Games that defined your life Top10 - With honorable mentions

[BoringSupreez]

The games I have put the most time into and have meant the most to me are:

1. Medal of Honor (PS1). It got me into console gaming in the first place. An outdated game, to be sure, but it had a big effect on me.
2. SimCity 2000 (PC). This is third game I ever bought, but I still have it. It never gets old. Got me into the whole god-game strategy genre.
3. Command and Conquer Generals (PC). Helped keep me from switiching over to consoles entirely. I've probably played this for more than 200 hours.
4. Commander Keen Episode 1 (PC). This was the game that got me into retro stuff. Befor that, I just bought whatever was being sold at Walmart.
5. Medal of Honor Allied Assault (PC). Probably the shooter I've played the most times. It seemed so amazing back in the day.
6. KOTOR (Xbox). The first RPG I played. This is what made me a fan of them.
7. Goldeneye (N64). The first game I got for the first retro console I bought. Cemented my idea that old games are just as good as new ones.
8. Half Life (PC). I'd never played such a good shooter before. Showed me how much an FPS can accomplish.
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis). The first console game I ever played. Let me know that good games exist outside of the realm of computers.
10. Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2). The reason I own a PS2. 'nuff said.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase (PS1). It's a rather mediocre game, but it introduced me to the platforming genre, which is still today one of my favorites.
2. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64). By the time I got this game, I was already pretty much fully developed as a gamer, but this game was just so much fun I had to mention it.
3. Splinter Cell (Xbox). Still one of my favorite Xbox games. This game started my love of more difficult, stealthy action games.
4. Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2). One of the funnest games I have ever played in my life. Part of what makes it great is that it doesn't try to be anything more than what it is: a game. Games who realize they are games and not movies are usually the best ones.
5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2). On the other side of the room from R&C3 is MGS3. Although "cinematic" games are usually full of themselves, and an inferior experience, MGS3 pulls it off, and it pulls it off magnificently. My favorite game in the series.

[msimplay]

Thanks for this it's very interesting to see how different gamers developed their tastes.

[SwooshBear]

In no particular order:
1. Pokemon red/blue/yellow/gold/silver/crystal
2. Final fantasy 7
3. Super Mario world
4. Super Mario all stars
5. Star wars battlefront
6. Kirby's adventure
7. Mega man X
8. Mariokart (snes)
9. Tomb raider (multiple ones)
10. Donkey kong country

Honorable mentions:
Sonic spinball
Battletoads/double dragon
Doom
Tony hawk pro skater 2
Duck hunt

[dsheinem]

*sigh*

for starters...

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=15436
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =15&t=6516
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =15&t=2654
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=10803

I guess these aren't about "defining your life"...but still...

Bah, I am in a bad mood today. Carry on and rehash what's been done countless times before and ignore me. I feel like the conversations around here are getting increasingly repetitive....

[Czernobog]

*sigh*

for starters...

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=15436
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =15&t=6516
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =15&t=2654
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=10803

I guess these aren't about "defining your life"...but still...

Bah, I am in a bad mood today. Carry on and rehash what's been done countless times before and ignore me. I feel like the conversations around here are getting increasingly repetitive....

I'd call this one different enough from those and more interesting because it's "defining your life" which to me is quite different from favorite or top games. To me it's the list format which makes this thread feel like a re-hash.

[Czernobog]

I'll bite:

The Legend of Zelda - NES - I grew up playing this game with my dad. We would take turns playing and he taught me all the tricks, where to buy things, when I should, where dungeons were, how to get through the lost woods, etc. when I was really young. Then we got to learn about and explore the second quest together for the first time when someone told us it existed. The game really holds a special place in my heart because of the memories attached.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - NES - I played this game all the time when I was a kid. If I pick it up now running through the levels getting a bunch of secrets feels and beating the game feels completely instinctive and ridiculously easy. This is the only console game I'm that comfortable playing.

Kirby's Dream Land - GB - I took this game everywhere with me and beat it more times than I can count. I just loved playing through the game whenever I had a chance, especially the end where you get to play through mini-versions of the previous levels.

Golden Axe - GEN - This was the first multiplayer game I really played frequently with friends and I'll never forget all the years of fun and screaming at each other whenever we accidentally drop kicked one another off cliffs.

Streets of Rage - GEN - Pretty much the same as Golden Axe above but not played quite as often. The 6-Pak was the first cartridge I had for my Genesis.

Guardian's Crusade (aka Knight & Baby) - PS1 - This was the first game that really got me into RPGs. It was a really simple game and when I look back at it not all that good but it had a fun-loving charm to it that kept me playing and really drew me into the genre.

Final Fantasy VII - PS1 - After playing Guardian's Crusade I went to the store to get Saga Frontier as I had played a demo I enjoyed but they were sold out, so I ended up grabbing FFVII on a whim. I fell in love with the game because at the time it was the most involved and biggest adventure I had ever been on in a video game and I genuinely enjoyed every minute I played. FFIII(VI) would later go on to eclipse it as my favorite RPG.

Silent Hill - PS1 - Holy hell. This game scared me. A lot. I love it and still do play-throughs to this day although that feeling of dread it originally conjured in me has mostly dissipated. Very few other games did so well at building atmosphere and tension brought on by the unknown. (I played the demo of Amnesia though and can't wait to do a full play through of that game because it's bringing back the feeling of dread SH once gave me.)

I'm not going to list all the way to ten games because these are the only ones that truly defined my taste in games as it evolved over time. (That's not to say it won't change in the future - it very well could.)

EDIT:

Shenmue - DC - I don't know why I forgot to mention this game as it is one of my all time favorite games, I spent countless hours playing it, and it helped shape my taste in games as well as solidified my passion for Sega.

/EDIT

My honorable mentions would be the rest of the games on the Genesis 6-Pak, the Gen Sonic games, the 8 & 16-bit FF games, and the Resident Evil games.

[msimplay]

*sigh*

for starters...

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=15436
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =15&t=6516
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =15&t=2654
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=10803

I guess these aren't about "defining your life"...but still...

Bah, I am in a bad mood today. Carry on and rehash what's been done countless times before and ignore me. I feel like the conversations around here are getting increasingly repetitive....

I seen all those but see the post itself it's about what made you a gamer stand as you do today.
I've included details about why I have my opinions those other lists are straight up top tens with no reasons as to why or how same as any random list.

This thread is more about the thoughts you go through to get to a full top ten and honorable mentions would be those you wanted to add but just couldn't

In no particular order:
1. Pokemon red/blue/yellow/gold/silver/crystal
2. Final fantasy 7
3. Super Mario world
4. Super Mario all stars
5. Star wars battlefront
6. Kirby's adventure
7. Mega man X
8. Mariokart (snes)
9. Tomb raider (multiple ones)
10. Donkey kong country

Honorable mentions:
Sonic spinball
Battletoads/double dragon
Doom
Tony hawk pro skater 2
Duck hunt

Any chance you could elaborate on why they are life defining for you ?

[Bradtemple87]

Sonic the Hedgehog - This was the game that came with my model 1 genesis, the first system I actually owned.
Streets of Rage 2 - This game is my favorite beat em up of all time but also one of my favorite game soundtracks. Yuzo Koshiro is the BEST at his trade!
Street Fighter II & Turbo - This game needs no introduction, but I will try to paint a picture for members that did not experience this game in it's prime. This game ignited the arcades and was all that everybody competed in. What xbox live has today started in arcades with this very game.
Super Metroid - This is my favorite game in the series but also one of the best the snes has to offer. The original gave us exploration while this game perfected it.
Castlevania SOTN - For similar reasons as Super Metroid, I have replayed this game a LOT.
YS (all pf them ) - The YS series gave me the action element that I wished the zelda series had and the music is metal brilliance.
Xenogears - I will be honest and say what I have stuck to in other threads. This is my favorite game on any platform. They complex story and developed characters will always stick with me. This game further cemented me as an rpg player for life. The battle system is also one of the most addictive I have come accross.
Front Mission 3 - I played this game far too much not to include it. Both stories included, this is an awesome strategy game.
Gitarooman - This game combines a quirky adventure with a fantastic playstyle to make my favorite music game on any platform, and definitely one of the top ps2 releases.
Ico - Ico may be my favorite game on the ps2. Shadow of the Colossus is fantastic in comparison, but Ico did something very different. Ico pulled on my heart in ways many games have tried. Escaping with Yorda from the queen leaves you feeling small and slightly above hopeless in a castle meant to seal your fate.

[msimplay]

Street Fighter II & Turbo - This game needs no introduction, but I will try to paint a picture for members that did not experience this game in it's prime. This game ignited the arcades and was all that everybody competed in. What xbox live has today started in arcades with this very game.

Thanks for this one I have to say that nothing beats the feeling of playing at the Real Arcades.

[Bradtemple87]

Street Fighter II & Turbo - This game needs no introduction, but I will try to paint a picture for members that did not experience this game in it's prime. This game ignited the arcades and was all that everybody competed in. What xbox live has today started in arcades with this very game.

Thanks for this one I have to say that nothing beats the feeling of playing at the Real Arcades.