Posted October 06, 2009
like most of the posts on this thread, I can't list mine in order. It really is hard to make this list.
Phantasy Star 4. Sega genesis. - I had played rpg's before, my first being dragon warrior on the NES, but PS4 was the first with a decent story and characters i cared about. the first time i destroyed Zio was the most epic boss fight I have ever had in an rpg. not understanding the what the spells actually did at the time made the game a lot harder.
Ristar, Sega genesis- despite the childish look to the game, and the perhaps the too cute look of the aforementioned Ristar, this platformer has dug into the deepest part of my heart. a lot of my friends refused to play it just because it was too cartoony/colorful.
Planescape: Torment. PC- something about the combination of the story, characters, and setting rolled into a juggernaut of a game that blew my mind. if you've played it, you already know.
Silent Hill- Playstation- not my first survival horror game, that goes to resident evil. where RE made me jump, Silent Hill shaped my already sometimes horrible nightmares into something even more twisted. first time beating it, got the worst ending. i was at a friends house at the time, and when the credits rolled i looked at him and said, "what the hell just happened?" this game engages the player in psychological warfare and wins. i just wish the graphics had held up a little better. I tried playing it a few years ago and good god does it look awful.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night- Playstation- my first encounter in the world of Castlevania. every game in the series released before or after its release has been judged by its incredibly high standard and found wanting. for me, of course. Just talking about the game makes me want to boot up my 360 and play it. (got it on xbox live because i no longer have a Playstation.)
Road Rash 3- Sega Genesis- I don't even like racing games for the most part. Road Rash makes my list because years after i first played the game, I am still playing it. also, I am pretty bad at it. Lucky Luc may be the reason i hate people who constantly cut you off on the highway.
Hexen- PC- FPS set in a dark fantasy world. 3 characters to choose from. as a wee boy, this game used to creep me out, frustrate the crap out of me, and give me a sense of pride whenever I managed to get unstuck. I think the game still looks and sounds great. I don't remember much in the way of music, but the ambient sounds of the levels and the bone crunching smash of the warrior punching something stand out pretty well in my mind. another game i still play many years after i first installed the 6 or 7 floppies that it came on.
Quake- PC- quake at up many of my pc gaming years. just so you know, I'm pretty average at FPS's. It was the first game I remember wanting to play before it was even out. I remember seeing a clip of it on Gamespot TV or whatever the show was called those many years ago. it floored me. my brother and I asked for Quake and Duke Nukem 3D for Xmas that year. the only reason Duke isn't on this list is because of a few mods for Quake. Meta, Team Fortress, and Border Patrol. I'm not sure whether Meta or TF came first, but they were about the same thing. Border Patrol involved 3 teams. one trying to cross the border, another protecting them, and the 3rd trying to stop the first. jumping the wall and running for freedom while snipers and heavy weapons guys unloaded on you. riding in the back of the truck and almost hitting the border, then you realize a demoman had set a det pack under the truck. KABOOM!
Final Fantasy 9- Playstation- after what I thought was a disappointment in the 8th game, I was a little hesitant to come back to final fantasy. I really enjoyed 7, beat it with all characters excepting yuffie who I could not stand. killing sephiroth and the emerald weapon with cait sith's slot limit break. 9 brought something else to the table. cutscene after cutscene where my eyes popped outa my head and jaw hit the floor. I won't lie to you and say i remember all the details of the story or that it was even that the story was even that good. i think it was, I'm a stickler for those things. the main thing about ff9 that stands out for me is that there were so many times i thought to myself, "that is the coolest thing i have ever seen in a videogame." Plus, Vivi, Kuja, and the ninja whose name i cannot remember right now. oh, and Black Waltz number 3.
Eye of the Beholder series- PC- first person dungeons with no map, incredibly easy to get lost in. traps, invisible walls, hidden items, hard to find what you need. enemies who poison, paralyze, and drain your strength, hard to survive. I only ever beat the first game. made it pretty far into the 2nd. barely scratched the 3rd. EotB is half the reason I'm on this site. That's a hint because I am aware it hasn't made it into the library YET. It's also 100% of the reason I bought the Ishar bundle having never played or even heard of it before.
honorable mentions- Xenogears, Silent Hill 2, Duke Nukem 3D, Final Fantasy 7, Phantasy Star 3, Nocturne, Earthworm Jim, Vectorman, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Comix Zone, Final Fantasy 6, Beyond Oasis, F-Zero GX, Guilty Gear, System Shock 2.
Long post, I know.
Phantasy Star 4. Sega genesis. - I had played rpg's before, my first being dragon warrior on the NES, but PS4 was the first with a decent story and characters i cared about. the first time i destroyed Zio was the most epic boss fight I have ever had in an rpg. not understanding the what the spells actually did at the time made the game a lot harder.
Ristar, Sega genesis- despite the childish look to the game, and the perhaps the too cute look of the aforementioned Ristar, this platformer has dug into the deepest part of my heart. a lot of my friends refused to play it just because it was too cartoony/colorful.
Planescape: Torment. PC- something about the combination of the story, characters, and setting rolled into a juggernaut of a game that blew my mind. if you've played it, you already know.
Silent Hill- Playstation- not my first survival horror game, that goes to resident evil. where RE made me jump, Silent Hill shaped my already sometimes horrible nightmares into something even more twisted. first time beating it, got the worst ending. i was at a friends house at the time, and when the credits rolled i looked at him and said, "what the hell just happened?" this game engages the player in psychological warfare and wins. i just wish the graphics had held up a little better. I tried playing it a few years ago and good god does it look awful.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night- Playstation- my first encounter in the world of Castlevania. every game in the series released before or after its release has been judged by its incredibly high standard and found wanting. for me, of course. Just talking about the game makes me want to boot up my 360 and play it. (got it on xbox live because i no longer have a Playstation.)
Road Rash 3- Sega Genesis- I don't even like racing games for the most part. Road Rash makes my list because years after i first played the game, I am still playing it. also, I am pretty bad at it. Lucky Luc may be the reason i hate people who constantly cut you off on the highway.
Hexen- PC- FPS set in a dark fantasy world. 3 characters to choose from. as a wee boy, this game used to creep me out, frustrate the crap out of me, and give me a sense of pride whenever I managed to get unstuck. I think the game still looks and sounds great. I don't remember much in the way of music, but the ambient sounds of the levels and the bone crunching smash of the warrior punching something stand out pretty well in my mind. another game i still play many years after i first installed the 6 or 7 floppies that it came on.
Quake- PC- quake at up many of my pc gaming years. just so you know, I'm pretty average at FPS's. It was the first game I remember wanting to play before it was even out. I remember seeing a clip of it on Gamespot TV or whatever the show was called those many years ago. it floored me. my brother and I asked for Quake and Duke Nukem 3D for Xmas that year. the only reason Duke isn't on this list is because of a few mods for Quake. Meta, Team Fortress, and Border Patrol. I'm not sure whether Meta or TF came first, but they were about the same thing. Border Patrol involved 3 teams. one trying to cross the border, another protecting them, and the 3rd trying to stop the first. jumping the wall and running for freedom while snipers and heavy weapons guys unloaded on you. riding in the back of the truck and almost hitting the border, then you realize a demoman had set a det pack under the truck. KABOOM!
Final Fantasy 9- Playstation- after what I thought was a disappointment in the 8th game, I was a little hesitant to come back to final fantasy. I really enjoyed 7, beat it with all characters excepting yuffie who I could not stand. killing sephiroth and the emerald weapon with cait sith's slot limit break. 9 brought something else to the table. cutscene after cutscene where my eyes popped outa my head and jaw hit the floor. I won't lie to you and say i remember all the details of the story or that it was even that the story was even that good. i think it was, I'm a stickler for those things. the main thing about ff9 that stands out for me is that there were so many times i thought to myself, "that is the coolest thing i have ever seen in a videogame." Plus, Vivi, Kuja, and the ninja whose name i cannot remember right now. oh, and Black Waltz number 3.
Eye of the Beholder series- PC- first person dungeons with no map, incredibly easy to get lost in. traps, invisible walls, hidden items, hard to find what you need. enemies who poison, paralyze, and drain your strength, hard to survive. I only ever beat the first game. made it pretty far into the 2nd. barely scratched the 3rd. EotB is half the reason I'm on this site. That's a hint because I am aware it hasn't made it into the library YET. It's also 100% of the reason I bought the Ishar bundle having never played or even heard of it before.
honorable mentions- Xenogears, Silent Hill 2, Duke Nukem 3D, Final Fantasy 7, Phantasy Star 3, Nocturne, Earthworm Jim, Vectorman, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Comix Zone, Final Fantasy 6, Beyond Oasis, F-Zero GX, Guilty Gear, System Shock 2.
Long post, I know.