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!

Btw, remember to eat lots of turkey!

[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

* 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.