10 games that changed your life (a little)

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Tell me 10 video games that were important to you and why. Here's mine, in chronological order:

1. Ikari Warriors (Amstrad CPC) - one of the first games i properly played.

2. Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive) - I never had a Mega Drive but I remember seeing Sonic for the first time and being blown away coming as i was from an 8-bit micro. I'd play the display machines in shops as much as i could and at friends houses.

3. Doom (PC) - Another mind blowing experience. I bought a PC pretty much just so i could play Doom and I did, extensively. I used to make my own levels and drag my 486 tower to another kids house to play deathmatch.

4. Command & Conquer (PC) - I can vividly remember sitting in the car being driven home after buying this game looking at the box art. I'd played a demo so i knew it was good but it was even better.

5. Interstate '76 (PC) - not a great game, but i loved it nonetheless. Stylised graphics and a great soundtrack that i listen to til this day.

6. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1,2 & 4 (Dreamcast & PS2) - I really loved this series. I played 1 & 2 on dreamcast, skipped 3 then played the hell out of 4 on the PS2.

7. Minecraft (PC) - i got so into this for quite a few years. I played on a public server and that was my social outlet for a long time.

8. Zelda Twilight Princess (Wii) - I got a wii just before the first covid lockdown and thought I'd try a Zelda game having never played one before. Loved it and went on to play Skyward Sword and then Botw on wii u. I actually prefer botw but TP holds a special place in my heart for being my first Zelda.

9. Immortality (Xbox) - A game that affected me so strongly it made me cry at one point. It's such a weird concept but the story really got me and zi just thought the production was sublime.

10. Elden Ring (Xbox) - I was just looking for something to fill the gap waiting for Tears of the Kingdom. But Elden Ring was so good it pretty much ruined me for TOTK which was a massive disappointment in comparison.

That's mine, tell me yours...

My list is in the order of importance…which I’m having second thoughts over. Oh well.

1. Ocarina of Time - the first Zelda game I ever played. It immediately became a special interest, and I’ve been obsessed with the Zelda franchise ever since.

2. Breath of the Wild - the best video game I have ever played

3. Twilight Princess - not just because I love the game.

4. Super Mario Bros. 3 - my favorite game before we got an N64. I beat it many times.

5. A Link to the Past - needs no description

6. Mario 64 - playing Mario in 3D was awesome.

7. Doom. My brother deleted it when he got super religious.

8. Wind Waker - Initially, I found it disappointing, but it seriously grew on me over time. I prefer the HD version because you can get a faster sail…faster. I missed Epona/horses, but there’s a lot of things I like about this game - the storyline, music, and temples.

9. Minecraft

10. Majora’s Mask - weird, dark, and fun.

Honorable mention: Mario Maker. I didn’t play it all that much, but my kid was obsessed with it. He made some really creative levels, and I enjoyed playing them. It was a cool bonding experience. We play video games together a lot. BotW is his favorite game. Sharing special interests with your kid is fun.

I feel like I’m forgetting stuff that could drastically affect my list. Hmmm…

Sonic 2 - My first video game ever.

South Park 64 - My introduction to FPS games.

Commander Keen Episode One - My first PC game.

Legend of Zelda The Minish Cap - The first Zelda game where I got to endgame without beating it.

Destroy All Humans! (2005) - My after school stress relief.

Half-Life - My first Steam game. I managed to beat it on camera without cheating for the first time some time ago.

The Beginner's Guide - My comfort game when I struggle with art.

Portal - My first puzzle game.

The Talos Principle - Shaped my worldview on religion, technology, philosophy, life, death, independent thought, and disobedience.

Sam & Max Save the World (2005) - My introduction to point n click adventures.

Pikmin x10

In all seriousness, idk about 10 but maybe the Mii series and ofc Pikmin

Which Pikmin game is your favorite? I really enjoyed Pikmin 3, but I haven’t played the others.

Hockey (IRL) - The only sport I ever really enjoyed in gym class. Not quite the sport of kings, but certainly the king of sports.

Afterburner (SMS) - This was the first videogame I remember playing on my SMS.

Wonderboy III: The Dragon's Trap (SMS) - This was my first exposure to fantasy as a genre.

Sonic (SMD) - I played this a lot at the dentists office prior to getting a Genesis, then we got a Genesis to replace the SMS. I wish my folks kept the SMS though.

NHL 95 (SMD) - I don't know how many hours I put into this game when I was middle-school aged. As an adult it became the first game I ever had enough familiarity with to be able to rom hack.

Doom 1&2 (PC) - This is literally why I bought my 486. It's also the first game I learned to mod.

Diablo (PC) - This was the last game I played on my 486. It would run but became increasingly slow the further into the dungeon I went. Eventually bought my second computer to be able to play it.

Dungeons and Dragons 3E (TTRPG) - This started a lifelong interest in fantasy and world building.

Neverwinter Nights (PC) - This became my preferred way to play DnD. Also the closest I ever got to MMORPGs.

rFactor (PC) - This largely took over from late night special stage runs through the local backroads. Probably the game I'm most familiar with modding. Might have saved me from multiple car crashes.

I have a Master System in my attic somewhere. It's not the one i owned when I was young, god knows what happened to that.

I played sonic on the master system far more than the Mega Drive version but it was always a consolation prize because i couldn't afford a mega drive. That's why 16-bit Sonic is on my list, it was special because I didn't have it, but wanted it so badly.

1. Super Mario Kart - the very first game I played iirc.
2. Super Mario 64 - the first Mario game I owned. What's there to say? If you grew up with it, you know how lucky you are.
3. Final Fantasy IV - the first truly dark game I ever played (I was like 7). The opening really stuck with me. I'd never played a game with such a morally questionable protagonist. Watching Cecil kill civilians while following orders and dealing with the guilt was something I had never seen in a game protag.
4. RollerCoaster Tycoon - a very fun amusement park simulator. Really made me stretch my brain as a kid. You gotta manage money, employees, the physics of your rides, scenery, advertising, etc... One of those games that definitely made me smarter
5. Stronghold Crusader - I started playing this game as a kid just a few months after 9/11 and it really helped me sympathize more with Muslims. The Crusaders were nominally there to protect pilgrims, but most of them were there for plunder, power, and glory. Misguided at best, evil at worst. Guys like Saladin just wanted the killing to come to an end.
6. Rome: Total War - another strategy game that stoked my love for history. It was refreshing to see a game try to replicate the scale and tactics of ancient battles. Seeing all these ancient places and people's really filled me with a thirst to learn more. It also helped convince me of the horror of war. The screams of men cut down as they flee, the mass graves as armies execute entire cities, great victories undone by terrible defeats. It just all feels so senseless (but very fun in game form lol)
7. Super Smash Bros Melee - aside from being an awesome fighting game, Melee was a big part of what made me get into retro gaming. If not for Melee, I might not have played classics like Earthbound
8. Golden Sun - the first great non-Pokemon RPG I finished. Really changed my ideas of what games could be in terms of story, puzzles, combat, presentation, and music
9. Guitar Hero/Rock Band - I'm counting these two as one. Both really encouraged me to listen to more music and helped motivate me to learn to play guitar for real
10. Mother 3 - you're never really the same after an emotional experience like that...

Honorable mentions: the Sega Pico (my first console), Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow, Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts 1 and 358/2 Days, Dragon Quest VIII

I don't miss the SMS in regards to the 8-bit Sonic games, it's Afterburner and Wonderboy III that I missed.

I liked Sonic enough to own 1, 2, CD, 3 and S&K though. Pawn shops treated me well as a kid.

I wish I had played more Sega as a kid. The Genesis/Mega Drive was always this mysterious thing I would sometimes see at a friend's house. As long as y'all are talking about Sega things: Did anybody else here ever have a Sega Pico? It was kind of a console for younger kids. I was raised a Nintendo kid, but my first console was this weirdly obscure Sega thing that nobody's heard of.

Can't believe I forgot Dark Souls II. It's by no means the best Dark Souls, but it has a special place in my heart. I played it during a difficult time in my life, and it really helped the depression. The game encourages you to never give up, even when continuing is painful. Even though the world is bleak, there are friends and beauty and reasons to laugh.

I've watched quite a bit of retro console content on youtube over the years and I've never heard anyone mention the Pico.

I can't find out if it was ever sold in the UK, it seems to have had a European release but I can't find any confirmation it was sold here. Which may be why i never heard of it.

While TP was the first Zelda i played properly, when ocarina came out i was sharing a house with a guy who owned an n64 and he was playing it.

He got to the bit where you can fish and I saw it and had a go. I loved it because it was so relaxing to fish there and the music was good too. I spent ages just fishing. That was the only bit of ocarina i've ever played.

I really liked the fishing hole in TP too. I should probably just play fishing games.

It was the most immersive experience I had had in a game yet. I love horses and fantasy too, so that was a big part of it. I’ve not changed much.

TP felt similar to me but the graphics and controls were obviously much better, so it was even more immersive.

Maybe if BotW came out before I joined WP, my username would be BreathoftheWild.

The only video games I've ever played were Tetris, in the 90s, and Space Invaders, in the 80s. Neither one had any effect on my life.

^Would you like to play more games Bee? Do you feel you missed something? Or do they just not appeal at all?

Re:BotW, I'm very much looking forward to playing it again one day, perhaps in 10 or 15 years time when it's a distant memory.

I wonder if by the time the generation who grew up with games gets old, gaming will be big among the elderly. It seems almost perfect for older people who have more time to enjoy it, can explore and move in ways they can't physically and keep the mind and hands moving.

It seems pretty likely to me. I don’t foresee myself ever wanting to stop playing. I view it as a serious hobby. It’ll be interesting to see what games will be like in 20-30 years. I’d imagine that there’ll be more and more accessible options for aging gamers.