What game gave you the most "WOW" Factor when you

[Sylentwulf]

What game gave you the most "WOW" the first time you saw it?

Mine is Final Fantasy VII. The reason I bought a PS and the reason I got back into gaming. Partying, drinking, and doing drugs after the SNES, stopped gaming for a little bit, I was 18-20 at the time, can ya blame me? :evil:

I just remember seeing Final Fantasy and buying a videogame mag (Something I RARELY do) and just being absoultely ASTONISHED. After still playing FF3 on the SNES, the graphics and sound were exponentially better than anything I had ever seen. Period.

[Sniderman]

There have been many "WOWs" in my head (first experience with Superchager games on the 2600, first game of Dragon's Lair in the arcade, etc.), but the one in recent memory was my first game of Resident Evil on the PSX.

The bizarre angles of presentation, the smooth animation, the movie-like soundtrack. Wow. And when those damn dogs came crashing through the window, it gave me a heart attack. I jumped away from the TV, still clutching my controller. This, in trun, dragged my PSX off the TV, causing it to crash in front of me. Yet another heart attack. Took me a 1/2 hour to calm down.

It had been a LONG time since I was that wrapped up in a video game.

[Achika]

I just picked it up so I had a game to play at launch, but when the Dreamcast was released and Sonic Adventure was there. I saw the opening scene with the water and the city....yea it's that good.

[NoahsMyBro]

I would have to say Star Raiders (Atari 800), Sonic The Hedgehog (Genesis), Myst (PC), Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast), and Super Mario Bros on the SNES, solely due to the sound.

[Cafeman]

I went right from Atari 5200/8bit graphics to the Sega Genesis, since I had skipped the NES years while at college.

I could NOT believe how much detail Sonic the Hedgehog had! The music, colors, the length, the speed! How you could even go backwards in the level! It literally floored me. I just had to buy a Genesis after playing Sonic at a friend's house.

[NoahsMyBro]

I had the exact same experience! I played the hell out of my 5200. Then I lost interest in consoles for a little while. Friends got the NES, & it didn't appeal to me. During college I saw an ad on a bulletin board for a 7800; I'd never heard of it, but I bought it from some guy for $45, including about 8 games. I played it a bit, and stashed it in a closet or something.

A few years later I saw Sonic at a friend's apartment, and had to get it. Sega had some promo where you could get a Genesis with Sonic pack-in, and then they would mail you Sonic 2. So I bought the system.

Didn't ever get much else for it. I have about 7 or 8 Genesis cartridges, total. The only ones I can recall are a Williams arcade collection, Ms. Pac-Man, Star Flight (Space Flight?), Sonic, & Sonic 2. The Space Flight game is also fantastic. I looked long and hard for it after I got my Genesis, having seen it a long time previous to that at a friend's house, who had rented it. (Wow, what a terrible sentence! I'm glad no English teachers are around to scold me...)

[Raedon]

the first time I played Doom I was impressed. Also seeing Super Mario World demo for the first time when I walked into a store to see the snes the first time. the Colors and image were just so much better then my friends RF hookup (evil RF) Genesis.

[NE146]

(pardon the train-of-thought typing to follow)

ok what made me go "wow!" when I saw it hmmm..

First seeing the cockpit game "Star Fire". "YOU SHOOT TIE FIGHTERS! IT'S JUST LIKE STAR WARS".

hmm I also specifically remember saying wow when I first saw the explosion in the coin-op "Eliminator" when you blow up the Eliminator. I thought that was cool. Sure it looks tame now, but that wasn't the question. :P

Seeing Mario Bros (NOT Super Mario Bros) in Japan playing at a store on a Famicom. The NES had not been released in the states and I thought I had stumbled upon the most awesome japanese home console ever! The crash had happened a few years earlier and I remember thinking "These japs have awesome home videogames! It looks just like the arcade! I wonder if I can play this in the U.S." :lol:

hmm I guess the other memory would be seeing Cobra Command arcade (I liked it better than Dragons Lair). Starfox on the SNES, seeing Galaxian 3 in Japan, ummm... oh yes I remember a big wow...

SEEING DEMON ATTACK ON THE 2600! Yeah that's it, seeing Demon Attack whereas before I had only seen games like Slot Racers or Hangman or Bowling. Demon Attack was probably the biggest "wow". :P

[NvrMore]

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

It was just completely astounding that so much life and atmosphere could be put into a game like that. The first scene when you walk out into the rain looked fantasic and the sound of the rain and your wet footsteps was incredible.

[Revolt]

That would have to be....Mortal kombat 2,3, Tekken tag, and virtua fighter2 :D

[Kid Fenris]

I was truly stunned by the opening scenes in Final Fantasy II (FFIV). The combination of dramatic storytelling, cinematic presentation, and epic-scale music was like nothing I'd seen in a video game before, and I was enraptured.

Yes, the game looks downright archaic by today's standards, but I still can't resist popping FFII in my SNES every now and then, just to recall that rush of pure gaming neophyte awe.

[Kidnemo]

Playing Legend of Zelda on a 13 inch tv!

Sonic the Hedgehog on genny.

Final Fantasy 2(4) on snes.

Sonic Adventure on DC.

Super Mario 64.

Dragons Lair in the arcade.

Jet Set Radio Future on xbox.

[digitalpress]

Not to many in recent years, but...

When I first saw Dragon's Lair played on a Game Boy Color, I did WOW at the technology. Very impressive.

When I saw the giant sandworm boss in Panzer Dragoon on a Sega Saturn I know I had never seen anything like that before on a home game. Just lookit' all those polygons! funny how the Saturn never really got known for it's 3D games yet this is my fondest memory.

The gazillion guys running around in State of Emergency for PS2 made me WOW... until after 10 minutes when I realized I was getting bored already.

[Tritoch]

The biggest wow for me would have to be seeing Super Mario 64 for the first time at Toys R Us. My jaw literally dropped and I never wanted to leave. Playing Super Mario Bros. in the arcade is certainly another as it's what got me into games permanently, as is the opening of the first RPG I ever played, Chrono Trigger.

[6502]

Seeing and (most importantly) hearing Ys Book I & II for the first time. I bought a Turbo-CD on blind faith, but my faith was rewarded when I started up Ys. The cinematic intro was stunning for the time with gorgeous cut scenes and beautiful music and voice. Of course, the in-game graphics weren't too hot, but I still vividly remember watching that intro for the first time.

Runner-up would be Soul Calibur for the DC. Soul Blade was my favorite fighter on the PSX, but I had never seen Soul Calibur in the arcades. I wasn't very interested in the DC around launch, but when I saw Soul Calibur playing on a kiosk I was completely stunned and knew I had to have a DC.

[YoshiM]

I'd say the game that gave me the most WOW factor was Golden Axe for the Genesis. Gaming changed for me when I strapped on my headphones and heard a home video game play in full stereo and looked almost exactly like the arcade.

The only other "wow" factor was seeing Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast. I've played the N64 to death, saw the pixelated glory of PSX (don't get me wrong, it's got good games, but it didn't overly "wow" me) so I had high expectations for the DC. They were blown away.

Nothing else in modern gaming has blown my socks off like those two instances.

[Cafeman]

Chiming in again ... you guys jogged my memory a bit!

Sega's Model 2 arcade games really blew me away, lock-stock-n-barrel. I remember both the first times I saw Daytona and VF2 -- I could NOT believe those visuals were possible. Stunning!

Panzer Dragoon on Saturn, Joe! Yep, same here, those sand worms and really the entire (once) beautiful game. It really sold the Saturn to me.

[Raedon]

once beutiful? If you haven't played Panzaar Dragoon Saga sense you got that super nice Digital 5.1 surround system witht eh 12 inch sub I would suggest taking another look. The game is a true work of art on several levels.

[Britboy]

Pac-Man, when it was first released into arcades. I still remember the crowd gathered around the machine at the Valley Forge Convention Center. Ironically, that very place is now the site for PhillyClassic!!!

[Anonymous]

My first real wow was playing Zelda for the first time. I'd heard of it, but my parents got it for me for christmas probably on the kind words of some hyper intelligent wonderbeing that happened to be working at Toys R Us. I still remember wandering around methodically burning every bush I could reach in the game looking for hidden entrances.

Graphically, Final Fantasy III hit me like a ton of bricks, as did Final Fantasy VIII. Mario64 was so much fun I didn't realize I was drooling the first time I played it ;). Cinematically, Metal Gear Solid was the first game that took itself seriously. It was so hard to not jump into the game, and go through the "interview" stuff Kojima had put on the disc, but it was worth every second. Graphically, Smuggler's Run had incredible draw distance, and Wreckless is still a beautiful driving game. But Halo still floors me every time I play it. It is the game that I think truly represents a wonderful mix of cinematice elements, top technology, and intuitive gameplay that mixed together better than most games out there today. It's one of the first games where no imagination is necessary. Take that as you will.

[Raccoon Lad]

Dragon's Lair -Arcade
Turbo Outrun -Arcade
Sonic 1 -Genesis

[ShinobiMan]

When I was five and I saw the opening titles for Altered Beast when I first turned on my Genesis... my Jaw hit the floor, I swear to you!

[leonk]

The biggest WOW for my was when I saw Super Mario Bros 3 in the movie the Wizard..

I was one of those lucky kids who got it the first day it came out in toys R us..

It's the main reason I'm collecting for the NES now..

LK

[scooterb23]

Arcade - the first time I saw, and played, Discs Of Tron.
Home - Super Mario Bros. 3, it was so spectacular (especially after I hated #2 so much) I finished it in one sitting, every single level of every single world.

Yoshi's Island on SNES, still probably my favorite game graphics-wise I have ever played.

Recently, the last big wow was when I got into Rez, that game had me hooked for about 2 weeks straight. Just couldn't get enough of it!!

[Dire 51]

The ones I can think of off the top of my head...

Seeing Space Harrier II running, right after the Genesis was released. I had never seen anything like it before - the closest thing I'd seen to it was the arcade After Burner. That game was the reason I wanted a Genesis.

Seeing Gradius III running in a Babagges store window shortly before the SNES was released. My best friend and I were glued to the screen for almost forty-five minutes, just watching the demo over and over again. That sparked my interest in the SNES, and re-sparked my interest in Gradius.

[deadtech]

Playing a full cockpit-style Tail Gunner. Long time ago. Damn.

http://www.klov.com/T/Tail_Gunner.html
http://www.klov.com/T/Tail_Gunner_II.html

See link 1 for screens, Link 2 for pic of cab.


-deadtech

[vintagegamecrazy]

Nothing wowed me like Super Mario Bros 3 ever did, playing that game was heaven to me, I got similar experiences from SM world and Super Mario 64 was so engrossing, I also loved the Capcom version of Tetris that came out a few years ago in the arcades, that game was so cool with the lighting effects. Nothing has amazed me as of late, then along comes Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2 and OMG I can't get enough of that game for the life of me.

[sabre2922]

Super Mario world SNES look at all the pretty colors @_@
Soul Calibur DC still impresses to this day
Splinter Cell on Xbox blew me away the first time i rented it upon its release I was like holy f7*(() sh#! :eek 2: check out the lighting effects! check out the shading! X_x
also the first time I played Silent Hill on PS2 I was very impressed with the jump in graphic quality and detail from PS1 to 2 in large part because Im obsessed with the SH games O_O

[Famidrive-16]

Diddy Kong Racing for the N64. When I bought it and get home, it was around 9:00 pm and I was getting really tired, so I deicided to play for five minutes and go to bed. Wow. Great graphics, frantic action and the critters yelling at each other! Some of the best five minutes in gaming I've had, and there were no other impressive 64 games like that afterwards (well, maybe a few.)

Also, playing Sonic Adventure using the Hollywood video special preview deal, two months before the DC's release. I played it so much (I didn't have a VMU with the system) that I memorized most of Sonic's cinematic scenes. I didn't even see the game again for three years and I still memorized the level patterns and cutscenes! And by 'Believe it or not' coincidence, that same sonic game and DC system I bought used at the Gamecrazy was the same I rented @_@..... Well, not really, but I always liked thinking it was.

[link1110]

The first time I heard voice in Sonic 3

Also Star Ocean for SFC, the graphics in that are amazing.

[max 330 mega]

the first game that made me say wow was when i was 3 years old and played blues journey on a big screen, i still remember it to this day, im 16 now.
the second wow would have been sonic the hedghog on my sega genesis my dad bought me when i was super sick when i was little. i remember how fast the game moved and how awesome the game was, i think i liked it so much because being so young i liked how easy it was to pick up and play, and not die all the time, which happened alot when i would play my NES.

[drewbrim]

after practically growing up in an arcade the only games for a home console that ever really impressed me were Strider for the Genesis and Street Fighter 2 for the SNES two of the best ports ever!!!

[Promophile]

The graphics in REmake for the Gamecube.... DAMN! and the first time I played the Metal Gear Solid demo in the mall, back when no one heard of the game.

[VinnyT]

I'm getting a nice nostalgic feel here.

I remember playing Solaris for the first time, and being amazed by all the zooming and overall graphics. And this was after I got my Genesis. Seeing the Sonic 2 special stage got me going nuts too. That's almost all me and my brother did was play 2-player special stage.

Seeing the intro to Sonic 3D blast at a friends house seemed to be my last real wow moment. Anything since came from seeing pics of games online ,which really doesn't count.

[CreamSoda]

Playing Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis at my friends house when I was about 5 or 6, I thought this was the best game ever. The speed,color,music. I still love this game.

One weekend I got to rent Donkey Kong Country 2 and Super Mario RPG. I was blown away by everything about these games, they really did seem to push the SNES to the limits.

Playing Twisted Metal on the PlayStation just a few months after the system had came out, at my uncles house. I was only about 7 and keep in mind the best game graphics I had seen were NES,SNES and Genesis. I was really blown away by the seemingly huge levels, and amount of action going on at once. Not to mention I thought it was so cool that the cars actually got damage.

Seeing the opening scene for FF7 was incredible(and still is to a point).

The first time I played Super Mario 64, I didn't even know you could go in the paintings and I did it by mistake. lol LOL

The day I got my Dreamcast, I was not the most imformed person or up to date on the news. I got my DC just as they were on the way out, and I didn't know much about it's power. Then I played Shenmue. :eek 2: Lets just say I have loved Dreamcast ever since.

Just to name a few, and sorry for the long post. ;)

[CartCollector]

Katamari Damacy. Have you seen and heard the intro to that? That has to be one of the strangest intros I have ever seen. Pure gaming bliss. You don't see weird things in games like that often today.

[slip81]

FFVII really wowed me with the FMV sequences and the scenery. VI also did the same thing, but it was for the story and music.

[jdc]

Well......becoming immersed in The Ocarina Of Time was incredible. Playing (and completing) Morrowind on the Xbox was one hell of a memorable accomplishment. DOA Beach Volleyball....hollow game with incredible "wow" graphics. Gran Turismo 3 for the pleasure of driving and innertial drift. Oh yeah....Devil May Cry. Beautiful architecture.

My all time biggest wow.......Final Fantasy 10 and it's sequel. Square creates magic. Those CGs are mindblowing. It may not be "cool" to admit to loving FFX.....but I do.

[imanerd0011]

"The biggest wow for me would have to be seeing Super Mario 64 for the first time"

Me too! I remember going to Incredible Universe and seeing a video of Super Mario 64 on a HUGE t.v screen months before it came out. I didn't even know what I was looking at.

Super Mario Bros 3 also blew my mind in terms of graphics, but not nearly as much as SMB 64 did. The whole movement from 2D to 3D was a real shock to many gamers I believe.

[le geek]

Out of this World (Amiga) when the Alien Guard first Spoke.

Final Fantasy II (SNES). My first Japanese style RPG and in many ways still my favorite.

Tempest 2000 (Jaguar). Still the best "remake" of a classic game and THE reason I keep a Jag around :D

ICO (PS2) after so many PSOne games with prettier graphics, ICO showed up as an original beautiful game.

Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (N64) overall Just blue me away. Still one of the best games of all time.


There are others, but those five came to mind...

Cheers,
Ben

[XxMe2NiKxX]

All three doom's had wow factors.

Doom I - Anyone around at the time knew just how much better it looked and played then all of the competition out, in and out of its genre.
Doom II - Sure, it looked EXACTLY like it's predecessor, but the level design was nothing short of mind-blowing, and the multiplayer additions were certian to keep people playing.
Doom III - Still the best-looking game out there by a longshot, it's pretty fun too.

[Steven]

When I was five and I saw the opening titles for Altered Beast when I first turned on my Genesis... my Jaw hit the floor, I swear to you!

What that man said... only I was six or so, haha. It blew my mind away... Doom back in 1993 was also mighty impressive, as was another fond Genny title, Streets of Rage.

[tonyvortex]

two that i can think of are renting the japanese version of mario 3 from the rental place and being so amazed at how much stuff was in that game and also i remember how excited i was at every detail of metroid prime when i first played it.

[Push Upstairs]

The "WOW" list from over the years.

Super Mario 3 - coming from someone who had played nothing but 2600 and Apple IIc games for years and years (Mostly IIc games)

Sonic 2 - I saw pics of this in a magazine and was totally blown away by the detail in the first level (corkscrew to be exact).

Duke3D - Doom might have came first but Duke showed me that there could be levels with actual locations (stripclub, porno theater) instead of Doom's vague level designs.

American McGee's Alice - Great story and excellent atmosphere. One of the early levels in the games is open to reveal that it is set inside a vortex. Every so often a door floating in the vortex will come towards the level and open to go *AROUND* the level.

Serious Sam: 2nd Encounter - For giving me the greatest battle sequence ever. Making my way to a small fortifcation only to have the sky go from clear to dark storm clouds. Waves of baddies appear from every direction as i try to figure out how to hold them off. Suddenly fireballs start raining from the sky in every direction. Fireballs are exploding near me and some are hitting some distant baddies while crashing to the gound.

Running around like crazy, avoiding bad guys and fireballs while trying to stay alive and stocked in minigun ammo has got to be the greatest *WOW* moment, and most intense gaming experience i have every had.

[Tatsu]

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

It was just completely astounding that so much life and atmosphere could be put into a game like that. The first scene when you walk out into the rain looked fantasic and the sound of the rain and your wet footsteps was incredible.

Yes I rememger that!!!! The first game that came into my mind was Donkey Kong Country. The graphics where just over the top for the Super-NES. But yes, A Link to the Past was also awesome (in a different way)!

[Dimitri]

Let's see...

Tempo on the 32X fascinated me when I first picked it up. Not really sure why, maybe it was just all the bright flashing colors and loud happy upbeat music. Maybe it was the actual lyrics in the intro song?

Metroid Prime. I didn't even try this one out until at least a year after its release, as I had just discovered the magic of Super Metroid. Needless to say, I was absolutely riveted to the screen every time I sat down to play.

Then there was the big one. It was about a month after the Dreamcast came out. I hadn't had a chance to play it yet, but I picked one up at Wal-Mart (the only place that still had any!) and spent the rest of the day playing the included Sonic Adventure demo. I was amazed at how good this game looked. The next day, I picked up the full game and proceeded to play it until about 6AM. I got to where Super Sonic is unlocked, and I didn't even have a VMU yet. Yet another day and I picked one up, then started all over again. I still love that game despite its numerous glaring flaws... I'd say they gave the game charm, were it not for the fact that Sonic Team still hasn't fixed them. x_x


Katamari Damacy. Have you seen and heard the intro to that? That has to be one of the strangest intros I have ever seen. Pure gaming bliss. You don't see weird things in games like that often today

Word.

[yoursisterspretty]

Super Mario Bros: i was around 7 or 8 when we got our NES and I just remember how amazed at the graphics and how large and alive the world seemed.
The Adventures of Bajou Billy/NES Play Action Football: (limited) Speech at home!
SF Rush (Arcade): The air time.
Final FAntasy 3: Basically the whole game.
Final Fantasy 7: The opening.
Donkey Kong Country: This is a SNES game?!
Metal Gear Solid: Its like a freakin' movie!
And finally Super Mario 64. I too spent way too much playing the pre-launch demo @ Toys 'r us. i was 16 and i saved all my pay from work and my lunch money (i went hungry for a month!) to buy a 64 at launch (got the last one too). i just knew that it was the real next generation...

[stuffedmonkey]

Super Mario World

I had saved up all my money for what seemed like forever to me at the time. I ordered the SNES early so it would come on launch day - it actually came a day early. I was amazed by the thing - still one of my all time favorites.

[Avatard]

Mario 64 for sure. Thats when me and my friends started leaning over to actually try to see around objects. Of course we knew better but it was just a reflex. Completely amazing.

Duck Hunt. Whoa, how did this gun know I suck at aiming! This is cool!

The Adventures of Bayou Billy. Its so sad I put this here, but its the first time I had heard spoken audio on a video cart. HOW'D THEY DO THAT? LOL

Everquest about 5 years ago. Walking around in a huge world that would take hours and hours just to get from one side to another. Running for your life from all the scary things at low levels and hearing rumors of giant monsters (that didn't exist) living in lakes which made you scared to ever step foot in the water.