Your Gaming Timeline in 10 Games

[bob]

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 ?

[Sparky]

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 , 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.

[CGQuarterly]

Wow, this is a great idea for a topic. 

1. Super Mario Bros.



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



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



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)



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



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



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



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



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



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



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.

[esteban]

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

[Galder]

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)

[cr8zykuban0]

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)

[BlueBMW]

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...


2. Civilization (PC) - 1990 Age 6, used to watch my dad play for HOURS, finally just started playing myself


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)


4. Heroes of Might and Magic (PC) - 1995 Age 11, one of my favorite strategy series period.


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.


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


7. Banjo Kazooie (N64) - 1998 Age 14, Probably my favorite platformer ever.  I play this game through every single year around Christmas time


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.


9. Civilization 4 (PC) - 2005  Age 21, I played this one with my dad and still do to this day.


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.

[SignOfZeta]

This is a great topic!

I will post later when I'm not on a phone.

[CAPSLOCK]

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.

[LostFlunky]

1. Circus Atari (Atari 2600)


2. Pitfall! (Atari 2600)


3. Super Mario World (SNES)


4. Ys I&II (TurboCD)


5. Super Metroid (SNES)


6. Doom (PC)


7. NiGHTs (Saturn)


8. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS)


9. Sonic Adventure (DC)


10. The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker (GCN)

[dingsbums]

Wow the games that had the most impact on me - have to think about that one  .

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  .
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  .
5. Probotector / Contra (NES) - Shortly after the Game Boy I started to beg for a NES  - it took a year (christmas 1990) to get it and Probotector (the Europe version of Contra) was the first game I got  .
6. Super Mario World (Super NES)- At that time (1990) German video game magazines started (and I was hooked at all of them  ) - 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   .
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  .
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  .
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 .
11. Bonus point 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  . 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).

[DeshDildo]

What an awesome thread!  I really had to take a bunch of time to think about this.  Here's my list.
#1 Kangaroo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

[bob]

So great to see others put the pics (and picks) up. I like seeing each persons progression.

[esadajr]

awesome topic, ill have to give it some thought, also when im in front of a real pc

[BlueBMW]

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.

[esteban]

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.

Damn. I'll have to do that, too.

[mitsuman]

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.

[BlueBMW]

Isn't Civilization great?   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.

[mitsuman]

Heck yeah it is. I'm looking at picking up a PC just so I can play it again.

[o.pwuaioc]

removed

[Dicer]

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)

[NightWolve]

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.

[bob]

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.

i saw a similar thread on a JP forum and Tobias helped me translate it.

[Ayce]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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
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


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...

[SplatterTrigger]

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.

[majors]

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

[CGQuarterly]

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.

I'd like to hear more about this...

[esadajr]

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)

[BlueBMW]

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.

[o.pwuaioc]

removed

[bob]

Good call with kyrandia.

[EvilEvoIX]

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

[esteban]

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.

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.

[BlueBMW]

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.

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.

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?

[seieienbu]

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 published by Brady Games last year.     

[SamIAm]

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

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)

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

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, 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

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

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

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 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

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

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 for this, translated it, written a long review, and mastered the game itself. Also, it led me to the TG-16.


Xanadu II

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.

[poponon]

1. Super Maze Wars  on Mac Powerbook 100



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




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



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



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



Only one way to explain this:

6. Seiken Densetsu 3 on Emulators



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



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



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



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



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.

[DildoKKKobold]

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.
     

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.

[VestCunt]

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.

[DeshDildo]

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?

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.

[VestCunt]

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.

Thanks for the info. Looking at Google images, that could have been it.

[Miracle_Warrior]

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)



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)




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)



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)



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)



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)



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



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)



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)



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.

[poponon]

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.

[poponon]

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.

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

[o.pwuaioc]

I said my current state of gaming, but it was so long, I doubt anyone but BlueBMW actually read it.

[BlueBMW]

<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.

[Miracle_Warrior]

<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.

[JoshTurboTrollX]

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-


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)


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)


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


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


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)


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)


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)


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)


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)


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!

[poponon]

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

[BlueBMW]

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