30 Days of Video Games - BONUS: Why Do You Play Games Pg. 142

[MegasonicZX]

Like everyone else has said, the sixth generation was probably the best generation, it had so many good games coming out at the time (over half of which didn't really even get sequels suckishly enough) and it had my favorite system, the gamecube, god how I loved that thing and I still have one that's in working condition too (though I don't use it now since I have a wii). Honestly this generation was probably the only reason why I got so much into gaming in the first place, not to mention that the PS2 and Xbox weren't half bad either, PS2 was awesome and while Xbox didn't have quite as much on it that I liked it had a couple of great gems in there that made it worth it (mad dash racing, vexx, crimson skies, etc.).

[Tornado]

Okay. I had a very extensive post detailing and breaking down why the PS2 (and others) generation was practically objectively the best one. It broke down the creative and influential output of Nintendo, Sega, Sony and Microsoft. How so many of the things we take for granted started there due to the highest competition the industry has ever (and most likely will ever) seen. You'd probably have tears to your eyes if you read it.

 

 

But it deleted when I accidentally hit the back button on my mouse. And fuck that.

 

 

 

[-blank-]

I'm going to make one thing clear - I'm primarily a Nintendo gamer. SNES, N64, Wii, I've played all their major consoles bar the Virtual Boy. I haven't all that much experience as most of you do with the other companies. Yeah, I'm an odd one. I don't give a shit though~

 

That said, my answer to this question would have to be....

 

 

Generation 6.

 

I may have gotten introduced to gaming through the NES, but by that time the fourth gen was well underway. And though said generation and gen five were great, I have to give my overall favorite to Generation 6. And how could I not? With such games as Super Smash Bros. Melee, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Super Mario Sunshine, Animal Crossing, among so many others, it's a generation I'm very fond of. Not to mention it is the generation that introduced me to Sonic games, with Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and Sonic Mega Collection.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Okay. I had a very extensive post detailing and breaking down why the PS2 (and others) generation was practically objectively the best one. It broke down the creative and influential output of Nintendo, Sega, Sony and Microsoft. How so many of the things we take for granted started there due to the highest competition the industry has ever (and most likely will ever) seen. You'd probably have tears to your eyes if you read it.

 

 

But it deleted when I accidentally hit the back button on my mouse. And fuck that.

 

 

 

You know the browser autosaves right? you accidently deleted it when you made this post 

[Tornado]

That only helps when that functionality actually works, which to date I have never seen it do on SSMB.

[Sami]

Okay. I had a very extensive post detailing and breaking down why the PS2 (and others) generation was practically objectively the best one. It broke down the creative and influential output of Nintendo, Sega, Sony and Microsoft. How so many of the things we take for granted started there due to the highest competition the industry has ever (and most likely will ever) seen. You'd probably have tears to your eyes if you read it.

 

 

But it deleted when I accidentally hit the back button on my mouse. And fuck that.

 

 

 

 

Duuuuuude, you can't just tease like that. I'm so curious now. D:

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

That only helps when that functionality actually works, which to date I have never seen it do on SSMB.

hunh, odd, works most the time for me, oh well, sorry then 

[Endy]

Day 26: Favorite Generation

 

I have to go with Generation 6. Gen 6 holds very much nostalgic value for me, specifically the Gamecube and GBA. Gen 6 introduced me to gaming in the first place. Many of the first games I ever played (like Superstar Saga, Leaf Green and Metroid fusion) were on the GBA, and the Gamecube has plenty of great games. Metroid Prime 1 & 2, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Mario Sunshine and many others.

 

Another recent favorite of mine is Kingdom Hearts. I got the HD re-release, but it was originally on the PS2 so I guess it counts as one of my favorite Gen 6 games. lol

[BakingBluePotatoe]

Day 26: Gaming: The next generation Favorite Console Generation

 

I'm going to go with Generation 6 here, like a lot of people. That's the generation I really go into gaming, specifically with the Gamecube and GBA. And heck, even though I only got them in the past 2 years, the PS2 and Dreamcast are pretty awesome all around too!

Of course, Generation 7 has been fun, even if I jumped on the ship of the Wii and Xbox360 very late... still, they're fun.

[Strickerx5]

Day 26: Favorite Console (blue mammal) Generation(s)

 

*Photo of my own babies*

 

Generation #7

 

Yeah, how could I not go with this one. It's basically the first (and only at this point) generation I could fully grasp mentally. With the others I was usually tied to one system so my view point of the others were a bit misguided. I fully understood the strength and weaknesses of each console and loved them all for different reasons. The 360 for it's huge library and user interface, the PS3 for it's hardware and stability, and the Wii for it's first party titles and backwards compatibility with GameCube games... not to mention looking pretty cool (seriously though, I can't be the only one who thought the blue light disc slot was the absolute coolest thing during the first few months). Also, I'd be lying if I didn't get a kick out of the "console wars" for this one. I mean E3 was like a battle ground a couple of times during this one. It was nice to see some competition between the 3 big ones because the consumers were the ones who usually always won.

 

Sure this generation was the start of a lot of nasty industry habits that still effect it to this day but damn if the gems made from it weren't enough to overlook (and even forget) most of them. Add in the fact that a large portion of my favorite games were made during this time (Halo 3, Portal 2, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 2, Super Mario Galaxy, Sonic Unleashed... I could go on forever here) and you have a generation that's going to take a hell of a lot to top for me.

[Sir Tynen]

Day 26: Favorite Console Generation

 

6th Generation all the way, baby! This gen holds my fondest memories as a gamer, not only because so many great games came out at this time, but also because it was a time where I could finally choose what games I wanted (except M, of course) and the first time where I got my friends to come over to play multiplayer with. It really molded me with these experiences to the person I am today. I had become a fan of both Sony and Nintendo, and played from start to finish each and every game I bought for the respective system. With great franchises coming out for this era from all consoles and the new hardware given them that newly refined sheen, it was a fantastic time for me.

[Goldenlink64]

Day 26: Favorite Console Generation

 

I'll go with the golden age of gaming, Gen 5; The Nintendo 64 and Playstation 1 spawned some of my favorite games I've ever played. Banjo Kazooie/Tooie, GoldenEye/Perfect Dark, were amazing games by Rare, you got the dawn of Smash Brothers, the dawn of 3D Platfomering with Mario 64 (I still prefer Banjo Kazooie but Mario 64 was that first really big push for 3D though), you have the Zelda 64's and especially Majora's Mask which is best Zelda btw. The Playstation spawned Resident Evil 1-3 and Metal Gear Solid and I still play these games to death, especially RE2. Hell, Resident Evil's my favorite franchise now too. Then there's Final Fantasy VII-IX and while I haven't played them all yet, I really liked VII.

 

There's also Tomb Raider 1-3 and while they haven't aged very well, I still have a thing for liking the more realistic platforming it had to Mario 64. Oh and how can I forget Star Fox 64? I STILL play that game regularly even today. Both of these systems had such fantastic games, if I was forced to choose only one, I'd still end up with half of my favorite games/franchises. It's easily a win/win, even if my favorite console ended up losing in the end. (kinda obvious, cause, ya know... GoldenLink64)

 

As a runner up I really liked Gen 6 as well. Smash Bros Melee, Wind Waker, Resident Evil 4, Halo 1-2, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, Metroid Prime, TimeSplitters, Shadow of the Colossus, Soul Calibur II, Final Fantasy X. There's just so many good games, I love them all so much.

 

Previously on Day 25:

Next time on Day 27: 

[Phantomime]

I'd say PC's entire run, but I guess that wouldn't really fit the question.

 

Favorite Console Generation: 6th Gen

 

I uh, I guess this kind of ties into "Favorite Next-Gen Experience" in that this was my first proper console generation. Honestly, the main reason that this was my favorite is because it's what I have the most fond memories of. I had my PS2, my friends had their Gamecubes, and we all had fun. Some of my favorite childhood memories were playing racing games or Smash Bros. with friends. The graphics had also evolved from the blocky PS1 era stuff, into something, uh, less blocky with more draw distance. So that was cool.

 

 

[Sonictrainer]

 

Day 26 - Favorite Console Generation

 

 

7th Generation

 

Being able to purchase game content online such old games, dlc, and other features on a console is pretty cool.

 

Who would have thought that a game controller could be in the shape of a TV remote?

 

Also, being backwards compatible and being able to play GameCube, Xbox, and PS2 games is a must. 

[DemonShad716]

Day 26: Favorite Console Generation

~Generations 6 & 7~

 

 

I would have to say both gens 6 and 7 since they both got me into collecting video games. I enjoyed gen 6 for both Sonic Adventures and it is what got me into the Halo franchise. During Gen 6, I wasn't able to buy my own games and consoles just yet due to being to young to have a job. So I relied solely on allowance and birthday money for my games. I did, however, strike some good luck on the PS2 and Dreamcast since I got them for a really great price at the local church yard sale in near perfect condition, complete with games. So I enjoyed those until I got old enough to afford the next generation on my own. 

 

Once Gen 7 came along and I was old enough to buy my own stuff, I got into collecting not only games, but classic consoles as well. I was pretty much tracking back to getting consoles I didn't get a chance to enjoy as a kid. With the Sega Genesis being my first ever console and Sonic being my most favorite character in existence, I tried as best as I could to follow his franchise on each console he landed on.

 

I really enjoyed Gen 6 with Sonic on the Dreamcast and Gamecube, even with the GBA Player for the Gamecube to play my GBA Sonic games on the big screen. I remember playing the demo of Sonic Heroes at a Walmart and played that for hours each time I went there, then ended up buying it with birthday money.

 

The Xbox was one console that got me into Halo. Although I never owned an Original Xbox, I played on my friend's whenever he came over. Then I got more into the franchise when he got the 360 with Halo 3, I even created my current Xbox LIVE Gamertag on his console, created my own saves, and only played on his when he brought it over; until I could afford my own Xbox and transfer all my stuff to that.

 

These 2 gens really got me into gaming and collecting. It was also a great stress reliever from school.

[Jin.]

Day 26

 

Probably Gen 7. I don't really have much reasoning, it's the gen I spent the most time with with 6 being close and then 5. I'm more of a PC gamer and was completely in the past.

[azoo]

Day 26: Favorite Console Generation

 

 

Generation 5.

 

I would've given this to Generation 6 for all of it's incredible games and great times it had given me, but generation five gave me something I couldn't ever forget: the Nintendo 64.

 

The N64 was (beyond the SNES) probably Nintendo's magnum opus. It brought some of their key franchises that changed gaming forever, and did things with them that were unimaginable at the time. Mario 64 made the textbook definition of a 3D game, the Zelda duology rocked the world with previously uncharted concepts of open world travel and combat mechanics (as well as compelling stories), Star Fox 64 shown the strengths and possibilities of high graphical fidelity, Mario Kart 64 and F-Zero X both simultaneously redefined racing games, Mario Party invented the party game genre, and other games (Kirby 64, Yoshi Story, DK64, Pokemon Snap and the Stadiums) were just total bliss to play. Oh yeah, and Smash destroyed the realms of reality with it's colossal hype and addictive gameplay.

 

The only things this console was really missing from Nintendo itself was a Metroid game and Mother 3, which both got the justice they deserved in the next generation. Other than that though, N64 didn't really have many games not made by them that weren't worth it. RareWare were the masters of the console besides Ninty, having with them Banjo-Kazooie, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, and Conker's Bad Fur Day. If anyone was looking for more Nintendo though, it was best left to going to the Game Boy Color, which was awesome for both Pokemon and the billions of games it and the original GB shared.

 

As for Sony and Sega, well, they did good too. Well, Sony mostly. The Playstation was a massive success and had tons of great games on it. The Crash trilogy, the Spyro trilogy, the Tomb Raider games, Ape Escape, Parappa the Rapper, Bust-A-Groove, Klonoa, Rayman 1 & 2.. man they had some good ones. And yeah, Sega wasn't really making anything much that generation, NiGHTS Into Dreams is one of their greatest games, Burning Rangers is a really great hidden gem, and the Sonic titles that were released for the PC during that time (S3K Collection, Sonic CD, 3D Blast, R) were my first outings into Sonic and they have a great place in my heart.

 

Oh yeah, and PC was making it's marks around this time too. Doom, Myst, Duke Nukem, Quake and games that weren't just DOS. It didn't mean much to me but it was still something notable that happened.

 

But yeah, the 6th generation was where most of my childhood was at and it was toe to toe with this one, but I gotta say this won by a decent margin. The N64's games were amongst Nintendo's solid golden age, Playstation was born and kicking well, and Sonic's PC ports were the beginnings of my fandom. It wins.

[Soniman]

Sixth Generation for me. Back then I felt like every console had something special to offer and they all felt rather unique. PS2 had Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper. Gamecube had, of course a treasure trove of Nintendo goodness. Even the Xbox had some intresting titles like JSRF. I felt like, for me, this was a generatoin that went beyond console wars (everyone just decided the PS2 won and did their own thing) and just felt like developers want to give good entertainment on every console so no one felt left out. It was great. 

[Sean]

24. Favorite controller

A lot of people have said the GameCube controller which I can't fault and there's no point in me talking more about it. As far as ones without control sticks go, I'm going with the SNES. It was pretty much the best controller out there before 3D games came along and Sony's DualShock hit the markets. I'd love to figure out how to hook mine up for PC gaming since I'd prefer to use that for 2D games rather than my 360.

25. Least favorite character

Like Noir said, I really don't care enough to hate any particular character, since the ones that come off to me as terrible just don't stick with me. However, Moe from Trials & Tribulations can kindly go fuck himself for easily being the worst part of what is already one of the worst cases in the entire Ace Attorney series. A completely unintuitive, unhelpful character among a cast of already unhelpful characters. Shoot him.

26. Favorite console generation

The one with the N64 and PS1. I really loved both of these consoles, even though I only grew up with the former. Both of them had pretty strong libraries and there are still a ton of PS1 games I want to play someday, such as Final Fantasy IX and Brave Fencer Musashi (the latter which I do own; I snagged a copy of it from eBay before its prices were hiked up, although it's currently at my parents' place in California). As a kid, I only ever managed to get a taste of PS1 games through my cousin's system. In particular, Ape Escape felt to me like it was Sony's answer to Nintendo's Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, and I personally consider those three games to make up the holy trinity of 3D platforming games of that era.

[Jeffhog]

AFTER TWENTY-SIX GRUELLING MINUTES OF DECIDING...

~ From Generations and Generations Past ~

Day 26/30: Favourite Console Generation

Generation Selected: Generation VI
Span: 1998-2013
-SEGA Dreamcast
-Sony Playstation 2
-Nintendo Gamecube // Game Boy Advance
-Microsoft Xbox

"Never forget your roots."

Gotta pick the one from when I really got into gaming, and from when my viewpoint on games expanded exponentially from what little I knew.

I grew up with naught but a Game Boy Advance, having only limited but memorable experiences in spurts through friends and family's consoles. Sure, I played on an SNES and a Nintendo 64 for quite a bit of time, but those weren't systems we owned at home. Everyone at school had a Game Boy Colour because those were in.

When I had a GBA for my birthday, I was ecstatic to finally have a console of my own! Hours and hours without end were spent on each game that I came to own. Nonstop 2D fun came to me through the Super Mario Advance games, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Wario Land 4, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland among other first standouts.

Then the Gamecube came into my life, and shit went crazy. I didn't simply have a 3D console now; it was a gateway to entire new experiences, the sort that I never could've gotten from my handheld, and the kind that I've always wanted out of a N64, but better!

I was formally introduced to the Zelda franchise through The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, a series so enriched in its own mythos with many a great world to explore, the Great Sea being my first. Tackling all manners of dungeons and monsters with sword and shield in hand. "Mesmerized" couldn't even begin to describe my feelings.

Then came, what my little sister considered to be, one of the biggest regrets of her life: renting a certain video game at random from Blockbuster.

This was when I got into Sonic, from this one chance encounter. If I wasn't addicted enough to gaming, this would be the point where I'd go to rehab from how hooked I was. Like any who'd have played the Genesis games for the first time, I was amazed because holy shit THIS IS FAST AND SO MUCH FUN! Running, shooting, treasure hunting! Chao raising, Chao racing, Chao Karate! And the multiplayer, we racked up hundreds in points (Player 1's score especially huehuehuehue) because I just couldn't stop playing! Sonic was plain awesome in my eyes, and he still is now! SEGA, you say? I want more! More Sonic yes please thank you! Heroes? Adventure DX: Director's Cut? Shadow the Hedgehog? Mega Collection? GIMME! I NEED IT! I NEED IT NOW!

And holy shit, Chao raising. I spent an indefinite amount of time playing and replaying stages to get the right Chaos Drives and animals, and when I discovered that you could actually transfer these cute little guys back and forth between my Gamecube and my Game Boy Advance (DUDE, WE COULD CONNECT THESE THINGS!? HELLA!!), I invested in that link cable because I NEED. Wait, Zelda did this too? Alri---uuuuugh, Tingle, dude, no, come on---okay, you're actually pretty helpful. I keep you.

With my later obsessions in Pokémon Sapphire, and my little brother storming through Pokémon Colosseum, we also realized we could connect the games to battle one another. My Swampert on the front lines fighting off my bro's Umbreon and Espeon, let alone actually seeing my babies come alive on the TV screen, was awesome, and brought us to better ourselves in our own games. It was serious business!

What was also serious business? Decking each other in the teeth through the gloriousness that was Super Smash Bros. Melee! Finally, we got something from this series! What was also incredibly fun? Kirby Air Ride. The racing was incredibly fun, but City Trial, we did nothing but goof around in Free Run and it was the best.

It was also at this point where I realized that there was MORE than Nintendo out there. SEGA used to be in the biz, Sony double-dipped into the industry, and Microsoft was having its first go with a console of its own, each with entire franchises of their very own (though that doesn't mean I ventured from beyond Nintendo, but I still had a kick playing on a PS2 or Xbox with my limited circle of friends).

I was only limited to Mario for the longest time, but sixth gen was when I was introduced to so much more.

Things have never been the same since, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

[The Deleter]

Day 26: Favorite console generation

 

Ooooh, this one isn't made for me. I just got into console gaming five years ago, so I've never been able to live through an entire generation from the beginning to the end. The games aren't a good method of choosing one, either, as I've played most out of their time period, thus leading to mistaking aged games for being bad games.

 

So, I guess I'm going to have to go with the only one I've been able to actually follow faithfully.

 

 

 

The eighth generation

 

I'm just going to say this now: The Wii U is my favorite console ever made, period. Besides the lack of a hard drive and the particularly low battery for the controller, I really don't have a single problem with it. The OS is reasonably fast and streamlined, the amount of features it includes is perfect for a gaming console, the controller is amazing, and the first party is incredible. Never bought consoles for third party, so it's lack of power doesn't bother me. In fact, I'd say it's perfect for a Nintendo console, which usually favors style over detail. Plus, it makes the price an absolute steal, and off-TV play a reality for those who wouldn't have $600 to spend. The ability to use off-TV play is a godsend for me, as well, as interruptions and distractions abound for those who use the TV. It has allowed me to get my full money's worth of immersion from console games for an affordable price, and for that, I give the Wii U a thumbs up.

 

The PS4 is also looking to be a really good console, with an affordable price, best tech on the console market, and the best rendition of the dualshock yet. I will probably pick it up later this year when more games are released onto it.

 

The 3DS is a great handheld, but one of the things people had a problem with is that it relied on the 3D gimmick to sell it. This effect would either enhance the experience and give the console a fun little novelty, or it would be entirely worthless for them and only made the price go up. For me, I am happy to say that my case is definitely the former. Like a window to another world, the 3DS' 3D screen really makes its games' visuals stand out for me. (ba-dum-tsss) It has a decent design, the OS is, again, relatively streamlined and very accessible, and the features are pretty good for a handheld, though the Vita does better on that front. And, once again, it has a great first party library to choose from. Possibly my second favorite handheld to date.

 

 

The game library for all the consoles has been great so far, even if they needed to get a little steam going at their launches. Though again, the only reason I'm choosing this gen is because it's the only one I've been able to actually experience and get games at their actual release dates. There's definitely been better libraries throughout the gens, but being a part of the hype and overall community is also a pretty big factor for liking a gen. So for me, it's 8th gen, no doubt about it.

 

Day 26: Complete

[Carbo]

Day 26: Favorite Gen

Gen 6, simply on the premise that I still retained every notion of my childlike wonder and appreciated the generation as the last time the industry and audience treated big risks and new ventures as the selling point rather than much of the homogenization going on today. It was hardly a time of cynicism. PS2 gave us a fuckton of a library, Xbox entered the fray to fill in the void left by Sega, Dreamcast lived a short and sweet life, and even the Gamecube which did badly in sales provided some of the best games ever conceived.

Most of my attachment is purely on the Gamecube of course and I went through the why's and how's on the "most next gen experience" day. But it was one heck of a time to be alive.

[Pawn]

 

 

It's a difficult choice, but looking at the amount of games I've enjoyed each generation, it would probably be the Seventh. While I loved my Dreamcast and recognise that the Sixth Generation had a vast array of quality titles, my interest in gaming began to waver at that time for a variety of reasons. Part of that was due to not branching out into different genres, sticking to cartoony games that often had some roots in the Platformer and Action RPG genres.

 

The Seventh Generation was a kind of renaissance in gaming for me. Realistic visuals had come a long way, allowing action/adventure titles like Arkham Asylum, Assassin's Creed 2 and Red Dead Redemption to catch my eye. I dipped my toe into more genres like beat 'em ups, fighters and even a first-person shooter in Bioshock Infinite. There was also the rise of indie gaming; beautiful art styles from the likes of Madworld, Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Rayman Origins and absolutely epic hype for crossovers/nostalgia-filled games in All-Stars Racing Transformed, Smash Bros Brawl and Marvel Vs Capcom 3.

[Kaabiitorori]

Day 26: Favourite Console Generation

 

 

4th Generation

 

For starters, we have the Sega Mega Drive. This elegant and modern looking console brought many of Sega's finest works alongside a great deal of third-party support (something that, at the time, was predominately on Nintendo's side); from that third-party deal we saw the great work of Konami with Castlevania Bloodlines, Contra: Hard Corps or Rocket Knight Adventures, the magic cast by Treasure and titles such as Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier or Dynamite Headdy, or Capcom with several ports of well-known games such as Street Figther II. In regards to Sega, as I already mentioned, many of their finest works are here; Shining Force, Phantasy Star II, III and IV, The Story of Thor or Soleil among others gave the Mega Drive a good share of RPG and adventure games; the Streets of Rage and Golden Axe beat 'em ups, Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III, ToeJam & Earl, Ristar, and of course, the inception of Sonic The Hedgehog was the most notable in the entire 4th Generation as proven on all the entries from the classic series.

 

On the other hand, the Super Nintendo also had an incredible array of great titles, and while the third party support was shared now with the Mega Drive as already mentioned, Nintendo held Capcom, Konami, Enix and, most notably, Squaresoft, ranging from Street Figther II, Mega Man X, X2 and X3, Castlevania IV, Contra III, TMNT IV Turtles in Time, Terranigma, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy IV, V and VI just to name a few. As far as Nintendo goes... Star Fox, F-Zero, Super Metroid, Kirby Super Star, The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, the Donkey Kong Country series, and of course Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island, are just incredible and unmissable experiences under the SNES, and that's not even all of what it's got to offer!

 

I may have missed a good chunk of titles on this post, but even with just going through some of the most notable one shows you how many amazing games both Sega and Nintendo consoles brought to their audiences. Combined with other consoles such as the Turbographx-16 (with Hudson's best games ever produced) and the Neo Geo (all the greatest power from SNK's arcade titles right at home), and there you have the 4th Generation of consoles; a generation that spawned really memorable games during my childhood and which I still revisit even to this day. =)

 

(Just finished editing my post, but I'll leave the introduction for a little bit later!)

[Sami]

Day 27 - Favorite Developer

muh naughty gods

Put yourself in the shoes of five year old Dissy. This little dude:

Awww, what a cutie. Was definitely a fan of video games at the time - I'd been playing on my friend's NES and Genesis for a while, played a bunch of Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast, and even had my very own PlayStation. A PSOne, to be precise (the slim model). Played lots of games on it, like -



this really great horror game



some tony hawk in space thing i think



i think this one was nsfw

and then



MOTHER FUCKING CRASH BANDICOOT

Crash was the best back then. The only real competition there ever was in my eyes was Spyro, but Spyro just couldn't match the sheer intensity of any single Crash Bandicoot level. All of the PS1 games are brilliantly designed and it's absolutely no wonder why they were such an enormous success. I looooved Crash as a kid.

Then I grew up a little bit. I wanted something darker and edgier. I didn't play baby games anymore, after all. Crash was still great, mind you, but my interests veered a bit as I myself got older and more """"""mature""""""


look how dark and mysterious and interesting i am

And though that particular picture is a few years late, the actual timing was quite apt. Because just as I was trying to distance myself from things I thought were childish...



RATED T FOR MATURE ADULTS

GUNS AND GIRLS AND DARKNESS AND REVENGE OH YEAH

Jak 2 is one of the silliest things to look at for me these days, even though I know it is still a well designed, acclaimed game. The whole trilogy is one of the most iconic set of games on the system for a reason, after all, and while it may be a bit hard for me to go back to now, it was easily one of the coolest things ever for me as a kid.

After finishing Jak 3, I took a bit of a break from Naughty Dog for a few years. I wasn't invested enough in the industry to really recognize which developer was which, and so Uncharted never really caught my interest. I played and enjoyed the first, but never got the rest. Naughty Dog pretty much passed me by on PS3 and I played a bunch of other games as I continued to grow older.

Around the time I became the dashing young man I am today -


sorry ladies i'm taken

I'd heard a lot about this supposedly amazing game called The Last of Us. I'd heard the story was even better than Telltale's Walking Dead series, which I really doubted, and when I heard it was made by Naughty Dog I just assumed it'd be an Uncharted-esque affair and didn't pay it too much attention. Later on though, I got curious, and saw it at Gamestop when I was trading in my copy of Killzone: Shadow Fall (something I rarely do, but Killzone was just decent so I didn't feel I needed it). I picked it up, and...



FORGIVE ME FOR DOUBTING

BUT I MEAN

YOU GUYS KNEW I'D SAY THAT

BECAUSE EVER SINCE I PLAYED IT I WOULDN'T EVER SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT HOW AMAZING IT WAS AND I ALREADY WROTE ABOUT IT LIKE FIVE TIMES BECAUSE IT'S SO GOOOOOOOOOOOD

Real talk? It made me want to play the other Uncharted games and give that series another shot. If there's ever a PS4 collection, I'm jumping on it instantly. I am a full believer.

The Last of Us just kind of put it into perspective for me - though I wasn't too interested in the Indiana Jones-esque style Uncharted went for, I just realized that ever since Crash Bandicoot... they've never made a bad game. I know Uncharted 3 was a disappointment after the supposedly glorious Uncharted 2, but even that was still very well designed in its own right.

The Last of Us is such an amazing way to cap things off. It's one of the few games I'd actually call "dark and mature" in a completely non-ironic way. It's a very adult-oriented game, and not because it features gore or sex. It's a game that treats its players with respect, and raises interesting questions about morality and humanity.

I grew up with Naughty Dog, and I feel like they grew up with me. Going from child-friendly fun, to awkward teenage edginess, to full maturation. I admire them, and I very much look forward to seeing what they do next. Whatever it is, I'm there on Day One.

this isn't even the last time i talk about muh last of us