30 Days of Video Games

[Tori Himemiya]

My very first game huh?

I remember playing this as a kid. It was fun to shoot turtles as a green rabbit. It was pretty fast paced at the time and I'll admit it was funny. I do remember the times where I would try to find secrets in the game and I managed to find a couple and it sure did kept me busy. I will always remember me and my sister speedrunning this game to see who can beat it the fastest and that was pretty fun too.

Man I wish I could had played the full game though. D:

[gato]

Can I haz awrds!?

Anyway, I haven't looked at the whole topic (yeah, I know, I tl;dr'd a 4 pages thread) But I feel really old for being the only user (AFAIK) who is going to post this one...

People who know a little about me are well aware that my memory is not my best attribute, but this is the first game I remember ever played.

I've actually played the home version, one of my older brother's friend had an "Atari" (or that's how we called the console, in my country the Genesis/MD is simply known as "Sega" and the NES is "Family") and this little piece of software here was my first gaming experience, I can't really remember a lot of it, I was 4 (or 3) back then, the only thing I clearly remember is that I really sucked at it (Or my bro and his friends were better, being older and all of that) I lost many matches way too quickly...

Since we are talking about Pong, I can't really consider it a memorable experience... Not even back then I was really impressed by it, I've already watched cartoons on the TV and I had my imagination and some other colorful toys at my disposal so a white and black screen with 2 sticks and a dot going from one point to another was hardly impressive. It doesn't even hold that much nostalgia value to me because we never really got to play it religiously like many Atari nuts back in their days and a year after this little experience we got ourselves a NES (and that's when I became your average nerd).

Pong wasn't the only thing I've played that (not so) fateful night, there was a game that seemed like "hide and seek" when first one character hid and then the other had to find it... That or my memory is playing games with me... I remember that once I had to hide in the closet so I couldn't see where one of my bro's friends was hiding his character...

That or they were messing with me. >_>

[The Kid]

I have to imagine it was done intentionally like it was with the Crocodile Dundee movies.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Penguin_Soldier

[\gunther]

I'VE STILL GOT ABOUT AN HOUR LEFT OF DAY 1 !!! YAY FOR JUST BARELY MAKING DEADLINES!

The first video game I remember playing was some Mickey Mouse game on an older version of Windows. I was about 4-5 when me and my would play it, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. From what I recall, you'd basically go through Mickey's day. You could take Pluto for a walk, call Donald and just hang out at your house, set up a date with Minnie on the beach, and call Goofy (only for him to realize that he's been usuing a banana as a phone like some idiot). This game filled my child heart with joy whenever we'd play it, although I did get mad that Goofy was too stupid to come over whenever I'd invite him. Asshole.

Unfortunately, that's all I can say about it, because I cannot find any information on it. No name, no screenshots, no videos, nada. I'm not imagining this, this game existed.

If you can give me a name or anything else, I will kiss you passionately. I want to relive this piece of my childhood so much.

Edited January 16, 2012 by gnth®

[Sean]

Was it called Follow the Reader?

Has commentary, though.

EDIT: Skip to 5:31. YouTube time links aren't cooperating with me.

[\gunther]

Was it called Follow the Reader?

Has commentary, though.

EDIT: Skip to 5:31. YouTube time links aren't cooperating with me.

[Sami]

Day 2 - Your Favorite Video Game

Fair warning: You'll be seeing a lot of this game and it's predecessor, Persona 3. I LOVE this game. To the extent that I can call it my favorite out of what's probably over a hundred games.

Persona 4 isn't a game that you play; you experience it. EVERYTHING about this game just oozes depth, style, and competence. EVERYTHING has an underlying meaning. Why is Izanagi the protagonist's main Persona? There's a reason. Why does Yosuke's Persona look like a flashy ninja disco frog? There's a reason for that.

Taking place over the course of a year, Persona 4 has you team up with your friends to solve a case of mysterious murders by entering the world inside the TV and saving the people that were thrown in by the killer. Trust me, it makes sense in context. You save them by summoning your Persona, a hidden facet of your personality that you can gain by having the courage to face the embodiment of your suppressed emotions, and using it to fight the monsters in the TV, the shadows.

The story is a work of genius. Everything makes perfect sense by the end of the game, and I absolutely love all of these characters. I actually started getting watery-eyed at one of the sad parts of the game. I know, hard to believe from a manly man like me, right? :v

The battle system works extraordinarily well, with a ton of depth in the inner mechanics, while still being easy to learn for beginners. A lot like Pokemon.

I find Persona 4 to be practically flawless. Whatever improvements I would want for Persona 5 aren't the result of something done badly in Persona 4, but rather being expanded upon because of how well it's already being handled. The story is fantastic, the characters are all incredibly lovable (even the ones I expected to hate before playing the game), the gameplay is nigh on perfect, the visuals are extremely stylish and flashy, and the soundtrack is amazing.

Any RPG fan (or hell, anyone who likes a good story) is doing themselves a HUGE disservice by skipping out on this game. PLAY IT.

[Victory Defender]

First Game

First game... I kinda don't remember, since I was just a lad.

It was probably this, though:

I was playing before I could even read, which restricted me greatly from this game.

This game, as well as my megadrive, was given to my as a present from my Uncle, and my brothers and I played it a lot. My older brother didn't really have a liking to this game, so he never helped me when I was stuck. I would play the first few levels, and then I had to travel across some ocean in the game, but I didn't know how to. The instructions were in the game. It told me exactly what to do. Sadly, I couldn't understand it since I didn't know how to read. I stopped playing the game. When I did learn how to read, I lost this game. I never really went looking for it, so now it's lost in oblivion, and I will never know how the game goes.

Yay. I posted this within 24 hours. 12 minutes to spare.

NO, WHAT HAPPENED.

I MADE IT IN TIME, RIGHT?

Edited January 16, 2012 by Victory Defender

[Sami]

*WHOOPS THAT SUCKS*

You're fine, yeah. Try to get it in earlier next time, though.

[Victory Defender]

You're fine, yeah. Try to get it in earlier next time, though.

Ah sorry, I didn't notice this topic yesterday, and I don't browse this forum often.

I'll make sure to get things in earlier.

This post will be edited for my favorite game submission shortly.

---

Favorite Vidya

I had to boil it down to something I played recently, and I did get a kick out of this:

Infamous 2 gave you lots of freedom. Even more freedom than its prequal. You can walk around the city, and do whatever you want. Help people, harm people, or just walk around. The game was based around a karma system, which basically made you evil if you did evil acts and heroic if you performed heoric acts. Infamous 1 was good, too, but this game stood out a lot because of the additions. You acquire power as you go throughout the game. No power is require, except the last power, and you can go throughout the game with basic powers if you are looking for the challenge. That's enough about freedom, though.

The story development was great. The ending was great (both endings). Character development as well, which Infamous 1 lacked. The interaction between Cole and the other people make the story more interesting. The crossing of powers, the help from a friend, and the betrayl are all awesome.

I haven't touched the game in a while since I beat it, though. No playback value...

But it was fun while it lasted.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Victory Defender

[Jeffhog]

Favourite Video Game Ever - SPOILERS

DAMN IT. I hate having to choose...

Though if I had to, the one perfect video game for me would be...

...WAIT---

*phew* Much better.

Alright, since I've begun playing this game, I practically ceased playing everything else, including the 3DS system and titles I've received over Christmas. I just can't put it down. I've caught myself playing up until 3 in the morning at times because of how addicting it was.

Everything was absolutely perfect in this game, and considering the fact that it gained over 30 perfect scores from different publications, it's hard to see why not.

Characters like Groose and Ghirahim constantly steal the show whenever they're around - Groose for whatever antics (mainly Surprise Skysecks and landing on the surface) and Ghirahim for his monologues and demeanour. The story in itself was amazing, setting in stone the first legend of the Hero of Time. The game makes excellent use of the series' history by throwing in nods to all sorts of things, big and small (for example: 25th anniversary of the Knight's Academy, sneaking around the Bokoblin Base like Wind Waker's Forsaken Fortress, the provinces Faron, Eldin and Lanayru being used as in Twilight Princess). Music was absolutely GORGEOUS, most of its orchestral compositions being composed by the guy behind the Super Mario Galaxy soundtracks.

And immersing myself into the game with the 1:1 swordplay is AWESOME. On that note, the items and upgrades! That has to come back in future games!

On that note, I also find myself constantly listening to the music from the Bonus CD. ;A; WONDERFUL.

Hands down, the most game I have ever played!

Edited January 17, 2012 by VizardJeffhog

[PaddyFancy]

Difficult to choose, but I may have to settle for...

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

A tough choice between this and Grand Theft Auto IV. On one hand, I love the realism (YMMV), pretty sweet car damage and gigantic city, but although I didn't mind the dark storyline that much, the silliness in past games would have been welcome. Had they had that in, GTA IV would be my favourite video game. San Andreas didn't have the realism but it was an incredibly entertaining story. The cities wasn't gigantic but the range of environments was huge. You can do everything in this game.

Why when I had it on Xbox it was usually the game I play when I'm bored and listen to the custom soundtrack. Nowadays though I play GTA IV simply because my PS3 isn't PS2 backwards-compatible and I don't have enough plug sockets, I recently bough San Andreas on Steam but I hard spend hours at an end because I don't want to ignore the people on my IM services.

I would hope the craziness of San Andreas would return in GTA V, but what we know of the basic story and possible protagonist, I doubt much gangster element in it. Still looking forward to the wide open sandbox San Andreas style. It's was GTA IV should have been.

[Sean]

Day 2: Most favorite video game

This was the very first game that I was extremely hyped for before its release. It resembled a Mario game with a dash of Looney Tunes; I couldn't look away from all the advertisements and promo artwork I saw. I didn't have an N64 at the time, so I remember hoping that it would get a PC edition, having recently received a Win. 95 to call my own (and a plethora of childhood video game memories, but that's a story for later). A couple years later though, I got my own system and a copy of this and Super Mario 64, and I played both of them to death and beyond.

It's been a few years since I last touched it, but I used to do 100% marathon runs of the game on a semi-yearly basis. Last I did it, it was a little over 7 hours in two sittings. Unfortunately I've yet to do a no-death run due to Rusty Bucket Bay being hell incarnate. But I'm sure if I popped the game in today, I would still be able to locate all the jiggies and notes with little problem. I can't speak the same for Tooie, which I enjoyed a lot back then but have a tough time revisiting these days.

It's not the best game ever, and there are a lot of games on my list of favorites I'd consider better well designed. But Banjo-Kazooie will always be irreplaceable to me. And as much as I would love to buy another copy complete with the box and manual (and un-faded cartridge label), my ye olde, worn-down cart is still a buddy of mine that I can't bear to separate myself from anytime soon.

[Cola]

Favorite game? I dunno, but I think I'll have to give it to Portal 2

Portal 2 is the sequel to Portal, a highly praised game created by the guys over at Valve. Seeing as Portal and Portal 2 both run on Source, it shouldn't be that hard to adjust. Portal 2 takes place hundreds of years after Portal 1, and in the same setting, Aperture Science Laboratories. Despite being set in the same place, the centuries have taken their toll, and the labs have been taken over by nature. Guided by a rouge Personality Core, Wheatley, you will try your best to escape Aperture labs. On your way out, you accidentally revive the antagonist from the first game, GLaDOS. GLaDOS sends you into thethe labs for another round of testing, and the game kicks off.

For me, Portal 2 has the perfect blend of puzzle-solving, humor, story, and action. It a fantastic experience, and may be one of the first games to make me genuinely chuckle. Aside from single player, there is a multiplayer co-op option, which is every bit as fun as the main game, especially when you decide to mess with your partner.

[Burnt Ash]

Favorite Game: Sonic Adventure 2 (Battle) (And yes, I'm serious)

I know it's not just nostalgia that makes me love this game. I thoroughly enjoyed the hunting (Knuckles only) and shooting stages, as well as the Sonic and Shadow stages. I liked the story (dat ending...), and it introduced my second favorite character to the Sonic series, Shadow. The multiplayer's great...if I could get someone to play it with me :V. And I couldn't forget the Chao Garden either. Just so much hours of fun with that minigame. So yeah, my favorite game would be SA2:B. (Runner ups: Super Mario World, Sonic Generations)

[Soniman]

Fuck it, I was juggling it my head by I can calmly say, without a doubt

Majora's Mask.

This isn't simply a game, it's a work of art. Never before have I felt such deep emotions for a game, it easily tops it's often lauded predecessor Ocarina of Time. The themes, the artstyle, the music, the gameplay, it's all perfect and wonderful, you need to play this game if you haven't already.

I love how the story is so radically diffrent and unique when compared to traditional Zelda games. There's no Zelda, no Ganon, no Master Sword, and no Hyrule. The game is set in the fictional land of Termina, which is somewhat similar to Hyrule but radically diffrent in many ways. My favorite aspect of this game is how they made the NPCs so developed and varied, each of them has a story if you dig deep enough, I don't believe I have to explain the Kafei and Anju sidequest. My favorite area is definitely Ikana Canyon, its such a tragic land with a bloody history that is still mostly shrouded in mystery, I love that aspect about it, especially when trying to determine the purpose of the

Stone Tower Temple and the reasons for it's existence.

The actual gameplay is fantastic as well, gone is the traditional sword gameplay, instead you use a variety of masks each with their own set of unique abilities and quirks, this is such a refreshing break from the norm, and it does completely alienate the player like the Wolf in TP.

The bosses are some of of the best in the series (save for that motherfucker Gyorg) and the minibosses are no slouches either. Not to mention Stone Tower Temple is a fantastically designed dungeon.

And the music, dear god the music. It's fantastic, you just have to listen to Final Hours and the Song of Healing, absolutely beautiful.

Best game ever, play it now.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Grooseinator032

[Solkia]

Oh shit, we're starting again:

OKAMI:

HEY GUYS REMEMBER WHEN CAPCOM WAS GOOD? LOLOLOLOL

But anyways, holy shit this game is awesome, the artstyle, the adventure fields, the brush techniques, all of it was awesome. The way they incorporated Japanese fables with an artstyle to complement it made it a pleasure to look at, as well as play.

Amaterasu and Issun's crazy antics were hilarious throughout the whole game, Issun's perverse humor and Ammy's air-headedness was just a great combo.

And Yami. Well, I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't played it.

[Semi-colon e]

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

There are several games that are vying for this spot, such as some of the Sonic games, Pokemon G/S and I suppose HG/SS and B/W (seriously, I had a BLAST playing this and how fresh it felt, but that's a different story) and Metroid Prime, but I find it easier to talk about this. I'm sure someone else will do Metroid Prime anyway, and explain in much better ways why it's so amazing.

It's originally a PS1 game, but I only played it relatively recently because of XBLA. I had already played most of the Metroidvania style Castlevania games at this point, and this being the first, I expected it to disappoint a bit because of all the hype. Thankfully, it didn't.

This game has so much depth, even compared to the later entries. The later games improved on the RPG elements and a better variety of weapons, as well as actually being challenging sometimes (SOTN's greatest flaw is that it's too easy), but SOTN has the best style and atmosphere no doubt. Refined? Not quite. Perfect. Amazing, but no. But I love it so.

It begins with an epic prologue where the previous game ends on Dracula's confrontation. It has some cheesy but hilariously awesome voice acting (that sets the precident for the rest of the game), and then you fight. How well you do in this fight influences the main game, like Alucard's stats and whatnot, but there are also several codes that you name your save that change your stats or give you certain abilities, adding more replay value.

The whole point is like Metroid basically, just exploring this big-ass labyrinth castle, gaining powerups and equipment, growing ever stronger. There are so many areas, so many textures, such intricate graphics, such amazing music tracks. Many of the areas and rooms are actually optional, making it feel very nonlinear without having to sequence break like some of the Metroid games. There are also several endings, and a second castle which is an entirely upside down copy of the first one with different enemies and stuff. The music is repetitive within this second castle, and enemies get annoying, but it really tests the skills you've learnt over the course of the first half, especially if you're going for full map completion.

It's the atmosphere and high replay value that make this a classic. There are so many spells, weapons, combinations, and even certain equipment facets can be changed, like one cloak which you can change the colour on, familiars that do various things such as attack enemies or heal you etc., the aforementioned codes, many optional and secret rooms, enemies which only appear in one room, and all sorts. There are also many little details scattered around the castle, such as the fountain above, it turns red if you stand by it for long enough.

All these things are often unrefined, and there are many ways to simply break and destroy any of the game's difficulty at most points. There are also some horribly cryptic sections (such as getting to the second castle, or even controls of some of the abilities (super jumping comes to mind). It's certainly flawed, but I find the experience unparalled compared to the rest of the series. I can always go at my own pace and make the game my own after a short while of linearity, and I don't think I've played everything in the same order twice, and that's 100% completion. It's also aging quite well, because of the style of the graphics (aside from some of the old 3D) and the great soundtrack.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Semi-colon e

[Solly]

Favorite game:

It may not be the "best" objectively, but it's one of my favorites. I have a lot of memories attatched to this game. It was the first 3D game I had ever played and it blew everything else I had played up until that point out of the water. It's another game I ended up playing with my father (and brother) a lot. It was also one of the last games that my dad was better than me at.

I was really young at that point, but it's still a magical game to me in a way. The sights, the sounds, the music, the feel, the scale, the exploration...

..the adventure.

[Marcello]

Hmm, hard decision... But I think I'll go with:

Banjo-Kazooie - Unlike Sean I wasn't hyped for this(Or at least I don't think I was xD), and to be honest I hardly remember why me and my brother bought it. Maybe because we saw it was from the guys that made DKC, maybe we liked the commercial, maybe we just liked the boxart, I really can't remember :-/

Anyway from the first time I played, I became absolutely enamored. Everything was just so fantastic! The graphics were beautiful, the music was great, Kazooie made me laugh my butt off, the levels were awesome. It was just so cool killing a giant hermit crab and entering it's shell, or going into giant sand castles, or farting out eggs, or transforming into different animals. Then there was th ending which started the pathos knowing as Stop 'N' Swop. Made me and my brother go crazy finding the eggs, looking things up on the Rare Witch Project. Good times. I wish games today had that sense of mystery.

I still think it trumps Mario 64 in every way.

[Nix]

I have a lot of favorite games, but the one that always stands out in my mind above the rest is Okami. Now I never got the game for the PS2, but I did get it for the Wii out of sheer curiosity and I was completely blown away. Whoever had the idea to port this game over to the Wii is a goddamn genius because the motion controls just work incredibly well for this game, I couldn't imagine playing this game on the PS2 without them. There's something really satisfying in making all of those brushstrokes yourself. The combat system isn't the greatest thing on the face of the planet, but it works well and has enough substance to last the entire game. The story is fun and entertaining, the characters are likable, and the soundtrack is truly marvelous.

However the main reason I like this game so much is because of the graphics. This is one of those games that works with the graphical limitations of the system it's on and succeeds. I can still look back on this game and say "damn that looks pretty" despite it being on the inferior console in terms of graphical capability, and in the future we're still going to say great things about it because it's truly a work of art. Okami really wouldn't be anywhere near the same to me with out its wonderful art style.

[Senator NinjaShark]

Day Numbero Zwei - Ninja's Awesomely Amazing, "Kami WISHED it was his Favourite(s)", Favourite Game(s) ever

I bought this game back in 2009, it was the very Last copy of the Orange Box I saw in the store since a good while now. One day, some time after my Birthday, I decided to finally Buy it. However, due to me being Lazy as hell I wouldn't get around making a Steam account until Last year, around the time it became F2P and some of my Friends starting to play it.

Ever since I started to play it, I have become Hooked. The Gameplay is Fun as hell, the Characters themselve are all Great and Hilarious and the Feeling of ranking up kill after kill and becomeing an MVP is Satisfaying. Team Fortress 2 became Quickly one of my All time Favourite Games, and I love every moment of playing it

(unless it's on 2Fort and Both Teams are camping to hell and back, or some Spy is sappan mah Sentry)

also blah blah, Hats.

However, I kinda had trouble deciding between my All time favourite game, so here are some Honorable Mentions of Mine:

Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver - always Loved Pokemon and this is one of the Best ones so far in my Opinion.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - Right after Pokemon one of my Favourite RPG's ever

Super Smash Bros 64/Melee/Brawl - one of the Most fun Party/Fighter ever.

Okami - The Best Zelda that isn't Zelda

Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past - The best 2D Zelda that is Zelda

Super Mario Galaxy 1/2 - so far Probably my Favourite 3D Mario game (but 64 and Sunshien are Awesome games aswell)

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - my Favourite 2D Mario game, it will always have a Special Place in my Heart.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Mr. NinjaShark

[Emmett L. Brown]

It's old. Man, it's old, but nobody's ever made a game that could push it out of first place in my mind. It's got the guns and platforming of Contra, the wheel mode from Metroid, and the power up blocks from Mario. That sounds like a mess, but the formula just work so damn well. I've heard this game described as a Contra clone, but when I played Contra it didn't even come close to matching the button-mashing thrill ride that is Turrican. Every level is gigantic. You can run straight to the exit, or you can explore every nook and cranny for shortcuts, detours, side-areas, and the ever-precious 1-Up. This game rewards exploration better than any game I've ever played since, and I know it's thanks ot this game that I've become a en explorationist and completionist when it comes to video games.

I've got to save a paragraph for the music, because the intense techno metal tracks of the game is what put it head and shoulder above any imitators. Every act of every world has its own unique track, and the title screen theme goes on for over seven minutes before looping. Even as a nineties kid with no attention span I found myself booting up the game and just sitting there listening to the title music before pressing start.

Playing this game all the way through with a joystick is the greatest gaming experience of my life, and that's why it will always be my favourite game. Do I have an Amiga emulator? Yes I do. Do I still play this game from time to time? Yes I do.

[Meow]

FAVOURITE GAMEU EXTREMEEEE EDITION 34!!!!!!!!

Aka: Do I really have to pick?

My 'favourite game' cycles through a lot of different games constantly, usually within the same 4 or 5 games, but it still cycles depending on my mood. However, that said, I am going to narrow it down then to one of those games which basically appeals to all my interests and pretty much most of my aesthetic tastes and love for really fast paced games. You may be going "oh here comes the Sonic" but NO I SAY, THAT ISN'T THE CASE.

Vanquish. And for many good reasons. I still actually have not found the time to beat the game (on the last boss on hard and it kicks my ass so much) but the game as a whole really appeals to me. It is fast paced, its sci-fi, it's corny in all the right ways. Basically it is just a whole load of FUN. I haven't ever really played anything else that is like it. Sure it is a third person shooter but the whole arcadey aspect of it really gives it a unique feel. The booster mechanic is really amazing and the visual style of the game is also fantastic. Sure there is a lot of grey and whatever, but it really works, and is usually accented by some colourful pieces here and there that do not take over the style the game is working towards and just makes for a lot of visual eyecandy. The game is just overall a fantastic experience and while it may or may not be my favourite videogame (like I said, it cycles) it just comes the closest to what I want out of a videogame. I'd love for a sequel, more robots, more energy gauge, more super fast action, more melee attacks, more EVERYTHING. MORE SCI-FI.

BRING IT PLATINUM. Or Bayonetta 2, one of the other games that is also my favourite. You can do that too.

[null]

Day 2 - Your Favorite Video Game

Super Metroid - Super Nintendo Entertainment System - 1994

I really hate that question. Because I can never clearly answer it. I never play the game of "favorites" unless it's about a specific genre. But if I had to cut it down to one clear choice, I may as well go with Super Metroid.

My first time playing this was fairly recent, maybe one-and-a-half years ago, on Virtual Console. Back then I didn't really call myself a Metroid fan. The only games I played were half of Metroid Prime, which was something Dad got for the GameCube for himself to play, and 5 minutes of getting lost in the NES game. The first time I booted this game up I knew I was going to look forward to it, simply because of the exploration aspect. My prime motivator during the game was just trying to fill in every piece of the map that I could. That said, everything else about the game was stitched together to make a beautiful experience and atmosphere. When I finished it, I was proud of myself for deciding to play this on a whim in the middle of summer break. I can only imagine how groundbreaking it was during it's time; It truly shows that it hasn't aged one bit. Now I have played and finished Primes 1-3, Fusion, and Zero Mission solely due to Super's influence.

Runner-Ups: Kingdom Hearts and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess