3 Games That You're Thankful For

[Press_Start]

I'm surprised nobody thought of this on Thanksgiving. So as the midnight hour approaches on this day, I wanna give thanks for 3 games that helped shape my life before the day is done.

Burgertime -- My very FIRST video game.

Vandal Hearts/Suikoden -- I know I listed two games, but playing these games at my cousin's place, I was instantly hooked. Made me realized how fun, exciting, and beautiful RPGs really are.

Donkey Kong -- I haven't played this game a lot myself, so why am I giving thanks? Without it, Nintendo wouldn't had made its first successful break into the American gaming market, thus will not have been around to revive the video game industry years later and provide us with some of the happiest moment of our childhood.

Those are three games I'm thankful. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! :villagepeople:

Btw, remember to eat lots of turkey! :D

[Xander]

Final Fantasy I

Contra III: The Alien Wars

Final Fantasy VI

[Gamebrain]

Silent Hill

Super Mario Bros 3

Duke Nukem 3D

[Wraith Storm]

Great Idea!

Solstice
The Nes game I keep trying to beat. One day it WILL happen... although it's going on like 15 yers? I got it when I was a little kid and have been playing it since.

Final Fantasy 6
The RPG that hit at just the right time in my life. I had never played a game that looked or sounded so good. Many memories of friends and events happening in my life surround the brilliance of this game.

Panzer Dragoon Saga
Dear God where do I start? This was the Saturns Swan Song and it swept me away. Rarly do you play a game where almost EVERY aspect is completely original or done in a very refreshing way. The desolate world, the tribal, techno, orchesral soundtrack, the story, the characters. This game has so many good scenes but nothing could have prepared me for the BITCHSLAP that is the cliff hanger ending. It tears me up inside everytime I wach it.

There you have it! Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

[SpaceHarrier]

Sonic Adventure - For making me believe in blue once again

Final Fantasy VII - You lived up to, and exceeded the hype

Megaman X - For making me believe in the other blue once again

[kupomogli]

-Final Fantasy 1. Even though I played Dragon Warrior first, this was the one that made me a huge fan of the genre.

-Vandal Hearts. My first tactical RPG as I've never owned a Sega so only played the original for a bit. Thankfully this game is as good as it is, both gameplay and storyline wise.

-Castlevania. The start of my favorite series and has had such a great long run. Unfortunately the series has been going downhill with Portrait of Ruin, Curse of Darkness, Order of Ecclesia, and now Castlevania Judgment all being pathetic in comparison to the rest of the series. Please get a new development team.

[Smashed Brother]

Castlevania: SOTN: During the 2nd Renaissance, also known as the 'PS1 Era', this game had descended down from high above and bestowed itself onto the disc tray, like an answer to my holy prayers. Upon experiencing it's wonderful gameplay and hearing it's almost otherworldly soundtrack (which still resonates in my subconscious to this day), I came to realize that this is the game that I was meant to play.... the chosen one that I had been waiting for. Relatively speaking in terms of my gaming lifestyle, I would literally have been lost, had this game never been created.

Tekken 3: I had always loved Tekken 1 and 2, but this game just blew my mind with it's spectacularness. I have many, many fond memories that are associated with this game.

Valkyrie Profile: I have always been a casual fan of RPG's, but, at least to me, the genre was stuck in a 'same ol, same ol' rut. Then, I took a chance and purchased this game when I saw it sitting on the used game rack in EB. It was like the RPG genre was born again. Everything about this game was so different, so unique, that it was impossible for me to put it down. It's too bad that the game never caught on with the masses. Even the sequel pales in comparison, as it excised some of the best elements of this game. I have played through this game multiple times, and everytime has literally been a different experience; new stages, new party members, different story elements.

I just realized that every game on this list is from the PS1 era. Don't get me wrong, I've been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and I own numerous retro games and systems that I still play, but it was really the PS1 that brought on the 'promised land' of videogaming for me. And for that, I am thankful!

[Kevincal]

SMB

Sonic 1

Doom

Mario 64

Gran Turismo 3

[Octopod]

1-Space Invaders - Re-invented the video game. It was the first STG. It was the first game to give you "lives" instead of being timed. It made the arcade flourish.


2-Gradius


3-Xevious

[j_factor]

Adventure, Jump Bug, and Karate Champ. Not for the games themselves, but for creating three of my favorite types of games -- action-adventures, scrolling platformers, and fighters.

[Steven]

-Contra
The game that cemented me as a gaming fan for life. Many good memories rotating turns with my brother and Uncle Jimmy saving the universe (with the 30 Men code of course)

-Street Fighter II
It really caused the 2D fighter boom of the early-mid '90s... one of my all-time favorite genres, particularly growing up

-Super Bomberman
The party game to end all party games back in the day IMHO. What a franchise

[Chainsaw_Charlie]

1. Chrono Trigger

2. Suikoden

3. Disgaea

[BHvrd]

Advanced Dungeons And Dragons - Intellivision

Leisure Suit Larry: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards - DOS

Phantasy Star Online - Dreamcast


I would definitely say those games had the most influence in the type of gamer I am today. Sure there are many that have had an impact, but these most certainly so.

[SpyHunter]

Combat: The game that got me into gaming in the first place. I couldn't even say how many hours me and my friends played it.

Super Mario Bros: The game that got me back into gaming in the mid-80's.

Legend of Zelda: No game has ever meant more to me, period.

[swlovinist]

Currently Thankful for the following as I used video games to help get though a nasty back injury:

Age of Empires DS-an underrated gem that is a great turn based strategy

Fire Emblem Gamecube-tough strategy game in which if your people die in battle...they die. At first I hated it, but 15 hours later it did not matter. Great game, but abit wordy.

Combat 2600-My brother came over a couple of weeks ago from over 1000 miles away. We have not played this game together in 25 years. The magic of the game was still there and we had a blast playing Tanks in richochet mode. True classic

[Therealqtip]

Sonic 2, Duke Nukem 3D, and Gears of War 1 or 2

[G-Boobie]

Nice thread.

-Symphony of the Night I probably play through SotN once a year, and every time I do, I find something new I missed. It has yet to be equaled by any other Castlevania installment.

-Street Fighter II I've been playing Street Fighter on and off for fifteen years, and it's still as good as it's ever been. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD has been reminding me lately of just how excellent the Street Fighter II games are.

-Metal Gear Solid 4 While not especially retro, MGS4 surprised me by being excellent, the excretable third act notwithstanding. A satisfying end to the series.

[Sabz5150]

* The Guardian Legend - The game that sticks out the most in my childhood. Loved it, played it nonstop.

* Master of Orion II - MOO. Nuff said. I have that game down to an art :D

* Star Control II - Loved the first, loved the second even more. Excellent story, gameplay is top notch, and nothing beats blue skinned women.

[cyberfluxor]

Bust-A-Move 2 - After playing puzzle games like Tetris, Puyo Puyo, Columns, and Zoop from the 80's into the mid-90's BAM2 just swamped more of my time than any other puzzle game. Whenever it's up and going at an arcade I can't resist plucking down a quarter to play. After owning this game over several systems the arcade version reigns supreme followed by the Saturn port. The closest 1on1 rivals to this in my book are Magical Drop III and Puzzle Fighter.

Diablo - The role playing game that broke me into the genre. Many of hours spent in the late 90's in single and co-op with friends and others over battle.net. The Playstation port added glazing to the cake, only downside was a lack of mouse support found in games like Baldies, Lemmings 3D, and Warzone 2100. As a solid classic that paved the road for many other games and sequals, although not the first of it's genre it was a breakthrough for Blizzard.

Total Annihilation - After playing TA years after its release, unfamiliar with its devoted fans and communities at the time, this raised the bar for how an RTS should flow and work. Purchased in 2002 it amazed me how simple polygon graphics with an amazing physics engine, rocking ambient music score, intense multi-player buildup on large maps, and expansive units just held up with time and still does today. Supreme Commander took those foundamentals and blew everything up on larger scales, staying true to the roots of TA and proving the franchise may live to see a third part to the series or a new game (not like Kingdoms) spawn down the road using those lessons learned.

[SegaAges]

Sonic 2 - no need to explain that one

Super Mario World

TrickStyle - this was my very first DC game. I still own the copy to this day.

[Nebagram]

Just 3? Tough choice...

Sonic 2, Mega Drive

FFVII, PS1

Soul Calibur, Dreamcast

In each case these were the first games for each system that really made me go 'holy shit god yes this rocks', and as these are my favoruite 3 systems of all time, it's a simple enough step from there to here.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Double Dragon II. The 1st video game I ever loved. This may be due to the fact that it was the 1st video game I could beat- without the aid of the Game Genie.

Goldeneye. Although I remember playing Wolfenstein and Doom at an earlier age, they were merely brief trysts with the FPS genre. Mainly because as a kid, I didn't own a PC, so my gaming options were pretty console-centric. Then one day I picked up Goldeneye for my N64. Holy shit, did I find a love in first person shooters.

Morrowind. Up until this point, I thought I knew what an RPG was. Either a text intensive game with underwhelming graphics, or the title started with: "Final Fantasy" and ended in a Roman numeral. Three cheers for open ended gameplay and truckloads of character customization options! This is an RPG in the truest form, and it really raised my expectations for the genre.

[MachineGex]

Pacman-It gets equal love from boys and girls.

Goldeneye 64- I have great memories of playing this game. When this game came out, we had a 4 player match running at least 8 hours a day for almost a year straight.

CounterStrike- I spent many a sleepless night helping those helpless hostages escape. We had semi-annual weekend lan parties for years. Up to 80 of us packing into a huge "moose lodge" for 3 days of sleepless fun. Plus, since it was a private building, the bar stayed open for 3 days straight. Not much beats a 3 day drunken CS lan party. I loved this game so much I even made a map witha ton of hidden goodies: de_gexaplex

[darkslime]

Crash Team Racing PS1
Smash TV NES
Jet Grind Radio DC

[PentiumMMX]

Phantasy Star Online Version 2 (Dreamcast): I've put a lot of time into this game over the 2 years I've owned it. Though the gameplay looks shallow, It manages to draw me in somehow, and I find myself playing for hours. Though I've been playing PSO: Blue Burst a lot more lately, Version 2 is still special to me.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Genesis): This is it; what broke me of being a Nintendo fanboy, realizing that it's entirely possible for a non-Nintendo system to have worthwhile games. It had great graphics, it was fast, had almost no slowdown, and to top all that off, it was fun as hell. I still get it out to do a full playthrough ever so often (Always starting with Tails, who is my favorite character)

Diddy Kong Racing (N64): Though it was Mario Kart that made me want an N64, DKR was a lot more special to me. It had a great single-player mode, memorable characters, a great soundtrack...this is what led to me becoming a gamer. I still own my original copy, which I've had for nearly 11 years now (I asked for it for Christmas in 1997, but didn't get it until sometime in January 1998). Damn I love this game...

[DeputyMoniker]

Galaga (Arcade)
Burgertime (INTV)
SMB (NES)

Those are the games I enjoy playing...no matter what.

[Hitman Tyler]

Mega Bomberman (Genesis)- Due to this was the 1st video game I played. Also the video game I tought myself how to play, despite my brother refused to teach me.

Hitman (Series) PS2

Metal Gear (Series)

[Aussie2B]

Rather than going with my favorite games, I'm picking games that likely had the biggest influence on me as a gamer, each linked to the next:

Super Mario Bros. - Stereotypical, sure, but Super Mario Bros. made me fall in love with video games. No need to even go into how it affected the industry.

Donkey Kong Country - I bought a SNES to recapture memories of gaming past. I had gone without any video games in my life for at least a few years, and with Super Mario All-Stars, I had my opportunity to play those beloved Mario classics all over again. However, Donkey Kong Country made me start caring about the future of gaming. Sure, I fell for the hype hook, line, and sinker, but it didn't matter because I loved the game. And I have the series as a whole to thank for ultimately getting me into video game magazines, which led to me becoming an informed gamer, rather than having absolutely no clue about what upcoming releases there were.

Chrono Trigger - And through that magazine reading, I couldn't fathom how people thought any game out at the time was more awesome than Donkey Kong Country 2, so purely on it being ranked above DKC2, I bought Chrono Trigger, and I found my passion for RPGs. I did have a small amount of familiarity with Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy, but Chrono Trigger sealed the deal and changed my gaming habits to this day. Even now, my favorite genres are platformers and RPGs, and it's no surprise looking at what dominated my childhood.

[thom_m]

Snoopy and the Red Baron, for the 2600. Although my first game ever was Missile Command, it was the Snoopy game that showed me how satisfying it is to dedicate yourself to a game.

Metroid, for the NES. Never played it back then, sadly. Picked it up on an emulator only 2 years ago ("Aw, let's see what is this Metroid thing all about") and instantly fell in love with the whole series. My favorite one is Super Metroid, but without the first one, I wouldn't even bother to look out for it.

Rock'n'Roll Racing. Just because it's one of the coolest games EVER. When I was a teenager, me and my brother hosted "Rock'n'Roll Racing Nights" at my place; we and our friends would make a ton of pasta and play all night long, turning off the music and putting our very own soundtrack on the stereo - which, of course, included the original verions of the songs. Nice memories...

[RJ]

Mario Bros.
Xevious
Mr DO!

[Drifter 2000]

I'll keep this list pre 2000 (so my beloved Deus Ex won't count). Hard to choose just three but here are the ones that best describe the fond days of my youth.

Mega Man 4 - This game started a love affair that continues to this day. I'll never forget going to a video store that was going out of business and selling off all their old stock. My father managed to grab Bomberman and Captain Skyhawk but I had my eyes on Mega Man 4. Being a kid I grabbed it because the shots on the back of the box looked cool. Went home and booted it up before going to bed (played Bright Man's stage) and an obsession was born. I couldn't beat any of the Robot Masters for years but I bought every Mega Man game I could find.

Doom - Although I first played this on the SNES it still captured my imagination. As a young child in the 90's Doom was all the rage...it was everywhere. I'd played Wolfenstein 3D before but Doom was a whole new level of awesome. Amazing graphics, blood, guts, nail biting gameplay where all you had to really think about was grabbing a certain color key or hitting a switch. THIS is what first person shooting is all about. I still play the game at least once a year and love it to death. Doom harkens back to a simplier time when just being a mass murderer was enough to make a game a blockbuster.

Super Mario Brothers - This was a tough one to decide. Super Mario World is my overall favorite Mario game...but my love of gaming started with the original. Although I grew up with the SNES more than the NES this is where it all started. Getting a NES from a local pawn shop, plugging it in and hearing the legendary Level 1 World 1 music kick in still gives me chills. I remember watching my dad play through the first tree top level and getting so worked up that I actually vomited all over the floor. This old classic still holds up even today.

There's a lot more I could have listed but I tried to diversify as much as possible.

[Suzaku]

Phantasy Star IV - This was the first RPG I ever played. I immediately fell in love with the game, the series, and the genre. My first taste of it was an article in Sega Visions. After that it topped my birthday list. I've put more hours into that game than pretty much any other RPG I've ever played...and I've been through Xenogears several times!

Mortal Kombat - Not because it was a stellar game, mechanically speaking, but because it was my gateway drug into the fighter genre. After this bad boy, I couldn't get enough. Street Fighter, Samurai Shodown, Fatal Fury, King of Fighters....and eventually SoulCalibur. Nowadays I still pick up MK games for the fun and amusement, but I'm always working on expanding my fighter collection.

Heroes of Might & Magic III - Even though HoMMII was the first one I'd played, this is the one that took over my life. I've played innumerable hot seat and online games with friends over the years. Even now I'll get together with some buddies from college and play a game or two. The rest of the series is fun and amusing, but HoMMIII is still my preferred iteration of the series.

[tom]

Pong, need I say more?
Space Invaders, need I say more?
Pac-Man, need I say more?

[Draven]

Doom, Street Fighter 2, Double Dragon.

[Sonicwolf]

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Perfect Dark
Super Mario Bros 3

[Atari 5200]

Mystical Ninja series

The Neverhood

Mega Man series

[modest9797]

Mystical Ninja series

The Neverhood

Mega Man series

Thats like 200 games.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Thats like 200 games.

It's also worth noting that none are on the 5200.

[GameNinja]

Majora's Mask: I am embarrassed to say it, but this game made me cry when I beat it (I was like..12 okay?). The mask salesman, the skull kid, the sorrow and despair... It is pure art and it still brings back memories today. Same with OoT, but not to the same extent.

PSO (GC): I never even played it online, just multiplayer with a friend. It is slow and fantastic to just chill out to. If they every make a real PSO sequel (not PSU), I will be the first to sign up.

Steel Empire (Genesis): I think this is the first game I played. This or Sonic 2, but I remember playing for hours and trying to beat it over and over again. I don't know if I ever did, even to this day.

[The 1 2 P]

Just 3? Thats like only picking one Diva or Knockout as my favorite. Anyway, onto the list:

Syphon Filter(PS): This game showed me that not only could a game be good despite having a wacky unorthodox name, but that it could be far better than the game it was constantly compared to(MGS).

Star Wars: Knight of The Old Republic(Xbox): Who knew that rpg's could actually be fun or good. I certainly didn't until I gave this one a try. And because of it I will never look at rpg's or Star Wars games the same again.

Halo(Xbox): This is arguably the greatest fps series of all time and it all started right here. At first I hated the controls but by the third mission I was fragging like a pro. And the story and driving sequences were just as good as the rest of the game.

[CosmicMonkey]

Super Mario Bros. - Pure absolute genius, and the inspiration for many other great games.
Last Blade - SNK > Capcom.
Zelda: OoT - Along with Skies of Arcadia, it's the best adventure I've ever had.

[allyourbase]

Conquest of the Crystal Palace (NES)---Pound for pound one of the most fun i've had with an NES game, no matter how under-rated. Whenever I get bored, this is the one i grab and get happy with.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)---Sure, this was the fifth or sixth game i had ever played for the NES- but it was the first game that made me stop, stare and fall completely in love with a system.

Advanced Wars (GBA)---Hand-held goodness for hours. I'm thankful for this game when zoning out on the public bus, avoiding my roommate, etc.

More than anything, Im thankful for games in general. Thankful that I live in a country that I have enough comfort and money to relax from my daily routine into a hobby that I love.
Happy Thanksgiving DP!

[snes_collector]

Donkey Kong Country
Street Fighter II
Super Mario Kart

The three games that got me hooked on videogames as a kid. Probably the reason I play games today.

[AB Positive]

and now for the weird one's list... I gotta go to four though because two were at the same time and were very huge on My gaming preferences...

The first system I ever got, like many, was an Atari 2600. Now I was 4, and had played SMB on the NES (I'm not that old ;) ) but we weren't the richest family on the block, so to speak. Still, on my 5th birthday mom scraped together $50 to buy someone's 2600 collection. Many games were on it but the one I played the most, hands down was Crystal Castles. Hell, the local Pizza Hut had a CC machine in it, and since you had to go in to get your Book It! Rewards, I usually got a couple bucks in quarters to play the arcade version.

Book It! Inspiring kids to read books so they can play arcade machines. Wooo! The pizza sucked, so I gave it to my mom. Ha.


Then, two games - one arcade, one home. I had a genesis but my best friend in middle school had a snes. When his family went on a month long vacation my mom and I housesit - which was two houses down from an arcade. So for that month borne my love for fighters and rpgs. Sure Street Fighter 2: CE was king around here but that machine was always clogged up with people. I went for the much harder game with the cutie who we had only just learned was a woman. That's right - Art of Fighting 2 with King, a fighter I've been playing as since 1993. 15 years, baby.

Then of course was the snes at the house - and Final Fantasy II. Although CT, FF3/6 and Phantasy Star IV are more loved in my pantheon, FF2 was the one that got me into it, and for that I'll be thankful.


Finally, one I can truly be thankful for. I was having hard times, my girlfriend of four years decided it was over and moved out. I was stuck in a large bedroom now sparse save for a TV, a Dresser and a bed. Pretty depressing times and admittedly the drink hit me pretty hard and good. (A few old-timers here might remember my lamenting back in the day - and for those that listened and helped I thank you all too. :) )

One game kept me looking on the brighter side, and kind of glued my sanity together during those rough months. The ex and I are now actually really close friends, play WoW together, and if her now-fiancee doesn't mind hopefully I'm going to the wedding! lol. All for the best as they say. But if it weren't for the quirky soundtrack and addictive gameplay of Katamari Damacy I don't know where my head would be at today.



Those are games I'm thankful for. They may not top a favorites list, but they are good nonetheless and formed the eccentric gamer before you today. *curtseys*

[Astrosmash]

Astrosmash (Intellivision) - My first game system was my dad's Intellivision. When he got it out to give to me, this was the first game we played.

Super Mario Bros. (NES) - This was the game that really first captured my imagination as a kid.

Final Fantasy III (6j, or whatever you want to call it) (SNES) - This is the first game that really drew me in purely by the storyline. Though they made good games before and since, I'd still rank this, Chrono Trigger, FFVII and FF Tactics as the four best Square ever produced.

[Jisho23]

Zombies Ate my Neighbors.

Dragon Warrior

Donkey Kong Country 2

Whenever I mill it over in my head, these are the games define what I spent most of my time playing when I was younger. Additionally, these games definitely sculpted my sense of humor more than anything.

[026]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Great Masterpiece. I love it. Pretty much everything about it good.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles: A game that hardly gets boring each time I play it. Very much good in all aspects.

Super Mario Bros. 3: The Mario game that is just right. Complete from beginning to end.

[Daltone]

Ack - 3?

1) Baldur's Gate 2 (PC) - restoring my faith gaming, I played this awesome RPG after getting ever more fucked off with JRPG's lack of, well, actual role playing.

2) Blade Runner (PC) - I was torn between this and Under a Killing Moon, but ultimately this is the first truely 'adult' game that I played and showed that there was more to life than collecting rings.

3) Sonic the Hedgehog (MD) - Because collecting rings is fun.




Halo(Xbox): This is arguably the greatest fps series of all time and it all started right here..


DP's Most Sarcastic Mofo

? :)

[8bitgamer]

New Super Mario Bros. (I finally got a DS--had to pick up the new Mario version--I'm a sucker for themed game systems)

Mr. Do! for the SNES (great port of my favorite arcade game, includes two-player battle mode)

Pinball Hall of Fame: Williams Collection for the Wii (uncanny sensation of playing real pinball, thanks to excellent programming and brilliant use of the Wii remote)

[8bitgamer]

Just 3? Thats like only picking one Diva or Halo(Xbox): This is arguably the greatest fps series of all time and it all started right here. At first I hated the controls but by the third mission I was fragging like a pro. And the story and driving sequences were just as good as the rest of the game.

I don't usually like first-person shooters (I far prefer third-person 3D action games, like God of War, Maximo, and Resident Evil 4), but I thoroughly enjoy playing Halo (I got the game when I picked up the Halo Edition of the Xbox--told ya I was a sucker for themed systems).