption PS3
EDIT : Oh my god I didnt put Link to the past. I played Zelda: LTTP over and over again as a kid and still complete it at least once a year. *Also took out the pictures, some were pretty big and looked like shit.
1. Circus Atari (Atari 2600)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20160211011555im_/http://www.atarimania.com/2600/boxes/hi_res/circus_atari_text_cart_2.jpg)
2. Pitfall! (Atari 2600)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20090417115916im_/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/06/Pitfall%21_Coverart.png)
3. Super Mario World (SNES)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/32/Super_Mario_World_Coverart.png)
4. Ys I&II (TurboCD)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e1/Ys_Book_1_%26_2.jpg)
5. Super Metroid (SNES)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e4/Smetroidbox.jpg)
6. Doom (PC)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/57/Doom_cover_art.jpg)
7. NiGHTs (Saturn)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/NightsIntoDreamsBox.jpg)
8. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cf/Castlevania_SOTN_PAL.jpg)
9. Sonic Adventure (DC)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Sonic_Adventure.PNG)
10. The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker (GCN)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20050929102220im_/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/ZeldaWindWakerGCNCoverArtUS.jpg)
Wow the games that had the most impact on me - have to think about that one :lol:.
1. Wonderboy (Arcade) - this was the first game I remember playing in a restaurant before / after soccer training in 1987.
2. Rainbow Islands (Amiga) - this was the first game a school friend showed me at his home to show me the Amiga 500 in 1988 - excellent port and game, the PCE version is one of my favourite games to this day :).
3. Super Mario Bros. (NES) - I remember since our little town had no big shopping centre at the time - 1988, whenever we drove in the next big city, the supermarket there had a little electronics isle and there was a NES with Super Mario Bros. - from that moment on I was hooked on consoles :P.
4. Super Mario Land (Game Boy) - Since the Game Boy was my first own gaming system in 1989 and this was the first game I got with it this had to be included 8).
5. Probotector / Contra (NES) - Shortly after the Game Boy I started to beg for a NES :P - it took a year (christmas 1990) to get it and Probotector (the Europe version of Contra) was the first game I got =D>.
6. Super Mario World (Super NES)- At that time (1990) German video game magazines started (and I was hooked at all of them :P) - and they had an article about the Super Famicom (which was already out in Japan) and tests of the first games and of course Super Mario World was one of them - I wanted the game from the screenshots alone and read the test over & over again.
7. The PC Engine / Neo Geo - in that time period (1990 - 1993) as I said I was hooked on video game magazines and the import scene was really big at that time. Being 10 - 13 years old I could not buy the games / consoles. But the PCE & Neo Geo always had that mystic aura for me from that point on - I was fascinated because you could not walk in a store and buy them since they were not released in Europe and at the same time I was really mad at NEC/SNK because I wanted to see the machines in action. I know not a game - but I dreamed about having these consoles so they made an impression on me :P.
8. Super Probotector / Contra III / Contra Spirits (Super NES) - After reading two years about the console I finally got it at christmas 1992 along with Super Probotector - this game blew my socks off :dance:.
9. Truxton 2 (Arcade) - We went to a family fest around 1992 / 93 in a Jugoslawian restaurant and there were two arcade cabinets in the entrance hall and in one of them was Truxton 2 - needless to say, eating was not that important that evening :D.
10. Ridge Racer (PS 1) - I made a summer praktikum to get the money for a PS 1 and Ridge Racer and played it for months in 1994/95 8).
11. Bonus point :wink: Spriggan (PC Engine) - Started to work in 1996 - and slowly but shurely I got into import gaming through private ads in gaming magazines and it was also the year I finally got a brand new Duo-R along with the first game which was Spriggan - it left me speechless because I couldn't believe this game runs on 8 Bit Hardware.
Extra:
Of course not everything was great back then 8). I remember to this day about the first game I really hated => Wing Commander. A friend of mine was absolutely hooked on that game and told me excited about it. I found it extremly boring, slow & not a very good game at all - I could never understand why it has such a following & so many sequels (and even a horrible movie).
What an awesome thread! I really had to take a bunch of time to think about this. Here's my list.
#1 Kangaroo
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030829242_zpslpdub7zn.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030829242_zpslpdub7zn.jpg.html)
The Atari 2600 is the first video game system I ever played. My dad had bought the console new in 1979. When I was about 4 we got to try it out. Notable mentions on this list would be Frogger, Smurfs and Enduro. In early 1989 a local toy store called Children's Palace was selling remaining stock of Atari 2600 games for next to nothing. My dad was buying up these cheap titles while they lasted. One of those games happened to be Kangaroo. I had never wanted to play a game so much for long periods of time as this one. It's an early and VERY challenging (for a 4-5 year old) platformer. It was the first time I experienced a game that you could traverse through and experience different level designs rather than go for a high score. This still might be my favorite 2600 game.
#2 Super Mario Brothers
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030816278_zpsdx2kw7lw.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030816278_zpsdx2kw7lw.jpg.html)
In the history of video games this may be THE biggest game changer. I wonder if Nintendo ever speculated on how big of an impact this game would make. My cousins got a Nintendo about the time I started playing video games on the 2600. Super Mario was a favorite with everyone and anywhere you went. This single game made me beg my parents to buy us an NES. Finally, Christmas of 1990 our Nintendo dreams came true.
#3 Sonic 2
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_201503083546_zpsrn8hpyzz.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_201503083546_zpsrn8hpyzz.jpg.html)
My best friend Scott who lived in the house behind us got a Genesis early in it's release. I loved playing the original Sonic and Streets of Rage 2 at his house. Toe Jam & Earl was another heavily played title. When Sonic 2 was released my good ol' friend Scott received a copy right away. This single title made me feel the same way as I did when I played SMB for the first time. Immediately, I started begging for a Genesis of my own. This dream came true Christmas of 93'. Of course we got the model 2 with Sonic 2 as the pack-in.
#4 Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030851807_zpsv5xhe8is.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030851807_zpsv5xhe8is.jpg.html)
I had no previous experience with this game at all. The only thing I knew is that I wanted to buy a Gameboy for Tetris. My parents used to have a garage sale every few years and they gave us any money that was made from selling our old toys/ stuff. I received enough money to buy a Gameboy. To my surprise, they were selling Gameboys with this Zelda game as a pack-in. I had played the original Zelda on NES previously but was too young to truly understand it. Now that I was older I instantly fell in love with this game. There was so much satisfaction of making my way through a dungeon or figuring out "puzzles" to get new items. Stealing from the shop owner was fun too. This is still one of my favorite Zelda games to this day.
#5 Resident Evil Director's Cut
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030835619_zpsm0v2on4f.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030835619_zpsm0v2on4f.jpg.html)
My first experience with a 32-bit platform was a Playstation Kiosk at Toys R Us. Twisted Metal was playing and I was blown away with the graphics and game play. My good friend Justin got a Playstation eventually and had this game. This was the first game I had ever played with "extreme violence and gore". This game introduced me to the survival horror genre and it sucked me right in. We played this game for hours on end. However, once we had beaten the main game we probably put more time into the Resident Evil 2 demo disc that was included. There was nothing like going into Justin's basement bedroom with all the lights off and crapping our pants playing Resident Evil.
# 6 Wave Race
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030820414_zpsr1rwdtia.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030820414_zpsr1rwdtia.jpg.html)
This is the first game I ever played for the newly released Nintendo 64. I was skeptical with Nintendo (I skipped the SNES because Genesis = more badass) and thought they would never offer anything as cool as the bloodfests and violent games found on the PS1. I was wrong. I could not believe how fun this game was and was blown away at the graphics. My brother and I rented an N64 a handful of times before we finally saved enough money to buy our very own. Oddly enough, Wave Race is a game I have never owned, it was just the game that made me buy a Nintendo 64 instead of a Playstation
#7 Gran Turismo 2
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_201503080514_zpsr6oqnmi3.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_201503080514_zpsr6oqnmi3.jpg.html)
I have always been into cars and racing. I didn't know anything about Gran Turismo 1 as I didn't own a Playstation. I liked arcade racers but was in love with Sierra's NASCAR simulation games on PC. A friend of mine brought over his Playstation to show me this game. I immediately fell in love. I had never experienced a simulation racing game that felt so real and had so much depth. Even my brother who was not into cars at all, fell in love with this game. Right then and there we decided that we HAD to get a Playstation and buy Gran Turismo 2. 2 days later, after collecting every spare nickle we could find, we bought a used Playstation and a used copy of Gran Turismo 2. I can't even tell you how much time I spent playing that game but I 100% completed everything in that game. It still holds up even by today's standards
#8 Grand Theft Auto III
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030839407_zpsril28sdl.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_2015030839407_zpsril28sdl.jpg.html)
I was already in love with Grand Theft Auto from playing it on PC. When I heard the 3rd installment was going to be in 3D and an open world, I couldn't believe it. I was a Freshman in H.S. at the time and I rented a PS2 and this game when it came out. I couldn't believe how awesome this game was. The replay value of this game couldn't be touched by anything else at that time. I actually received a copy of this game for Christmas before I even owned the system. A few months later I purchased my very own Playstation 2 with my own money. This game and DVD playability are what lead me to purchase a PS2 over the existing Dreamcast and forthcoming XBOX and GameCube.
#9 Forza Motorsports 2
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_201503081767_zpsssrykxhd.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_201503081767_zpsssrykxhd.jpg.html)
I never thought I would love a racing series as much as I loved the Gran Turismo games but I was wrong. One of my friends got an XBOX 360 and had this game. He was also a car buff and said I had to come over and play it. I was sold. The controls were so amazingly good and realistic. I went out and bought a 360 and this game the first chance I got. Then, after playing it on my old school T.V. I decided I had to buy a modern T.V. to really give the visuals justice. Shortly after that, I bought the 360 steering wheel and built a cockpit and racing seat to house it all. Needless to say, this single game caused me to spend about $1200 dollars.
#10 Splatterhouse
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/SHOracer14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_201503083224_zpsqcie3noa.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/SHOracer14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_201503083224_zpsqcie3noa.jpg.html)
What!? I moved through my gaming timeline but then tack a 16-bit game on the end? WTF!? Well, after playing through Oblivion and Fallout 3 (both amazing) there weren't too many new games coming out that I had to buy. Everything was going FPS and online play. I decided to bust out a bunch of my old consoles and play the "classics". At that point I was hooked back into "retro gaming" and decided I needed to find old consoles and games I had never played growing up. When I finally purchased a Turbografx all I had to play was Keith Courage. I was disappointed with Keith but wanted to find other games for the console. On a trip to Cleveland I found a loose copy of Splatterhouse. I remembered renting Splatterhouse 2 and 3 on Genesis when I was a kid and figured I'd give it a try. I loved it. It took my right back to my childhood but with a new experience. This game completely launched me into the world of TG16/PCE and I have no regrets.
So great to see others put the pics (and picks) up. I like seeing each persons progression.
awesome topic, ill have to give it some thought, also when im in front of a real pc
I added pics because i thought it would make it easier for someone who just wanted to skim over the list and not read all the text.
Quote from: BlueBMW on 03/08/2015, 07:17 PMI added pics because i thought it would make it easier for someone who just wanted to skim over the list and not read all the text.
Damn. I'll have to do that, too.
Can't really think of all the games that would be considered the progression of my gaming. But it definitely started with neighborhood Coleco visions and Intellevisions. Then to our own Atari 2600, then Commodore 64, arcade games (I spent many a hour and a whole lot of quarters), my buddies NES, then the TG16. A bit after that went to PC games (civilization, castles, and a few others). Later moved on to the Playstation for the Gran Turismo games. Then the Wii.
Now back to the TG16/PCE/Duo.
Isn't Civilization great? :D I still go back and play Civ 1 and 2 a lot. Civ 3 didnt catch me as good... Civ 4 has Leonard Nimoy narrating which is pretty boss.
Heck yeah it is. I'm looking at picking up a PC just so I can play it again.
removed
Space invaders (2600)
Metroid (NES)
Forbidden Forest (C=64)
Battle Chess (Amiga)
Blazing Lazers (TG16)
Viewpoint(NeoGeo)
Tempest 2000 (Jaguar)
Jumping Flash(PSOne)
Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube)
Bayonetta 2(Wii U)
Am having trouble believing galam came up with this, but yeah, great thread idea, as others mentioned. I'll have to sit down and think about it when I'm in the mood to maybe add my list.
Quote from: NightWolve on 03/09/2015, 12:02 AMAm having trouble believing galam came up with this, but yeah, great thread idea, as others mentioned. I'll have to sit down and think about it when I'm in the mood to maybe add my list.
i saw a similar thread on a JP forum and Tobias helped me translate it.
This looks like fun and a neat idea... I'm on board. So these are not necessarily my favorite games of all time, but they are the games that define my gaming history.
#1 Pac-Man for the VCS
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/PacMan2600box.jpg)
My earliest memory of playing any video games is when I was sitting at home on our VCS in 1980. My brothers were both away at school and I was sitting at home playing Pac-Man. The only reason this day sticks out in my mind is because it was the first time I passed the first maze.
#2 Berzerk VCS
(https://web.archive.org/web/20160210114356im_/http://www.atarimania.com/2600/boxes/hi_res/berzerk_sears_picture_cart_4.jpg)
Another game on the VCS that I found an attachment to simply because of how fun it was. I remember the time that I used to spend playing this game along with a few honorable mentions. Circus Atari and Combat.
#3 Super Mario Bros NES
(https://img0.etsystatic.com/007/0/6546343/il_170x135.391742240_io0u.jpg)
I think anyone who was around when the NES was released this would probably be the top pick for what defined their gameplay habits. Super Mario was the pinnacle of gaming at that time, and it was an amazing game. Again honorable mention would be Zelda, Mario 2, Mario 3, Crystalis
#4 Maze Hunter 3D SMS
(https://segaretro.org/images/thumb/6/65/MazeHunter3D_EU_nolimits_cover.jpg/189px-MazeHunter3D_EU_nolimits_cover.jpg)
As a child of the 80's my brothers and I wanted an NES... we never got it. My parents opted to get us the SMS with Zapper and 3D instead. Which I was very glad that is the way they ended up going. All my friends had the NES so I was able to play it basically whenever I wanted. The SMS blew the NES out of the water, but not all the games were quite as fun. Some honorable mentions are: Phantasy Star, Alex Kidd, Zillion II
#5 Altered Beasts Genesis
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510061342im_/http://www.juegomania.org/Altered+Beast/preview/genesis/0/26/26_c.jpg/Foto+Altered+Beast.jpg)
My brother stayed home from our family vacation because he had to work. When my parents called to check up on him I talked to him and he turned on Altered Beasts and let the voice "Rise From Your Grave" blare out over the line to make me jealous. I was so excited to get home and see this game in action for myself. Honorable mentions: Sonic, Phantasy Star IV
#6 Mario Land GameBoy
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510061342im_/http://www.cvgm.net/static/media/screenshot/image/Mario1_Cartridge.jpg)
The same summer as before when we got home from our family vacation I had a package sitting on the dinning room table for me. I open it up to find that I have won the "Who's the real Capt. Crunch" contest and they sent me a Gameboy. This is the same year that I was looking into buying a Gamate instead. Mario Land is one of those games that I have very fond memories playing. Honorable mentions: Tetris (of course), Zelda, Kirby, FF3
#7 Super Mario World
(https://s3.amazonaws.com/primagames-prod-assets/files/snesmario.jpg)
The game that convinced me to buy a SNES. I was playing this game at a friends house and when my mom came to pick me up I showed it to her and said "This is what I want" She let me spend my paper route cash on it, and I was a happy boy. Honorable mentions: F-Zero, Zelda, Street Fighter II
#8 Street Fighter II Arcade
(?action=dlattach&attach=13369&image) As this was an honorable mention for SNES it was a must as a defined game in my history. I was in middle school when this game came out and near my school we had a Pizza Hut. Several of us would leave the campus at lunch time (which thankfully I never got caught) to head over there to play SFII. I got sucked into the game that really boosted the fighting game genre.
#9 Keith Courage TG16
(?action=dlattach&topic=18706&attach=6790&image)
(https://www.pcengine-fx.com/workingdesigns/images/keith_courage_front.jpg)
The pack in game that came with the TG16 became an immediate hit with me when we got the TG16. I can't remember if we got the TG before or after Street Fighter II came out in the arcades so I'll put it at #9. Honorable mentions: Neutopia, Parasol Stars, Dragon's Curse
#10 Clockwork Knight Saturn
I'm out of time so I have to make this quick. It was amazing seeing a sidescrolling game that looked so amazing! The Saturn was a 2D powerhouse... not so strong in the 3D department. Honorable mentions: Astal, Street Fighter Collection...
1. Pitfall Atari - first video game I ever played in 1985
2. Legend of Zelda - first and only game I played with my father co-op. He never took an interest in any other game. He actually made strategy guides for it that I handed out in class to the other kids.
3. Contra NES- I would spend hours upon hours playing it.
4. Splatterhouse - the first main reason I had an interest in the Turbografx
5. Chrono Trigger SNES- my brother and I would play separate files but be competive about it.
6. Final Fantasy III/VI - same reason as Chrono Trigger
7. NBA Jam arcade- there was a cab at my local Pizza Hut that the neighborhood kids and I would play on.
8. Tony Hawk 2 Dreamcast- my friends and I played this endlessly in college.
9. Ikaruga GC- I don't really care for this game as a whole now a days. However when I first picked it up for the Game Cube at release I was quite impressed with the black/white mechanic.
10. Bomberman Live Xbox 360- the game that is played ironically in local co-op between my daughter and myself.
0) Blue Max(thanks BNW!) (Atari 400/800) - This is real hazy, it was at a friends house, played like Zaxxon with a byplane
1) Choplifter (Apple ][) - Played at local collge during campus festival
2) Combat (VCS) - Never had a 2600, when on a trip to England when I was young, it was my best memory when I played with the kids of my moms friend
3) Metroid (NES) - Borrowed a friends NES for a week with it and fell in love. First game I bought for me NES when I got one
4) Ys (TG16) - best money ever spent for an add-on
5) Star Control 2 (PC) - duh!
6) Tekken 2 (PS1) - logged so many late night hours on Jimmy's couch with this one...lot of 40oz's back then.
7) Capcom vs SNK 2 (arcade) - greatest fighter evah
8a) Unreal Tournament 2k4 (PC master race) - Firend got me into on-line play
8b) Farcry (PC master race) - Loved the open world gameplay
9) arcade machines - sort of devolved back to 90's arcades in the mid 2000's. Never looked back save for my love of obey
*edit for correction
Quote from: Ayce on 03/09/2015, 09:42 AMI had a package sitting on the dinning room table for me. I open it up to find that I have won the "Who's the real Capt. Crunch" contest and they sent me a Gameboy.
I'd like to hear more about this...
If I had to summarize it in ten games, then these would be my picks:
1. APF TV Fun (the one with the dials attached to the console)
2. Super Mario Bros
3. Megaman 3
4. Sonic 1
5. Kirby's Adventure
6. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
7. Gran Turismo
8. Sonic Adventure
9. Dead or Alive 3
10. The Last of US
This wasn't easy, there are so many games (specially NES and GEN) I could have included on the list.
For example, this list doesn't tell you when I was a PC gamer in the mid to late 90s (NFS series, Fifa, Midtown Madness, Flight Simulator, etc)
Majors, I believe that was Blue Max, and I too remember that one fondly. My brother and I loved it but then our copy disappeared. A few years ago when I was in chicago at People Play Games they had a disk copy for sale... needless to say I snatched it up pronto!
o.pwuaioc, always great to see another Civ fan. And yes Civ 4 and 5 have taken a disproportionate amount of my life's gaming time. I like that you mentioned rise of nations too... My friends and I used to play a lot of Age of Empires 1 and 2 but then rise of nations came. Its like it perfected everything about AoE and made it awesome. I still play that one a ton. That cold war campaign is always epic. And if you ever are about to get completely obliterated you can always hit enter and type cheat nuke and feel a little better.
removed
Good call with kyrandia.
1. Donkey Kong Colecovision
2. Kings Quest 3 IBM 386
3. Super Mario Land Gameboy
4. Wolfenstein IBM 386
5. Doom Pentium 60 MHZ
6. Flashback SEGA Genesis (Way late to the Party)
7. Grand Tourismo PS1
8. Goldeneye N64
9. Halo 2 XBOX
10. Halo 3 XBOX 360
Today XBOX ONE COD Advanced Warefare
Quote from: CGQuarterly on 03/09/2015, 01:09 PMQuote from: Ayce on 03/09/2015, 09:42 AMI had a package sitting on the dinning room table for me. I open it up to find that I have won the "Who's the real Capt. Crunch" contest and they sent me a Gameboy.
I'd like to hear more about this...
Dude? Are you serious?
I won a Gameboy from Cap'n Crunch, too.
I still have it. It still works. I still play it.
The problem was that SO MUCH TIME PASSED between entering the contest and receiving the prize that I honestly forgot completely about the contest and was confused when the Gamebou showed up. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I did not complain.
:)
I do play whenever I get the chance. I just play by myself but I'd be up for anything.
Nulltard, I remember Nomad! Awesome little game. You mentioned Privateer... ever try Wing Commander Privateer 2: The Walkening? It's got Christopher Walken and Clive Owen in it! One of my favorites of that style game.
Quote from: guest on 03/09/2015, 05:10 PMQuote from: BlueBMW on 03/09/2015, 01:44 PMI like that you mentioned rise of nations too... My friends and I used to play a lot of Age of Empires 1 and 2 but then rise of nations came. Its like it perfected everything about AoE and made it awesome. I still play that one a ton. That cold war campaign is always epic. And if you ever are about to get completely obliterated you can always hit enter and type cheat nuke and feel a little better.
Thanks! Rise of Nations really did. Sadly, I only learned about the cheats in 2012. Six years of playing straight!
You still play? My wife and I haven't played in forever due to lack of friends to join. Also, did you ever play the sequel, Rise of Legends?
Yeah, this list is incredibly hard to compile.
1. Super Mario Bros was the first video game I ever really enjoyed playing. A neighbor of mine had an Atari that belonged to his older sister but whenever we played it I remember enjoying it very little. The games weren't interesting enough for me to want to play them. On the other hand, I was hooked on SMB the very first time I played it. I recall the first time I played walking into and dying on the goomba. Then finding out that I could jump over him to get past him. I accidentally jumped on top of one in between the pipes before the first pit and found out that you could attack them in that manner. I fell in the pit many times before I got the timing down to jump over it; though I figured that out I still thought that moving the controller up and over as I was nearing the jump helped me to
2. Mega Man 2 finished for me what Super Mario Bros started. I look back at it to this day and still see it as 8-bit platforming perfection. The controls are super responsive, the enemies are unique and non-repetitive, the stages are wildly varied, and the soundtrack is absolutely amazing.
3. Tetris (particlarly on the Gameboy) occupied many hours for me in long car trips and other tedious experiences. It's such a simple concept that anyone can grasp it almost immediately. The game can be quick too: it's painlessly easy to play for just a few minutes or to pass substantial amounts of time with it. Much more-so than, say, Super Mario Land, Tetris was the perfect pack in title for the Gameboy.
4. Ys Books 1 and 2 was the first ever CD game I played that felt like an actual Game. It sold me on optical media for games immediately. It took a solid game and used the extra space for a few cinematic sequences and a rocking soundtrack rather than the approach taken by, say, nearly everything on the Sega CD where the gameplay was virtually ignored while grainy video became the staple of the day.
5. Street Fighter 2 came out when I was in fourth grade and I played it for years without end. At one point there were 4 arcade cabinets within a few blocks of where I lived: one at a 7-11, one at a Walmart, one at a grocery store, and one at a liquor store that had a small gameroom in front with about 6 or so games. A friend of mine and myself used to occasionally skip lunch in 5th and 6th grade and then ride our bikes to all 4 locations looking for college kids to play against. Every Summer a local arcade even ran a tournament for whichever version of SF was current; I actually managed to win both the Champion Edition and Turbo tournaments as a kid. To this day, fighting games are my favorite genre.
6. Final Fantasy 2 was the first Super Nintendo game that I owned and also began my decade long obsession with JRPGs. I had previously played the three Dragon Warriors and the first Final Fantasy a bit before FF2 but the story was what really intrigued me most about this title. Compared to early titles where there was an overall scenario of an evil bad guy somewhere that needed to be killed, FF2 brought in moral ambiguity and a plot that changed and evolved over the course of the game.
7. Quest for Glory 4 is the only PC game on my list. Though I wouldn't exactly consider myself a super-fan, I enjoy adventure games be it point-and-click or otherwise; the Quest for Glory series was always my favorite of the genre though my experiences are mostly contained between the offerings of Sierra and Lucasarts. QfG4 is the pinnacle of my experience with the genre. Traversing the world of Mordavia was like walking through a series of paintings; I believe a comparison with Beyond Shadowgate is more than appropriate here. The humor is on point and the puzzles are intriguing. I played through the game many times, most recently when gog.com first released the collection on their store. I went through all 5 games and I must say that the fourth in the series in particular held up exceedingly well.
8. Guilty Gear XX is the game that I really cut my teeth on as a competitive player. I never quit playing fighting games even when they stopped being the in-games. I put in reasonable effort with the SF Alphas, the Vampire games, Samurai Shodown, King of Fighters, the SF3 series, CvS1 and 2, Tekkens, DoAs, and Virtua Fighters. I would give any fighting game I'd never seen at least a few quarters to try to see if it was enjoyable or not. Guilty Gear was a bit different. I played GG on Playstation and didn't think much of it. GGX had a great look to it and I enjoyed the tempo but I never saw anyone else playing it at the one arcade that I knew of that had it. GGXX though, people flocked to. I played at every opportunity I had. I quickly learned enough to defeat most opponents but one day I faced something I hadn't in a very long time: someone who was outright better than I was. He was on an entirely different level from me so I asked a question about how to get out of a corner trap that involved Zappa's dog doing an unblockable attack as soon as I stood up from the ground. Everything I'd tried had failed me. My opponent explained clearly how the unblockable bite worked and what my options were. My eyes opened and I decided I was going to get better and become strong. I found communities on the internet and I started traveling to local meetups and going to tournaments all across Texas. I then ventured forth across state lines to try my luck at more and larger tournaments and events. At least during the first version of Guilty Gear XX Texas was the strongest location in the states and there was varied competition in every city. GGXX was an excellent pick and it was a good time to get more interested in fighting games.
9. Halo is by no means the only FPS that I played; I of course enjoyed Wolfenstein and Doom growing up and used to play Quake 1 and Hexen on a LAN at the back of a comic book store I would frequent. When I was in highschool some acquaintances of mine had told me about how great Goldeneye was. I gave it a shot but was by and large appalled. During the same time when people were clamoring for Goldeneye I was playing Quake 2 on my PC. I came to the conclusion that an FPS on console just wouldn't work due to poor controls and annoying splitscreen. Years passed and I was living at home between semesters at school and my high school friends would no longer touch fighting games with me. With a heavy heart I decided "When in Rome do as the Romans do" and picked up a copy of Halo for my Xbox and a few extra controllers and began the grind. I was very pleased to find that Halo was infinitely better than I remembered Goldeneye being. For the duration of that Summer and whenever I was in town and hanging out with my old friends we'd play Halo or one of its sequels.
10. Street Fighter 4 is really the only game I have played for the last 7 years. I first played it on the opening night at Arcade UFO in Austin (coincidentally owned by the Zappa player who had beaten me in Guilty Gear some years earlier). For most of the duration of the SF4 series I've mained E. Honda though I started with Vega, then Balrog and Cammy for the first year of the game's life. During the 10 years between SF3 Third Strike and SF4 I had primarily been a Guilty Gear player. Before SF4 was released there was a pseudo successor to Guilty Gear announced, Blaz Blue. I expected this game to become my main game upon its release. I hadn't been doing as well as I would have liked in our local SF4 tournaments in Dallas but I didn't really care as I knew that Blaz Blue was coming and I was going to drop SF4 as soon as it did; DFW didn't have an arcade with either game so, though I played it a bit in Austin and Houston, I was mostly waiting for the console release for Blaz. All well and good, the game was released and after spending some time with the game it dawned on me: I didn't like it! At this point I had to either choose a game that I hadn't been performing well or a game that I disliked and in the end I chose the former to spend my time with. I switched characters to E. Honda and at a tournament in San Antonio I went 0 and 2, my worst ever in any game. Two weeks later there was a team tournament in Austin and I was determined to do better. My partner managed to lose every single match he played all day. Meanwhile, Honda and myself managed to carry our team to 3rd place. Things had clicked that very day and the win was intoxicating. I spent years playing E. Honda and mastering everything about him. I moved in with a roommate who played SF4 competitively also and we would play almost every day. We would determine chores with SF4 matches (and the occasional Mark of the Wolves) and together we continually surpassed ourselves. There was a 6 month period of time where one of the two of us would win every tournament in Texas with the single exception of once when players from New York flew down. Since our time on top, others have caught up but we're both still in contention whenever we go to a tournament.
Street Fighter 4 has been through five versions and with the most recent one, Ultra Street Fighter 4, I was fortunate to work with 4 others writing the Ultra Street Fighter 4 Guide (http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Street-Fighter-IV-Bible/dp/0744015499) published by Brady Games last year.
I just did nine, because I think ten would be forcing it. These all had the kind of impact that changed my entire gaming fate. Here goes:
Super Mario Bros 3
(https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/nes-super-mario-bros-3-front-cover-of-box-artwork_zpsolirro92.jpg)
6 years old. Never really played a game before. I watch as my friend gets this game at his Alladin's Castle birthday party. We play it for two years and make a thousand memories. Though I never own an NES, this is the first game I think of when I think "video game".
Duke Nukem (DOS)
(https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/dukenukem1_zpsucul05tq.gif)
7 years old. Dad brought home a 386 one day, running DOS, and I used to wake him up on his days off so he could tell me what command lines would make this work. I don't enjoy playing it much now, but I have to give it credit for helping me hone my basic abilities, not to mention teaching me about computers.
Mega Man X
(https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/megamanxbox_zpsgsoyuxk5.jpg)
8 years old. I bought an SNES in 1992, and it wasn't too long before my Mom got me a subscription to Nintendo Power. Mega Man X was on the cover of the first issue I got. This video (https://youtu.be/8FpigqfcvlM), which is still one of the best video reviews I have ever seen, explains everything. The series was central to my nostalgic 16-bit gaming days.
Chrono Trigger
(https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/chrono-trigger-snes-box-350h2_zpspdgkvmae.jpg)
14 years old. After two years of hardly touching any video games, I'm sitting next to a guy in keyboarding class who is talking about liquidating his SNES collection to buy a Playstation. We're pretty chummy, so I ask him to sell me whatever game was his favorite. That's literally all the introduction I had to Chrono Trigger. I had never even heard of the title or Squaresoft before. I am also not exaggerating when I say that the two weeks I spent beating this for the first time were the happiest I can remember in my life. Over the next few years, I played about 20 other RPGs because of this encounter.
Sonic 3
(https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Sonic3-box-us-225_zpswwgqaa4n.jpg)
18 years old. A few of my elementary school friends had Genesis systems, and I asked if we could play Sonic like a dope fiend. I must have watched one guy beat Sonic 2 dozens of times. My parents didn't let me have two consoles at once when I was a kid, though.
Finally, I got a Genesis and all the Sonics at age 18. This one was my favorite, and I played it daily until I had absolutely exhausted it. Thanks to this period, I started exploring Sega, which launched a whole new gaming era for me.
NiGHTS
(https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/nights_zpsxyz68toj.jpg)
19 years old. The Genesis was so much fun, I decided to get a Saturn. I had never really chased a high score before, but this game changed everything. NiGHTS is not easy to learn (acknowledging this, I even wrote a gameplay FAQ (http://www.gamefaqs.com/saturn/198201-nights-into-dreams/faqs/43365) for it), but the transition from being an intermediate player to being an advanced player is the most deeply satisfying gameplay experience I have ever had. Well, except for maybe...
Radiant Silvergun
(https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/RS_zpstwwcoutt.jpeg)
20 years old. I wouldn't say it's perfect in every detail, but this is the game I would name if I had to choose my single favorite. The style of the presentation and the gameplay alike are extremely ideal to me. Though I had played shooters before, I had to start doing so more often out of sheer respect for this game.
Panorama Cotton
(https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Panorama_Cotton_Japanese_Mega_Drive_box_art_zpsa7gavmng.jpg)
18 years old. I played this during my first summer in Japan, and I can still remember the tatami room in the countryside where I lived and the confusing Japanese Windows 98 laptop I played it on. This game introduced me to wacky Japanese games, and turned me into a diehard Cotton fan. I've written a FAQ (http://www.gamefaqs.com/genesis/565488-panorama-cotton/faqs/29692) for this, translated it (http://www.gamefaqs.com/genesis/565488-panorama-cotton/faqs/48405), written a long review (http://www.gamefaqs.com/genesis/565488-panorama-cotton/reviews/review-79299), and mastered the game itself. Also, it led me to the TG-16.
Xanadu II
(https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Xanadu%20II_zpsswwbfutw.jpg)
27 years old. I had always wanted to translate a game, and when I played this, I knew I had to do it. Now I have my hand in many other PCE translation projects, but they all owe something to Xanadu II.
1. Super Maze Wars on Mac Powerbook 100
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510061423im_/http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/1488/1361855-super_maze_wars_title.png)
First experience with gaming was on my pop's old powerbook. This image above is a newer version - the one i recall playing was black and white. There were a few other games but this is the most memorable. Only other game i recall playing from around this time was the simpsons arcade game at some restaurant my parents used to bring us to
2. TMNT 2: The Aracde Game on NES
(https://web.archive.org/web/20130218123957im_/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bc/TMNT2boxNES.jpg)
First console we got was the NES with super mario bros and captain skyhawk. Played the shit out of those, but the game I remember playing the most was TMNT. Don't think we ever managed to beat it but got pretty damn close. If I ever get bored of 4th and 5th gen games, I'll probably move back to the NES.
3. Donkey Kong Country on SNES
(https://www.emuparadise.me/fup/up/33504-Donkey_Kong_Country_(USA)_(Rev_B)-1.jpg)
I remember the Christmas we got the SNES pretty vividly. We went on to play DKC many times to completion. To this day it's one of my most memorable gaming experiences, and every once and a while I'll go back and play it through again. or DKC 2. Me and my gf of 5 years met back in our first year of undergrad doing mushrooms and playing DKC. It has a special place for me.
4. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on SNES
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/89/SuperMarioRPGSNESCoverArtUS.jpg)
This was the first RPG I played to completion, and got me hooked on the genre. It was very accessible for me as a child, I beat it multiple times and went online to figure out all of the secrets. I also had the privilege of playing RPGs like Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Evermore as a kid, but SMRPG was the game that got me interested in the first place. Funny because nowadays I have a hard time getting through this game.
5. Pokemon Blue on Gameboy
(https://web.archive.org/web/20120404101211im_/http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GMKNSJ9GL.jpg)
Only one way to explain this:
http://youtu.be/KHfMsTvtaCw
6. Seiken Densetsu 3 on Emulators
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dd/Seiken_Densetsu_3_Front_Cover.jpg)
During 5th gen I became really upset with my gaming experience. I had an n64, but found the library to be lacking as a kid (as I still do). I constantly pestered my parents for a PS1, but they never gave in. So, after finding emulation a few years back to play pokemon gold, I found myself going back and enjoying all the SNES titles I wasn't able to own. The most interesting to me was SD3. The artwork, class changing, action-rpg, multiple characters really drew me in. Today this stands as one of my favourite titles and I'll go back to play it often. During this time I also got the chance to fully enjoy titles like Final fantasy 5, chrono trigger, contra 3. I was mostly into snes emulation. During this time I also starting getting into MMORPGs.
7.Final Fantasy X on PS2
(https://web.archive.org/web/20160127204926im_/http://img.gamefaqs.net/box/6/6/9/3669_front.jpg)
PS2 was a great time for gaming and remains one of my favorite consoles. During this time I played tons of RPGs. FFX was the one I most enjoyed. The library of the PS2 is so huge it's hard to describe it all with just one post. I obsessed over Bemani rhythm games for a while. Champions of Norrath and Baldur's Gate were a blast with friends. Also, I finally got to experience PS1 games. Final fantasy tactics got me into SRPGs and Nippon Ichi came along and continued the genre. Was a great time for gaming all around because of the PS2. (side note during this time I also got into STG when visiting an arcade and witnessing a pro bullet hell player).
8. World of Warcraft on PC
(https://web.archive.org/web/20150426204636im_/http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070422033626/uncyclopedia/images/d/da/World_of_Warcraft_Box_cover_image.jpg)
I feel bad for those who missed out on this at the beginning. It was a culmination of so many years of looking for the right MMO. Before this, I had dabbled in all sorts of MMOs, korean and western. WoW was the first time I was able to play a subscription based MMO and it was amazing. Got totally drawn into the world; I got addicted as all hell. I was a guildmaster for a while, playing alteast 5-6 hours a day. It became a lifestyle. Was a very rewarding and fun experience.
9. Darius Twin on SNES
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190214005110im_/http://img.gamefaqs.net/box/6/0/0/50600_front.jpg)
This game for me represents my return to console and now "retro" gaming after being away for a while. In the first year of undergrad, my group of friends would indulge in copious amounts of drugs and super nintendo. During this time I 1CC-ed more games than I ever had before with my friends. Also this is when I got into flashcarts + modding. Darius Twin was the most memorable because of the amount of effort and dedication it took. Other games we played included stuff like mario lost levels, king of dragons, donkey kong country 1+2, killer instinct. I can't remember all the games we played because of the constant mixture of substances going through my system. Was one of the funnest times of my life, despite the consequences I've had to deal with for years afterwords.
10. Radiant Silvergun on Saturn
(https://web.archive.org/web/20131227223943im_/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/Radiant_silvergun.jpg)
I chose radiant silvergun as an example of my current gaming trend. Since getting back into "retro" gaming I've found myself searching for all of the games I've missed on the consoles I never had a chance to own back in the day. I've gotten a saturn, genesis, and PCE duo since then and haven't looked back. It's been tons of fun exploring the breadth of all of these console's japanese libraries. I've discovered tons of new favorites along the way like radiant silvergun, sandora no daibouken, or daimakaimura. Also I've found and tons of new games to enjoy with my girlfriend (Streets of Rage, Monster Lair) and group of friends (Ichidanto-R, Tanto-R, Cyberbots, Vampire Saviour). I've noticed that nowadays I play alot more difficult and arcade type games than before also. I now aim to complete as many games as possible and would like to start doing a personal game review site in the near future.
Quote from: seieienbu on 03/10/2015, 05:17 AM7. Quest for Glory 4 is the only PC game on my list. Though I wouldn't exactly consider myself a super-fan, I enjoy adventure games be it point-and-click or otherwise; the Quest for Glory series was always my favorite of the genre though my experiences are mostly contained between the offerings of Sierra and Lucasarts. QfG4 is the pinnacle of my experience with the genre. Traversing the world of Mordavia was like walking through a series of paintings; I believe a comparison with Beyond Shadowgate is more than appropriate here. The humor is on point and the puzzles are intriguing. I played through the game many times, most recently when gog.com first released the collection on their store. I went through all 5 games and I must say that the fourth in the series in particular held up exceedingly well.
Its awesome to see a QfG game on someone's list! If I get around to writing one, QfG1 would take a major part in my list. I still play through that game once every 2-3 years.
1985: Space Invaders - The first game I spent any time with. I was five and have no idea what system my friend had this on. He said something about Texas Instruments. That's a console, right?
1987: Super Mario Brothers. I'd like to list something more idiosyncratic, but fuck, this game inspired a generation of gamers and I'm one of them.
1989: Metal Gear - bought used for $15 in a small-town children's clothing store. No manual. Took me two years to beat it, loved every minute of it.
1991: Ultima Quest of the Avatar - my twelve-your-old self actually made an effort to be more truthful and virtuous after playing this game.
1992: Life Force NES - turned me on to shooters. Didn't like the genre previously.
1992: Ys Vanished Omens - introduced me to both the SMS and the Ys series.
1993: Super Mario Cart
1994: Civilization I. First computer game I really enjoyed.
1999: Graal. An free MMORPG styled after Link to the Past. Within two months I became the leader of a Guild, had my own website, averaged 40hrs/week online, and almost lost my (real life) job. This is the reason I don't play online games.
2000: Perfect Dark - I've logged eight days on my cart, most of it with friends. I've probably played this more than any other action game or multiplayer.
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.
Quote from: guest on 03/10/2015, 06:59 PM1985: Space Invaders - The first game I spent any time with. I was five and have no idea what system my friend had this on. He said something about Texas Instruments. That's a console, right?
If you're talking about a Ti99/4A it would have been called TI Invaders. It's a clone of Space Invaders but I enjoy it much more than the 2600.
I'm glad you mentioned that "console" (although it was technically a home computer) because I think it's one of those under appreciated machines that really have some cool things to offer. They were, I think, more than $500 new in the early 80's so that's probably why mortal man didn't know it ever existed.
Quote from: Desh on 03/10/2015, 10:00 PMIf you're talking about a Ti99/4A it would have been called TI Invaders. It's a clone of Space Invaders but I enjoy it much more than the 2600.
Thanks for the info. Looking at Google images, that could have been it.
Love this thread!
I was born in '81, so my first experience with video games would have been the Atari 2600.
1. Missile Command (Atari 2600)
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z4zF790DzyQ/hqdefault.jpg)
Simple, but highly addictive. My uncle purchased an Atari 2600 for us back in the early 80s and he brought two games with it, Missile Command and Pac Man. I didn't care much for Pac Man myself, but Missile Command was a lot of fun. I still remember the night we unpacked the Atari and spent the entire night taking turns with Missile Command; the adults were right in to it as well. We had played other games on the console of course, the best of which being River Raid, Smurfs, Vanguard, Frogger, Spiderman and Bowling. Nothing brings back fonder memories of the Atari though than Missile Command.
2. Black Belt (Sega Master System)
(http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Yaz0qbZytXY/maxresdefault.jpg)
I could list so many games for this amazing system, but I want to go back to my absolute roots on the console, I can't look any further than Black Belt. My parents purchased a Sega Master System for us shortly after it's release as a total surprise. We were toothless (literally, I am pretty sure I was losing my teeth at the time), and we unboxed it early that Saturday morning.
This particular version of the console came with Hang On and Safari Hunt, as well as a hidden Maze game, which was all we played on it for quite a while. My parents did not have a lot of money, so we were just happy to have the console with a few games. My cousins on the other hand were pretty spoiled and they too got a Master System, but with quite a few games. My aunt was headed to the US for a shopping trip and before she left she came by with a Sega Master System catalogue and asked us to pick ANY game from it and she would bring it back for us. My brother and I scrolled through it and we agreed on Black Belt, it just looked so cool, and we loved martial arts, so it was an obvious choice for us.
She brought it back for us as promised and we played it endlessly. It was my first experience with any from the Hakuto No Ken series, though I didn't know it was Hakuto No Ken at the time, but I loved it. The boss fights where the sprites became much larger always got us excited. Struggling to beat ONI and RITA is also something I'll never forget. I still play through Black Belt often.
From there we did acquire a couple of other games, Shinobi and Rastan. To this day, the Sega Master System is right at the top of my list of most favorite consoles.
3. Revenge of Shinobi (Sega Genesis)
(https://retromedia.ign.com/retro/image/article/883/883022/rev-int_1213918325.jpg)
Our first experience on the Sega Genesis came in the form of Revenge of Shinobi, one of the early releases for the console. We had owned Shinobi on the Master System, so Revenge of Shinobi was something familiar to us, but man, the graphics were incredible! We were especially wowed by the appearance of Spiderman, Batman, Godzilla, and the Terminator. We loved everything about this game. We were definitely a Sega family.
4. Search for the King (DOS)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510061422im_/https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/games.snapshot/4932/105311-LesManleyinSearchforTheKing.jpg)
A bit of a deviation from console gaming for a moment, but Search for the King was an Adventure game that I couldn't put down. I was so intrigued by this game, along with Leisure Suit Larry, Space Quest, King's Quest and Police Quest. I had to settle on Search for the King though because it would be the game that first got me in to text/point-click type adventure games.
5. Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (Arcade)
(https://www.arcade-museum.com/images/117/1178079880.jpg)
This game basically took over my childhood. I would spend countless hours playing Street Fighter II at a local Laundromat that had this machine and Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat was fine, but I had always preferred Street Fighter II over it. Street Fighter II Turbo/Hyperfighting is my favorite Street Fighter II game, but Champion Edition is probably the game that really got me in to Street Fighter. I did often watch my brother play the original Street Fighter growing up, but I wasn't at an age were I could competently play it. When Street Fighter II came out though, I practiced and practiced and practiced, and to this day, I would consider myself to be a very very good Street Fighter 2 player. It wasn't until I started playing Street Fighter online through GGPO that I really blossomed as a player, but that's a story for another time.
6. Street Fighter II - Turbo (SNES)
I know I know, I've already mentioned Street Fighter, but it's a game that had to appear twice on my list. I never did own an SNES growing up, but my best friend did and I probably spent more money renting Street Fighter II - Turbo and taking it to his house to play than it would have cost me to buy the game three times over. We would spend hours and hours on weekends playing this game, never getting bored of it. I've got through many phases with street fighter, but I felt it was important to distinguish between the Arcade phase and then the console phase.
7. Legacy of Kain - Blood Omen (PSX)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510061428im_/http://199.101.98.242/media/shots/51868-Blood_Omen_-_Legacy_of_Kain_%28E%29-5.jpg)
My experience with the PS1 started when I participated in Mortal Kombat 3 tournament, but I didn't actually acquire the console until much later. I did however rent a PSX in order to practice for another tournament (Battle Arena Toshinden). That rental came with three games that I could include for the week, so I grabbed some game I can't even recall at this point and Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. I knew nothing about the game, but it looked cool on the back of the case and the description seemed like something I would enjoy. I was not prepared for what was to come with this game. I didn't play the other two games. I didn't care much for Battle Arena Toshinden and the other game I rented sucked, so Blood Omen was it. Boy am I glad I got this, because the experience of playing through the game is one I will always remember. The story was so engaging, the characters were badass! Kain and Vorador in particular. It was the first game I had played on the PSX that made me want to purchase the console. I would eventually scrape together enough money to get one and play Soul Reaver when it came out.
8. Phantasy Star - Sega Master System
(https://web.archive.org/web/20210717163658im_/http://www.consoleclassix.com/info_img/Phantasy_Star_SMS_ScreenShot1.jpg)
Taking a step backwards in evolution, but it was definitely one of the better gaming decisions I've made. At this point I had started my first part time job, and took up interest in collecting video games. Call me a collectard if you will, but I didn't chase after any and every game there was. I wanted to get those games that I had heard about growing up, but had never played or even saw. Rumor had it that there was a game called Phantasy Star on the Sega Master System that was as good as any RPG that had been released to date, and being a Sega Master System fan, I was a little surprised that I had never played it. As you can tell from my username, the only RPG I played on the Master System growing up was Miracle Warriors, and that game, while being really challenging (at least for me at the time), was apparently nothing compared to the mighty Phantasy Star. I managed to track a copy of the game down, which also happened to be my very first online purchase. I still remember going to the post office to get a money order to send to some person I had never met, in hopes they would send me Phantasy Star.
Weeks later, it arrived, and that game now holds a very special place in my heart. I spent the entire summer it seems playing through it. It was really really tough, and although it was being played on a console that had been all but forgotten by most, it was better than any game you could purchase at the time, at least in my books.
9. Shenmue (Dreamcast)
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLb8uf2PIqo/Tg3ZlK5KwMI/AAAAAAAAABI/95PPyXMbQsc/s1600/Forklifts%2Bahoy.jpg)
My list couldn't be complete without the Dreamcast being represented. Shenmue was the one game I probably spent the most time with on the console, and it was deserving of every minute of it. I felt like I was a professional fork lift driver after all was said and done, but aside from that, there was just SO much to do in the game. I especially loved all the throw backs to the Sega days of old in the game that I really appreciated as a Sega fan.
10. Ninja Gaiden (XBOX)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20211213152844im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Ninja_Gaiden_2004_gameplay.jpg)
My brother purchased an Xbox for me while I was in University as a gift and got me Ninja Gaiden. We had actually played Ninja Gaiden quite a bit on the NES, and I was really excited for this title. In my opinion, Ninja Gaiden on the XBOX is as close to a perfect game as you can get it. If you haven't played it, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.
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.
Quote from: guest on 03/11/2015, 04:39 PMQuote from: poponon on 03/11/2015, 04:30 PMReally 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.
I did. TG16 is about as current as I get.
You completely against trying newer stuff? For the most part I like older game design, but there are definitely some newer games worth giving a shot. Based on your list, I'd suggest dark souls if anything. Kind of redundant with how popular it is nowadays, but IMO it's one of the best games of the 6th and 7th gen. Gameplay + RPG elements feel perfectly executed
I said my current state of gaming, but it was so long, I doubt anyone but BlueBMW actually read it.
<3
Just to touch on my feelings on modern stuff... As I stated Mario 3d World grabbed me (as did Mariokart 8 to an extent) I also play call of duty with friends (blasphemy!!) But overall I don't have the same kind of gaming time as I used to. Which is really sad since there are so many good games out there to play. I tend to mix it up with new and old. I'll keep one old console hooked up at a time and play that console until I'm ready for something else and switch it out.
Quote from: BlueBMW on 03/12/2015, 02:55 AM<3
...But overall I don't have the same kind of gaming time as I used to. Which is really sad since there are so many good games out there to play...
.
This is my problem as well. I did play through Oblivion, Skyrim, Dragon Age 1 and 2, and Dishonored, but that took several years to accomplish. I may not be looking hard enough, but there aren't many games that you can just pick up and play anymore, which is why I tend to play some of the older stuff instead. Time is the biggest factor for me. I have been trying to start Dragon Age 3 for months now, but haven't had a chance to and I know that each time I sit down to play it, I'll likely have to commit at least an hour to it in each sitting, possibly more.
Excellent thread mate-
10 game timeline over the years.
*(Of course, plenty of excellent games did not make the cut, but I still love them! They know who they are....)
**(I think we should do a separate list for arcade games over the years, because I could easily tell stories of the first time I saw a Neo Geo cab or Street Fighter II or DoubleDragon in the arcades and what years I played them!)
***(This should also in no way be considered my top 10 games.)
1984- Downland - Tandy Color Computer-
(https://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/images/c/c3/Downland.jpg)
My first gaming experience in my own home was the Tandy CoCo and this is the first every game I owned. I remember that Xmas morning like it was yesterday (even if it was over 30 years ago!!) It's a little pitfall a little Donkey Kong and a TON of fun! Even today!!
1989- Batman (NES)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20140203163029im_/http://download.gamezone.com/uploads/image/data/1113648/Batman_2.png)
This is probably my favorite action platformer of all time. I find myself playing through it every couple months at least. For a little while I was attempting to do speed runs of this game after watching some of the great games played quick live streams, but could never get any better than around 18 minutes. LOL Such a wonderful game. First NES game I ever got outside of the Mario/Duck Hunt pack in. Not much story here other than I remember renting it and just pausing the game from time to time to listen to the music. I just had to have it!
1991 - Super Mario World (SNES)
(https://s3.amazonaws.com/primagames-prod-assets/files/Super%20Mario%20World.jpg)
It's either this or Mario 3 as my favorite Mario platformer. I just think the open world map and parallax scrolling are what bumps it up to #1 for me. The first time I played SMW was at my cousin's place where they wound up getting it for Xmas. I was utterly blown away by the SNES' graphics and music. I was super jealous when I went back home that night and I only had my 'last gen' consoles.... lol... kids.
1994 - Ys Book I&II - OBEY
(https://web.archive.org/web/20131125212006im_/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ys/ys1tg16-feena.png)
Completely melted my brain. No other gaming experience can match the feeling of playing through this classic. This was actually the SECOND game I ever played on the Turbo. When I got home my friend and I grabbed "SONIC SPIKE" out of a big bag of games I got that day and we tried it first. I still have a soft spot for that silly volley ball game, but man.. The first time I heard "Ys, the Ideal Utopia". I just couldn't believe that this was a VIDEO GAME!
1995 - Rondo of Blood/ Dracula X OBEY
(https://home.nakhon.net/pipe/GameAll/CVAll/indexPic/CVDraculaXRoB/CVDraculaXRoB_Pic03.jpg)
One of the best games I've ever played. I love the Castlevania series and this one just so happens to be on the best system ever made. I finally got the SCD game 2 years after it was released and spent a whopping $179.99 from a place called "G&G" or Gadgets & Games. They were listed in the back of an EGM and I just happened to have some money put away for it. Good times.
1996 - Virtua Fighter 2 (Saturn)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20150430002916im_/http://news.lib.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Virtua-Fighter-2.jpg)
VF2 was what made me choose to purchase a Saturn over the PSone and N64(Coming that holiday season). A local rental shop was running a special on Saturn rentals (Saturn system + 3 games for an entire weekend Fri-Sun for $9.99) And I picked up VF2, Virtual Hydlide (LOL) and Gex. Gex was a great time and I knew full well that it was available on all the competitors consoles and Hydlide was perhaps less than stellar, but VF2 completely sold me on going in head first with the system. I liked everything about it, but I had a friend that was convinced that Battle Arena Toshinden was a better game. He was begging me to try it. He said once I did, I would go Playstation for sure. Then I found out that BAT was also available on the Saturn, so he said "Nevermind, get a Saturn so you can have both games!" LOL
1998 - Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20200917171411im_/http://www.tigmo55.com/pdsbat4.png)
Panzer was, at the time, the best RPG game I've played. I know it's not the longest game in the world, but I think that's what I love about it most. I can get the entire story over a weekend marathon. The first time I played this it was a game I reserved at GameStop and took home for a measly $49.99 and I played through it in a couple weeks playing it a few hours here and there. After I sold it off for considerably more money on an offer I received on the spot at MGC in 2007. :( I've reacquired the Imported version and have gotten a copy of disc 2 in US, lol. When I play through it now, It's a bit harder without the Japanese knowledge, but once I get through disc 1 I can play a portion of the game in English thanks to the Saturn's memory saves allowing me to continue through the game from region to region!
2000- PSO (Dreamcast)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074723im_/http://www.dc4you.ru/download/file.php?style=4&id=1245&ext=.jpg)
PSO was the first ever MMORPG I ever played on a console and had me truly believing that the Dreamcast/SEGA could make a comeback in the market just due to how awesome this game was! I played the HELL out of this game via our dial up modem! Such great memories that continued through the GameCub update of Episodes I&II with local multiplayer and today with BlueBurst on PC. Heck, I used the Dreamcast browser a lot back then! It was actually how I discovered the first time -pcengine-fx.com back in 1999!
2003 - Final Fantasy Crystal Chroncles (GameCube)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074722im_/http://199.101.98.242/media/shots/66566-Final_Fantasy_Crystal_Chronicles-3.jpg)
This was the best game I've played on a Nintendo Console since the SNES days and brought together a total ratpack of friends that I haven't seen in ages. We wound up spending most Friday nights playing "Last one to the house is the bucket bitch" for months on end! I still think it's an impressive game and it's pretty sad that we never got a true follow up. :(
2006 - Wii Sports (Wii)
(https://pixelkin.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Wii-Sports.jpg)
The Wii was the last console I ever purchased on launch day and getting an actual FUN pack in day made it a treat! Wii Sports is still something to this day that is so fun and easy to play, it has me coming back to it all the time! I remember waiting in line at a big box super store for 14 hours just to get this home and play it all night. A great memory and a super fun game!
Wish I had a chance to be part of PSO when it first came out on the dreamcast. I've always wanted to get a few dreamcasts and play on the private server with some friends
It's crazy that wii sports is almost 9 years old now.... man time is flying by fast!
Quote from: BlueBMW on 03/12/2015, 12:17 PMIt's crazy that wii sports is almost 9 years old now.... man time is flying by fast!
vintage.
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. :mrgreen:
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.
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.
Quote from: guest on 03/12/2015, 01:51 PM11. Xanadu I & II (Turbob) - they're like Ys I-III mixed together with the visuals cranked up to eleven.
Crank this up to eleven.
http://youtu.be/SoenFiwt57s
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.
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.
Quote from: Desh on 03/12/2015, 02:00 PMAlso, 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+.
Quote from: CGQuarterly on 03/12/2015, 02:11 PMQuote from: guest on 03/12/2015, 01:51 PM11. Xanadu I & II (Turbob) - they're like Ys I-III mixed together with the visuals cranked up to eleven.
Crank this up to eleven.
http://youtu.be/SoenFiwt57s
Crank this up to Canadu. Skaterz. Great North.
(https://junk.tg-16.com/images/Xanadu_Skaters.jpg)
Really interesting to see all your picks.
I have to reply to this:
Quote from: poponon on 03/11/2015, 04:30 PMReally 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 :D.
Quote from: dingsbums on 03/12/2015, 04:42 PMPS: Cosmo Tank on the GB is great :D.
Make that three who bought it on ebay today.
Quote from: guest on 03/13/2015, 01:19 AMQuote from: dingsbums on 03/12/2015, 04:42 PMPS: Cosmo Tank on the GB is great :D.
Make that three who bought it on ebay today.
Tally is at 4.
Quote from: galam on 03/13/2015, 08:05 AMQuote from: guest on 03/13/2015, 01:19 AMQuote from: dingsbums on 03/12/2015, 04:42 PMPS: Cosmo Tank on the GB is great :D.
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.
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
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074724im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/15ffae9e3e60d1d3be07b2f3de188bdd.jpg)
1. DigDug. I had this for the 5200 and 7800, plus's dropped many quarters in the arcade. Classic.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074724im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/9865a605b9d9917f0452d5cd712ed60b.jpg)
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.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074725im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/a5bd4ea91d5da22a58e60a8ab39b7cbc.jpg)
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.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074725im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/ddc6691daad68a49227bfc9150ecb003.jpg)
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!
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074724im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/8a7ee1a54fba359f8a02fdca96cdd4b5.jpg)
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.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074725im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/407836e234f4bb97061490e30ba4a844.jpg)
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.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074724im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/985a4fb69c2e01b2779a4874c7b98fce.jpg)
7. Bonks Revenge- My favorite Bonk game, and as a kid my favorite TG16 game.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074723im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/5643e6d8f7736f438c0889df2edd421d.jpg)
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.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074725im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/590788a5f4ae00310012ebc72581a823.jpg)
9. SOCOM. PS2- I spent so much time playing this online. It defines my PS2 gaming experience.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190510074723im_/https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150313/e680a57c2007a649b2e8c04f7be26812.jpg)
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.
You guys buying Cosmo Tank are giving me warm fuzzies.
Fallout 3 was a master piece, I did everything you could do but find all of those steel ingots, that was way too tedious.
Quote from: guest on 03/12/2015, 01:51 PM9. 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...?
Quote from: guest on 03/13/2015, 11:32 AMQuote from: guest on 03/12/2015, 01:51 PM9. 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.
Quote from: dingsbums on 03/12/2015, 04:42 PMDragon'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
Quote from: guest on 03/13/2015, 11:32 AMWhen 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.
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 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.
Quote from: BlueBMW on 03/13/2015, 12:40 PMGreat 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.
Quote from: guest on 03/13/2015, 04:19 PMI'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.
Quote from: guest on 03/13/2015, 04:19 PMI'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.
Quote from: guest on 03/10/2015, 06:59 PM2006: 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.
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.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Dune_2_screenshot_attack_on_base.jpg)
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.
Quote from: BlueBMW on 03/14/2015, 02:16 AMDune 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?
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.
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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.
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.
bump. shameless plug, but people should add to this. the responses were fun.
Agreed. This was a fun thread, and it's a good way to get to know the new guys.
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?
(https://web.archive.org/web/20170620105451im_/http://www.gameongrafix.com/sc_images/products/Mr%20Do%20sideart-1.jpg)
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.
Mario Bros
Gunsmoke
Zelda
Bonks Adventure
Fantasy Zone
Diablo
Half Life
Ultima Online
Final Fantasy XI
Ben 10 Alien Force Vilgax Attacks
Quote from: Gredler on 04/28/2016, 06:47 PMFinal 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.
Quote from: Digi.k on 04/28/2016, 06:58 PMQuote from: Gredler on 04/28/2016, 06:47 PMFinal 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
Quote from: shawnji on 03/22/2015, 05:32 AMSo, 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.
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.
#1-10 Karnov (NES) because....ugghhhhh....pfssshhh
Quote from: esteban on 04/29/2016, 09:56 AM#1-10 Karnov (NES) because....ugghhhhh....pfssshhh
Iron Tank
Quote from: gynt on 04/29/2016, 01:53 PMQuote from: esteban on 04/29/2016, 09:56 AM#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.