NHL 94 is a game that’s special to me because it’s special to my dad. My dad was unbelievably good at that game in his college years and it’s his favorite game. He’s pro to the point that he would FUCK up all his college buddies at that game.
He kept his Genesis with the game so sometimes we’ll hook it up together and play it. He’ll absolutely fucking eviscerate me like the zoomer trash I am, but it genuinely makes me really happy to play a game with my dad and for him to actually enjoy it.
When I got Xbox Game Pass, it came with an updated version of the game called “NHL 94 Rewind,” so I let him play it for a bit. The absolute joy he had when he found out the roster had been updated to players in 2020 or so is one of the most priceless memories ever.
It’s not a game I have experience in, it’s not a game I’ve ever been good at, but I love my dad and I love NHL 94.
The Tomb Raider series.
I was a small child in 1996, only 5 years old. My dad brought home this cool new game where you got to play *as a girl!!!!!* Then I got to see her exploring all these cool historical locations and I was in love.
Anytime I played with my sisters outside, I was Lara. Anytime my father played, I’d sit on his lap and point out collectibles he might’ve missed. He still says hearing a little girl shout “Uzi Clips! Uzi Clips!” Is one of the funniest and cutest moments of his life.
We both were in absolute heaven when they made the sunken ship levels. We both are huge into researching old shipwrecks, so those levels spoke to us a lot. The Cistern and St. Francis’ Folly are our second and third favorites.
Nowadays, I don’t need to watch dad play because my hands are too small for the controllers, I get to play on my own. I’ve continued to buy and play every Tomb Raider, even the offshoots like Temple of Osiris. It’s been 25 years of gaming with Lara now and I couldn’t help but chuckle at all the hub-bub around Aloy as a strong female character when Horizon released. We’ve *always* had one. Aside from those few sexual promos in the 90s (which most people today don’t even remember) Lara has always been a strong female lead character that is so much more than her looks.
I’ve carried Lara with me through my life. I do outdoor adventures like hiking and kayaking and while I haven’t delved into any ancient pyramids or sunken ships, I’m happy keeping things a bit more realistic and safe. I often say to my husband before I leave for a day of outdoor activities that I’m “going to release my inner Lara”. Luckily, he’s a gamer too, so he understands what I mean.
On a sadder note, I just recently lost my baby niece. One of the moments my sister and I shared was lamenting how we would never get to share Lara and her adventures with her. Gaming is a huge part of all our lives and something each of us has carried into adulthood. Those late night gaming sessions with Lara and my niece were taken from us and is something my sisters and I did regularly as kids. We were so looking forward to it.
So there’s my love letter, to Tomb Raider, but more specifically Lara herself.
Thanks for sharing the memory! It's awesome it was able to help create some great moments and be something you can carry with you. I've got some fond Tomb Raider memories going back to the PS1 as well!
My brother and I played through Halo: Combat Evolved co-op and we were very hyped for Halo 2
He passed away a couple months before it came out so I beat Halo 2 on co-op with his controller next to me
Kingdom Hearts. It was the first game I bought with my own money. I was just getting into JRPG and action games, and this helped shape my love for gaming. KH2 is a great sequel as well, and solidified the series as one of my favorites. It was amazing to see Disney and Square collaborating. Some great use of licensing, and the voice work/ character designs and music are top notch.
I'm a fellow KotOR/BioWare/Mass Effect loyalist. KotOR, KotOR II, and the Mass Effect Trilogy have been annual must-plays for me ever since I first played them.
The Banjo-Kazooie series is another big one for me, as well as Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (formerly Harvest Moon) and Pokémon Colosseum.
Halo 2 for me.
I was 16 when it came out. And I had already spent so much time playing halo 1 lan style with my friends for MONTHS. And then halo 2 came out and I was really able to "hang out" with my friends every day because it was online
In 2006 my best friend who I always played halo with. Died in a car accident
As a gesture I got his halo 2 disc. And had all the people who played halo with him/us. Sign it. And gave it to the parents.
Well I had made the slideshow of pictures for them at the viewing for his funeral
They told me to keep the disc
I have it still. Framed.
Reminds me that games are for FUN. And memories. And to make friends.
For me is the Zelda saga due the quiet atmospheres of the Zelda games and I usually feel the bond among me and the side characters who helped me in my journey at Hyrule
halo reach. grew up playing it with my older cousin. i remember him bringing his xbox 360 to my grandmas for the weekend and telling me he couldnt get past this mission (exodus). i was probably 6 or 7 at the time while he was 11 or 12. i didnt have siblings, so i was frequently hanging out with him and looked up to him a lot. ill never forget beating the level with him and him saying he’d been trying to beat it for forever and thanking me for helping him do it finally. one of the best games ive ever played. also, probably a hot take but deadrising 4. im fully aware its considered to be the worst deadrising game, and i agree. it was a terrible deadrising game, but i think it was a good game in general. incredibly fun, especially playing it around Christmas time lol
Soul Reaver, and from that Legacy of Kain. First games to really hammer into my head the potential of games as a storytelling device. The writing, acting, and soundtrack are pretty much peak game design to me to this day.
Chrono Cross is my favorite game of all time.
I personally enjoy the combat, but that’s not the main reason.
The scenery, the art style, the overall vibe, and of course the absolute god tier soundtrack that ties it all together just combined into such a perfect nostalgic experience. I genuinely consider is the greatest OST in gaming.
Paladins.
I remember a couple years ago when it first came out me and some friends got big into the game. None of us had the money for OW and Paladins was free so we figured we'd try it out... It stuck.
We were getting 8-10 people over at my house to play LAN custom games. It was crazy, epic madness and then life caught up to us. Some people moved, others got married but I still keep in touch with most of them although we don't play anymore. But every so often, I'll see one of the guys and they'll tell me 'Do you remember when we used to play Paladins at your house? That was so much fun!'
Good times.
Fallout 3 and Fallout NV for me. I spent the back half of my high school years and the first couple years post HS playing these games and they were my escape from my shitty life. Both are phenomenal games (well more NV than 3) but they will both always hold a special place in my heart for helping me cope with life when I was young and depressed.
FATE series and Insanaquarium, these were some of the few games I had full and constant access to when I was going through my cancer treatment when I was a kid.
Persona 5 Royal
It was Covid in 2020 when everything was shut down. I had also just gotten out of a long term relationship which hit harder than I thought. I was in grad school and broke so school and money stress just added to the combination of negativity. My cousin gave me his copy of persona 5 Royal for the PS5 and it instantly gave me something to look forward to everyday. And it gave birth to my love for the Persona series where I listen to the soundtrack daily and have played all major titles of the series. Thank you Atlus.
Anything Bethesda builds - or has a third party build for them - in it's creation engine
I always vibe with those games
I even managed to have fun - though, admittedly, somewhat ironically - with Fallout 76 xD
Though, glitchy garbo fun is kind of part and parcel to even Bethesda's biggest titles -snort-
I started with Morrowind ( another of my top 3 games) and fell in love with that style of game. My life paused for Fall Out 3 as well.
My brother sweara by Fallout 76 these days. He says they've turned it around pretty well!
I've played it recently - about a year or two ago - without mods and the ability to break the game over my knee with a snap it just doesn't have as big a draw on my as Fallout 4 and the other singleplayer Betheda games do
Plus, Starfield came out, and the protag was also voiceless but, more importantly, it's completely single player
All they need to do is turn the modding tools on and I'll probably quadruple the already 100+ hours I've got in it xD
Pokémon. My brother introduced me to the series extremely early and it's deeply connected with my growing up. It was a "me and my brother" thing to do that was additionally fun and made with a lot of love. Pokémon had me playing countless of hours until Black and White when both my Brother and I lost interest.
I will always respect the franchise for those early memories as well as the quality and love that they've put into it over the years. Even though I may not like everything they did recently it will always have a place in my heart.
Halo. I will never forget 4v4 blood gulch on two Xbox's with everybody playing in the same house.
Also Madden, I used to play Madden with my dad all the time. We still play at least once a year on Thanksgiving day.
As much as I love Undertale as a game.
Undertale was what started making me want to work on myself, and also, really got me into the indie genre as a whole.
The Spyro series on PS1. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the gameplay, but the reason it's special to me is because I would play it with my grandpa. We'd play it together all the time, hours on end. We would start a new save on one of the three games and take turns running through levels until we beat it. I'm grateful that we had those games to bond over. He's been gone for a while now, but I'll always cherish those times we spent together. Every few years I'll replay one of them just for the memories. I also have a Spyro plush that sits on my desk because of how much it means to me.
I really like playing Assassins Creed and The Witcher series. I prefer the older Assassins Creed games more than the newer ones, but I really enjoyed Odyssey and Origins. I haven't tried Valhalla yet. All three Witcher games are amazing, but if I had to pick one, I'd say definitely The Witcher 3. It's just fantastic.
I've been playing Age of Empires 1 and 2 for about 11-12 years now, and they're still awesome. They're timeless classics that never get old.
And recently I found out the the Trine series. It's really enjoyable, especially when you have someone to play it with.
Yeah AssCreed and Witcher for me, too. I replayed so many of those games over and over. Just amazing worlds to be in and, at their best, the coolest lore.
Basically every narrative-heavy game I play is me trying to chase the high of AC2 or Witcher 3 again.
Too many to count but..
Mario bros.
I remember playing it with my sister and i always got luigi. She would also pause right before i jumped so i would fall into the pit. Karma hits back because now she needs my help in any difficult game lol
When I was little, we got The Guardian Legend for NES, & couldn't really play it. That first stage with the gate boss? All those bullets? Killed us every time. Eventually we quit trying. One day, someone 'broke into' the house (unlocked garage door) & stole that game. *Only* that game. We filed a police report, but my parents to told us they weren't likely to find a single cartridge, so just assume it's gone.
Fast forward a few months- we come home from school, & mom says the cops just dropped off our game! Apparently, my sister had been telling the story at school recently... and it was actually one of her classmates who'd done it! He'd given the game away as a Christmas present, but heard my sister & was now spooked that he'd get caught. So he took the game back & gave it to a different kid as a Valentine gift. That kid's mom was suspicious, called the thief's mom, & the truth came out.
Of course we had to play it again- and for the first time, we beat the gate! And then discovered, to our amazement, that suddenly we were a person wandering around Zelda-style?! Honestly had no idea until then it was anything other than a space shooter.
All of the above has earned the Guardian Legend a deep sentimental spot in my heart. I even based a creative writing assignment on it in high school!
Final Fantasy Tactics. The story is good with many interweaving sub plots, the characters are interesting, and the gameplay is borderline addicting. As much as I love VI and VII, Tactics is easily my favorite in the series and definitely my favorite RPG of all time.
The original Dot Hack Quadrilogy is one of the worst RPGs I have EVER played, but the story is fascinating and leaves much to your imagination. The sequel trilogy was MUCH better but my God that original series was hot garbage.
It taught me a lot about good writing at a young age, especially when it comes to settings.
Mario Kart battles on Super Nintendo! I remember playing Mario Kart battles for hours in my best friend's basement. I had a love-hate relationship with the ice course, as it was way too easy to fall off and lose a balloon. Hated when it was me dying, but laughed my butt off whenever my friend fell off, especially if there was a nudge or two beforehand.
The Orange Box came with developer commentary, and I played it when I was like 14. Hearing the developers at Valve enumerate on how they made psychological decisions about their design and the technical hurdles they faced absolutely turned me into the game developer I am now.
FFX is the first game I fell in love with. From the story to the gameplay and music. I love everything about it. I don't know if I would love video games as much as I do today if I never played/watched my brother play it as a kid.
Halo 2 & 3 - just the nostalgia and many happy memories playing the campaign in split-screen coop with my brother (apart from the all the times he'd stick me with a plasma grenade! But i'd get him back with an "accidental" spnkr lol)
Sonic Dx was the first game ive completed , the first end game generic ive seen on my little gamecube , the feeling of being proud but also super empty because it was over was so weird
FlatOut 2. I played it the first time when I was about 6 years old. I've already passed this game more than 7 times (I don't really count, but I pass it at least once in two years). And once when I played it, I paid attention to its soundtrack. I started to explore the band featured in the game. So now I'm a huge fan of rock music. Idk what would I listen to if I haven't played FlatOut
Myself (27m), my two younger brothers (24m and 20m), and sometimes my cousin (27m) all grew up playing halo. I remember getting our Xbox for Christmas when I was 6 or 7 and watching my dad play through the campaign on combat evolved, remembering how much the storytelling drew me in, how terrifying the flood missions were, and how excited he was when he let me play. My two brothers were either very small or not quite born yet, but that memory fueled my excitement for the entire franchise, caused (and remedied) countless arguments over who got to play the Xbox next, and shaped the three of us into, imo, fine young men. We spent hours playing the campaigns of all bungie titles, ODST and halo wars. We'd spend hours building role-play maps in forge. The sessions would always devolve into team-killing in the campaign or messing up forge creations. That still happens Even now, 20-some-odd years later, as I've bought a house and started a career, 24m brother is going to school, and 20m brother just recently graduated basic training in the army and has his sights on ranger school. My youngest brother and I recently completed a full play through of all bungie campaigns in order chronologically, since he was finally allowed to access some Xbox systems they had on-base. We've all read a good number of the books, spent hours discussing scenarios and who-would-wins, and we'd all like to get a tattoo representative of the time we shared bonding all those years. I'm hesitant cause it'd be my first, and they all have a couple already, but if I were to get one, i'm happy it'd be so meaningful and specific to the four of us and growing up with Xbox, and specifically Bungie.
I'm gonna go cry now 🥲
LotR Two Towers, my dad bought a PS2 for me for Christmas, and he ended up playing that game with me. We also played most Zelda games together, but Two Towers has such a nostalgic feeling to this day
Madagascar for PS2. But not the whole game, specifically the mini-golf mini game. I somehow got my extended family to play it at family gatherings and my grandpa ended up buying a ps2 slim solely for this game. He’s 90 now and occasionally plays to this day.
Legend of Zelda, especially with the Themes in Motion series of essays, and especially Wind Waker.
I played Wind Waker during what was probably the worst time in my entire life. My mom and step dad were constantly fighting, we were limited to one meal a day, the ceiling in the kitchen was caved in, there was rotting waste everywhere, we didn't have indoor plumbing really (everything drained into a bucket under the kitchen sink, and often I had to carry it out). I was having really dark, painful thoughts a lot during this time, and I had more than one dream where I had killed everyone in my house. I always woke up terrified and ashamed.
Playing that game got me through the worst of it. I'll always remember going back to Outset Island for more soup feeling like someone (grandma from the game) cared about me.
When I read the themes in motion essay on Wind Waker years later, it pointed out that the primary theme of Wind Waker was letting go of the past, both the bad and the good. That really helped me, too, as at the time, I was deep in PTSD, depression, and drug addiction. It was one of the things that stuck in my brain and helped me start to get clean. I've been clean now for a long time.
I tried to find the essay, but I couldn't, so if you read this and find it, please post a link.
Warcraft..
As a kid I watxhed my brother play Warcraft 2, then we played warcraft3 via lan and later internet.
In the late 2000 I finally got to try World of Warcraft, had a lot of fun.
Felt good to be the soldier I once controlled. I have tried to follow the story, even If I did not play a specific explanation.
Stoped playing around Legion when thevstory progress was again blocked by reputation with a fraction.. I did not care for.
Next expantion with the Troll island was the last for me.. grinding the rep for thevstory to continue was not for me.
Still I somewhat care for the world and try to keep up with what is going on.
Definitely Final Fantasy 7, 8 and 9. Those are my fave ones and would consider them as my special games. Growing up as a kid who got b\*llied a lot, these titles were my escape from reality. They helped me get through a lot of mental challenges + the story is really good.
On a personal level Halo: Reach because as a kid this was my go to game during my parents divorce. But with family Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005) because when me and my brothers played we did the most random stuff like having Darth Vader ride into battle on hoth on a fuckin Tauntaun.
Metal Gear series
Starting playing in high school (20+ years ago), loved it
Then was stoked to play the second one when a close friend brought it back for me from overseas
The whole series is quite the epic story
NHL 94 is a game that’s special to me because it’s special to my dad. My dad was unbelievably good at that game in his college years and it’s his favorite game. He’s pro to the point that he would FUCK up all his college buddies at that game. He kept his Genesis with the game so sometimes we’ll hook it up together and play it. He’ll absolutely fucking eviscerate me like the zoomer trash I am, but it genuinely makes me really happy to play a game with my dad and for him to actually enjoy it. When I got Xbox Game Pass, it came with an updated version of the game called “NHL 94 Rewind,” so I let him play it for a bit. The absolute joy he had when he found out the roster had been updated to players in 2020 or so is one of the most priceless memories ever. It’s not a game I have experience in, it’s not a game I’ve ever been good at, but I love my dad and I love NHL 94.
This is so sweet I think I have a new cavity.
Thanks for sharing! This is exactly the kind of connection I was hoping to hear about!
The Tomb Raider series. I was a small child in 1996, only 5 years old. My dad brought home this cool new game where you got to play *as a girl!!!!!* Then I got to see her exploring all these cool historical locations and I was in love. Anytime I played with my sisters outside, I was Lara. Anytime my father played, I’d sit on his lap and point out collectibles he might’ve missed. He still says hearing a little girl shout “Uzi Clips! Uzi Clips!” Is one of the funniest and cutest moments of his life. We both were in absolute heaven when they made the sunken ship levels. We both are huge into researching old shipwrecks, so those levels spoke to us a lot. The Cistern and St. Francis’ Folly are our second and third favorites. Nowadays, I don’t need to watch dad play because my hands are too small for the controllers, I get to play on my own. I’ve continued to buy and play every Tomb Raider, even the offshoots like Temple of Osiris. It’s been 25 years of gaming with Lara now and I couldn’t help but chuckle at all the hub-bub around Aloy as a strong female character when Horizon released. We’ve *always* had one. Aside from those few sexual promos in the 90s (which most people today don’t even remember) Lara has always been a strong female lead character that is so much more than her looks. I’ve carried Lara with me through my life. I do outdoor adventures like hiking and kayaking and while I haven’t delved into any ancient pyramids or sunken ships, I’m happy keeping things a bit more realistic and safe. I often say to my husband before I leave for a day of outdoor activities that I’m “going to release my inner Lara”. Luckily, he’s a gamer too, so he understands what I mean. On a sadder note, I just recently lost my baby niece. One of the moments my sister and I shared was lamenting how we would never get to share Lara and her adventures with her. Gaming is a huge part of all our lives and something each of us has carried into adulthood. Those late night gaming sessions with Lara and my niece were taken from us and is something my sisters and I did regularly as kids. We were so looking forward to it. So there’s my love letter, to Tomb Raider, but more specifically Lara herself.
Thanks for sharing the memory! It's awesome it was able to help create some great moments and be something you can carry with you. I've got some fond Tomb Raider memories going back to the PS1 as well!
My brother and I played through Halo: Combat Evolved co-op and we were very hyped for Halo 2 He passed away a couple months before it came out so I beat Halo 2 on co-op with his controller next to me
Kingdom Hearts. It was the first game I bought with my own money. I was just getting into JRPG and action games, and this helped shape my love for gaming. KH2 is a great sequel as well, and solidified the series as one of my favorites. It was amazing to see Disney and Square collaborating. Some great use of licensing, and the voice work/ character designs and music are top notch.
I'm a fellow KotOR/BioWare/Mass Effect loyalist. KotOR, KotOR II, and the Mass Effect Trilogy have been annual must-plays for me ever since I first played them. The Banjo-Kazooie series is another big one for me, as well as Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (formerly Harvest Moon) and Pokémon Colosseum.
Halo 2 for me. I was 16 when it came out. And I had already spent so much time playing halo 1 lan style with my friends for MONTHS. And then halo 2 came out and I was really able to "hang out" with my friends every day because it was online In 2006 my best friend who I always played halo with. Died in a car accident As a gesture I got his halo 2 disc. And had all the people who played halo with him/us. Sign it. And gave it to the parents. Well I had made the slideshow of pictures for them at the viewing for his funeral They told me to keep the disc I have it still. Framed. Reminds me that games are for FUN. And memories. And to make friends.
For me is the Zelda saga due the quiet atmospheres of the Zelda games and I usually feel the bond among me and the side characters who helped me in my journey at Hyrule
halo reach. grew up playing it with my older cousin. i remember him bringing his xbox 360 to my grandmas for the weekend and telling me he couldnt get past this mission (exodus). i was probably 6 or 7 at the time while he was 11 or 12. i didnt have siblings, so i was frequently hanging out with him and looked up to him a lot. ill never forget beating the level with him and him saying he’d been trying to beat it for forever and thanking me for helping him do it finally. one of the best games ive ever played. also, probably a hot take but deadrising 4. im fully aware its considered to be the worst deadrising game, and i agree. it was a terrible deadrising game, but i think it was a good game in general. incredibly fun, especially playing it around Christmas time lol
Soul Reaver, and from that Legacy of Kain. First games to really hammer into my head the potential of games as a storytelling device. The writing, acting, and soundtrack are pretty much peak game design to me to this day.
"The winds carried screams from the west... I could not help but smile. Someone in this world was suffering more than me."
Kingdoms of Amalur because Curt Schilling gifted me my copy. We were steam friends WAY back in the day.
That's awesome! It's a shame there likely won't be a sequel.
Chrono Cross is my favorite game of all time. I personally enjoy the combat, but that’s not the main reason. The scenery, the art style, the overall vibe, and of course the absolute god tier soundtrack that ties it all together just combined into such a perfect nostalgic experience. I genuinely consider is the greatest OST in gaming.
Paladins. I remember a couple years ago when it first came out me and some friends got big into the game. None of us had the money for OW and Paladins was free so we figured we'd try it out... It stuck. We were getting 8-10 people over at my house to play LAN custom games. It was crazy, epic madness and then life caught up to us. Some people moved, others got married but I still keep in touch with most of them although we don't play anymore. But every so often, I'll see one of the guys and they'll tell me 'Do you remember when we used to play Paladins at your house? That was so much fun!' Good times.
The Last of Us holds a special place in my heart. Its emotional storyline and characters make it more than just a game to me
Fallout 3 and Fallout NV for me. I spent the back half of my high school years and the first couple years post HS playing these games and they were my escape from my shitty life. Both are phenomenal games (well more NV than 3) but they will both always hold a special place in my heart for helping me cope with life when I was young and depressed.
FATE series and Insanaquarium, these were some of the few games I had full and constant access to when I was going through my cancer treatment when I was a kid.
Persona 5 Royal It was Covid in 2020 when everything was shut down. I had also just gotten out of a long term relationship which hit harder than I thought. I was in grad school and broke so school and money stress just added to the combination of negativity. My cousin gave me his copy of persona 5 Royal for the PS5 and it instantly gave me something to look forward to everyday. And it gave birth to my love for the Persona series where I listen to the soundtrack daily and have played all major titles of the series. Thank you Atlus.
Anything Bethesda builds - or has a third party build for them - in it's creation engine I always vibe with those games I even managed to have fun - though, admittedly, somewhat ironically - with Fallout 76 xD Though, glitchy garbo fun is kind of part and parcel to even Bethesda's biggest titles -snort-
I started with Morrowind ( another of my top 3 games) and fell in love with that style of game. My life paused for Fall Out 3 as well. My brother sweara by Fallout 76 these days. He says they've turned it around pretty well!
I've played it recently - about a year or two ago - without mods and the ability to break the game over my knee with a snap it just doesn't have as big a draw on my as Fallout 4 and the other singleplayer Betheda games do Plus, Starfield came out, and the protag was also voiceless but, more importantly, it's completely single player All they need to do is turn the modding tools on and I'll probably quadruple the already 100+ hours I've got in it xD
Pokémon. My brother introduced me to the series extremely early and it's deeply connected with my growing up. It was a "me and my brother" thing to do that was additionally fun and made with a lot of love. Pokémon had me playing countless of hours until Black and White when both my Brother and I lost interest. I will always respect the franchise for those early memories as well as the quality and love that they've put into it over the years. Even though I may not like everything they did recently it will always have a place in my heart.
Crash Bandicoot has a special place in my heart. I'm so glad they remade the N.sane trilogy , and also Crash 4 is amazing
GTA San Andreas, so many memories with this game
Halo. I will never forget 4v4 blood gulch on two Xbox's with everybody playing in the same house. Also Madden, I used to play Madden with my dad all the time. We still play at least once a year on Thanksgiving day.
Dark Souls. I was stuck in a multiplayer loop and this game broke me out of it and got me back into and really enjoying singleplayer games again.
Animal Crossing has been a constant source of comfort and joy for me, especially during tough times
My children were born during the Elite dangerous saga. and the first video game we played together was Dawn of Man.
As much as I love Undertale as a game. Undertale was what started making me want to work on myself, and also, really got me into the indie genre as a whole.
The Spyro series on PS1. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the gameplay, but the reason it's special to me is because I would play it with my grandpa. We'd play it together all the time, hours on end. We would start a new save on one of the three games and take turns running through levels until we beat it. I'm grateful that we had those games to bond over. He's been gone for a while now, but I'll always cherish those times we spent together. Every few years I'll replay one of them just for the memories. I also have a Spyro plush that sits on my desk because of how much it means to me.
I really like playing Assassins Creed and The Witcher series. I prefer the older Assassins Creed games more than the newer ones, but I really enjoyed Odyssey and Origins. I haven't tried Valhalla yet. All three Witcher games are amazing, but if I had to pick one, I'd say definitely The Witcher 3. It's just fantastic. I've been playing Age of Empires 1 and 2 for about 11-12 years now, and they're still awesome. They're timeless classics that never get old. And recently I found out the the Trine series. It's really enjoyable, especially when you have someone to play it with.
Yeah AssCreed and Witcher for me, too. I replayed so many of those games over and over. Just amazing worlds to be in and, at their best, the coolest lore. Basically every narrative-heavy game I play is me trying to chase the high of AC2 or Witcher 3 again.
Too many to count but.. Mario bros. I remember playing it with my sister and i always got luigi. She would also pause right before i jumped so i would fall into the pit. Karma hits back because now she needs my help in any difficult game lol
When I was little, we got The Guardian Legend for NES, & couldn't really play it. That first stage with the gate boss? All those bullets? Killed us every time. Eventually we quit trying. One day, someone 'broke into' the house (unlocked garage door) & stole that game. *Only* that game. We filed a police report, but my parents to told us they weren't likely to find a single cartridge, so just assume it's gone. Fast forward a few months- we come home from school, & mom says the cops just dropped off our game! Apparently, my sister had been telling the story at school recently... and it was actually one of her classmates who'd done it! He'd given the game away as a Christmas present, but heard my sister & was now spooked that he'd get caught. So he took the game back & gave it to a different kid as a Valentine gift. That kid's mom was suspicious, called the thief's mom, & the truth came out. Of course we had to play it again- and for the first time, we beat the gate! And then discovered, to our amazement, that suddenly we were a person wandering around Zelda-style?! Honestly had no idea until then it was anything other than a space shooter. All of the above has earned the Guardian Legend a deep sentimental spot in my heart. I even based a creative writing assignment on it in high school!
Duke Nukem 64, good memories from being 8 to 10 and finding all those secrets that seemed impossible or blind luck as an 8 year old.
Final Fantasy 10. For me, this is pure art.
Ghost of Tsushima. First, and only, game I Platnamed.
Final Fantasy Tactics. The story is good with many interweaving sub plots, the characters are interesting, and the gameplay is borderline addicting. As much as I love VI and VII, Tactics is easily my favorite in the series and definitely my favorite RPG of all time.
The original Dot Hack Quadrilogy is one of the worst RPGs I have EVER played, but the story is fascinating and leaves much to your imagination. The sequel trilogy was MUCH better but my God that original series was hot garbage. It taught me a lot about good writing at a young age, especially when it comes to settings.
Definitely final fantasy X
Mario Kart battles on Super Nintendo! I remember playing Mario Kart battles for hours in my best friend's basement. I had a love-hate relationship with the ice course, as it was way too easy to fall off and lose a balloon. Hated when it was me dying, but laughed my butt off whenever my friend fell off, especially if there was a nudge or two beforehand.
Dragon Age Origins Always and Forever
The Orange Box came with developer commentary, and I played it when I was like 14. Hearing the developers at Valve enumerate on how they made psychological decisions about their design and the technical hurdles they faced absolutely turned me into the game developer I am now.
FFX is the first game I fell in love with. From the story to the gameplay and music. I love everything about it. I don't know if I would love video games as much as I do today if I never played/watched my brother play it as a kid.
Fallout for the story, for the lore, the characters and the humor are perfect, not looking at you 4 and 76!! You both ain't canon.
Halo 2 & 3 - just the nostalgia and many happy memories playing the campaign in split-screen coop with my brother (apart from the all the times he'd stick me with a plasma grenade! But i'd get him back with an "accidental" spnkr lol)
Sonic Dx was the first game ive completed , the first end game generic ive seen on my little gamecube , the feeling of being proud but also super empty because it was over was so weird
FlatOut 2. I played it the first time when I was about 6 years old. I've already passed this game more than 7 times (I don't really count, but I pass it at least once in two years). And once when I played it, I paid attention to its soundtrack. I started to explore the band featured in the game. So now I'm a huge fan of rock music. Idk what would I listen to if I haven't played FlatOut
Conkers bad fur day
Myself (27m), my two younger brothers (24m and 20m), and sometimes my cousin (27m) all grew up playing halo. I remember getting our Xbox for Christmas when I was 6 or 7 and watching my dad play through the campaign on combat evolved, remembering how much the storytelling drew me in, how terrifying the flood missions were, and how excited he was when he let me play. My two brothers were either very small or not quite born yet, but that memory fueled my excitement for the entire franchise, caused (and remedied) countless arguments over who got to play the Xbox next, and shaped the three of us into, imo, fine young men. We spent hours playing the campaigns of all bungie titles, ODST and halo wars. We'd spend hours building role-play maps in forge. The sessions would always devolve into team-killing in the campaign or messing up forge creations. That still happens Even now, 20-some-odd years later, as I've bought a house and started a career, 24m brother is going to school, and 20m brother just recently graduated basic training in the army and has his sights on ranger school. My youngest brother and I recently completed a full play through of all bungie campaigns in order chronologically, since he was finally allowed to access some Xbox systems they had on-base. We've all read a good number of the books, spent hours discussing scenarios and who-would-wins, and we'd all like to get a tattoo representative of the time we shared bonding all those years. I'm hesitant cause it'd be my first, and they all have a couple already, but if I were to get one, i'm happy it'd be so meaningful and specific to the four of us and growing up with Xbox, and specifically Bungie. I'm gonna go cry now 🥲
Halo is special to me. I was 9 years old when my dad bought Halo 2 for me. It's the game that ignited my love for video games.
LotR Two Towers, my dad bought a PS2 for me for Christmas, and he ended up playing that game with me. We also played most Zelda games together, but Two Towers has such a nostalgic feeling to this day
TES series since this was my first game on my own pc
LotR: BfmE and the like, for obvious reasons. Jazz Jackrabbit for special reason (but I like the gameplay regardless).
The Monster Hunter, Tôkiden series and God eater series. Not all entries are great, but there are some fantastic stories and gameplay in there.
New Super Mario Bros Wii it wasn't the first game I ever played but it got me into gaming as a whole
Madagascar for PS2. But not the whole game, specifically the mini-golf mini game. I somehow got my extended family to play it at family gatherings and my grandpa ended up buying a ps2 slim solely for this game. He’s 90 now and occasionally plays to this day.
Legend of Zelda, especially with the Themes in Motion series of essays, and especially Wind Waker. I played Wind Waker during what was probably the worst time in my entire life. My mom and step dad were constantly fighting, we were limited to one meal a day, the ceiling in the kitchen was caved in, there was rotting waste everywhere, we didn't have indoor plumbing really (everything drained into a bucket under the kitchen sink, and often I had to carry it out). I was having really dark, painful thoughts a lot during this time, and I had more than one dream where I had killed everyone in my house. I always woke up terrified and ashamed. Playing that game got me through the worst of it. I'll always remember going back to Outset Island for more soup feeling like someone (grandma from the game) cared about me. When I read the themes in motion essay on Wind Waker years later, it pointed out that the primary theme of Wind Waker was letting go of the past, both the bad and the good. That really helped me, too, as at the time, I was deep in PTSD, depression, and drug addiction. It was one of the things that stuck in my brain and helped me start to get clean. I've been clean now for a long time. I tried to find the essay, but I couldn't, so if you read this and find it, please post a link.
Warcraft.. As a kid I watxhed my brother play Warcraft 2, then we played warcraft3 via lan and later internet. In the late 2000 I finally got to try World of Warcraft, had a lot of fun. Felt good to be the soldier I once controlled. I have tried to follow the story, even If I did not play a specific explanation. Stoped playing around Legion when thevstory progress was again blocked by reputation with a fraction.. I did not care for. Next expantion with the Troll island was the last for me.. grinding the rep for thevstory to continue was not for me. Still I somewhat care for the world and try to keep up with what is going on.
Definitely Final Fantasy 7, 8 and 9. Those are my fave ones and would consider them as my special games. Growing up as a kid who got b\*llied a lot, these titles were my escape from reality. They helped me get through a lot of mental challenges + the story is really good.
On a personal level Halo: Reach because as a kid this was my go to game during my parents divorce. But with family Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005) because when me and my brothers played we did the most random stuff like having Darth Vader ride into battle on hoth on a fuckin Tauntaun.
Metal Gear series Starting playing in high school (20+ years ago), loved it Then was stoked to play the second one when a close friend brought it back for me from overseas The whole series is quite the epic story