The Top 5 games that defined your childhood

[EllertMichael]

Super Mario 64 - N64

This would be the next game on my list. I got an N64 for my 12th birthday and this game was just the greatest. I still love the way it controls, so tight and fluid and intuitive. I spent a lot of quality time with this one, even just running around the castle and grounds was fun. It felt so big, and had a great mix of atmospheres: big bright sunny days, deep dark oceans, winter wonderlands, and haunted houses. Deserts and volcanoes.
The world is your playground and Mario is equipped with the moves to have fun.

The winged cap was cool, but the others were kinda lame. (They make you invincible. Replace them with the STAR POWER!) IMO the game could have benefited from a better offensive weapon than just punching (FIRE FLOWER!)

[SNKnicotine]

I think my picks would havve to be.

1.Super Mario
I got this game with my SNES and thought it was the greastest thing I'd had ever seen, the only game that even came close to this was Mario 3. After Beating the first stage and seeing all thecolorful backgrounds I could not put the controller down.Sometimes when we (as a family) had nothing to do on the weekends we would order pizza and play this game all weekend long.

2.Sonic 2 (Sega Game Gear)
For my birthday I got a Sega Game Gear, as well as sonic 2 and columns. everytime we went out I would always lug a 12 pack of batteries around, all to power this beast called the Game Gear and play Sonic 2. A game that claimed so many batteries and produced some of the finest rage a 6 yr old could conjure up, when he was cheap shotted by a monkey on a palm tree or simply when the batteries tapped out. GOD I LOVED THAT GAME!!

3.Aladdin (Genesis of course)
Aladdin was an awesome game, as a Child i felt that i was now envolved some how in the movie. jumping from rooftops to canopys and slaying over overwieght beefcake goons spelled FUN all day long

4.Mega Man x
This game truely tested my skills time and time again. getting through the levels was a breeze but the robot bosses were another story, I remeber crying because i wanted to power up and see Mega Man rendered in fun cool colors. My parents and sisters tried to prevail but to no avail fell to the wrath of the bastards. I'M SETTLING THIS TONIGHT!!!

4.Mortal Kombat
Whenever MK was played the house would shake, with chanting and jumping. Friends and family would gather around and spectate some of the most brutal beating ever fed to inferior warriors

[BogusMeatFactory]

the games that defined my childhood are as such.

Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge (Apple IIGS) - This was my first computer game when I was 4 years old and helped teach me to type and read, as well as use a computer. It was funny, challenging and, at the time the graphics blew my mind in comparison to the Atari 2600 which we had as kids.

Altered Beast (Sega Genesis) - When my older brothers pooled their money together to grab a genesis with Altered Beast packed in, my day was made. This was the only game for the system that we had for the longest time and the co-op play made it worth it. I still can play through this game blindfolded. I know the contours of this game more than I do my wife..........

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) - The one that got away. I was an arcade child during the rise of fighting games and beat-em-ups on the scene and TMNT was the game to play. I remember playing with my older brothers, getting to shredder before we ran out of cash. We had $20 between the three of us and we got all the way there. Luckily, when we bowed out, some of the onlookers picked up the mantel and finished it after us. We didn't get the glory of victory, but at least we saw the end.

Combat! (Atari 2600) - Another game that took up a lifetime of entertainment amidst my brother sand I and continued to fuel the competitive spirit that I hold today. All of my friends and family played this game religiously, taking the gameplay to another level of art. The planes, moving in an arial ballet of awesome. So much fun!

MYST (PC) - The game that scared the crap out of me as a kid. My aunt and uncle purchased it for us and included a printed out guide. When seeing Sirrus and Achenar in those books, as a kid I was very disturbed. It inspired me though and intrigued me, fueling the curiosity to explore far more than any other game. The impact of this game is a great influence on how I view games as an artform, crafting vivid worlds to explore and detail that exists, yet holds no impact on the story or gameplay, one of the most important facets that I feel games CAN have.

[Xtincthed]

great to read the responses
it's hard to narrow down indeed, but gotta have a cut off point somewhere!

[Key-Glyph]

I loved your video! It was adorable, and I can relate to some of your picks. Despite having a console or two growing up, I spent a significant amount of time with my Game Boy like you did. My brother is almost five years older than I am, and since my parents didn't feel comfortable leaving me home by myself while I was in elementary school, many of my young afternoons were spent tagging along with Mom to my brother's music lessons, sporting events, store trips, and the like -- all of which were made infinitely more bearable by my omnipresent Brick.

I posted my top ten most influential games in that other thread, but I'm wondering if my list would turn out differently if I specifically kept my childhood in mind. I might come back to write it out. In the meantime, I'm enjoying reading everyone else's lists.

[3DSStrider]

I may not be qualified to partake in this discussion, as I am fourteen, meaning my childhood isn't over. But who cares, I'll list them.

Pokemon Diamond- This was my introduction to the Pokemon series. The sense of wonder and mystery surrounding the creatures in this game was overwhelming and I loved every second of it.
Sonic Series- I can't choose between Mega Collection, Adventure 2 Battle, and Shadow. I spent so much time as a kid playing these games. Now that I've given a copy of Mega Collection to my cousins, I hope they have the same great experience as I did.
Star Wars Battlefront II- Star Wars was one of my favorite things as a child, so a great game based off of it meant many fun afternoons of gaming.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl- This game dominated my time in fourth grade. I loved it so much, I beat Subspace Emissary in one sitting. I played 124 hours that year, without even playing multiplayer.
Soul Calibur II- While the original is important to me, being the first game I played and my earliest memory, the second is more so. It's the only game I've beaten twice, not two mention one that I played all the time with my now passed-away father. In fact, several hours alone were spent reading the strategy guide (which is now falling apart) over and over again.

[ninjainspandex]

#1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 on the NES: the first video game i ever played and i still own my original cart.

#2 Super Mario 64: first game to totally immerse me in a video game world, I was to scared to go into boo's mansion haha.

#3 Pokemon Original Red: my first RPG and i was hooked ever since

#4 Capcom vs Snk 2: my first fighting game and still my favorite.

#5 Jurassic Park on the Genesis: there was an age i was obsessed with everything with that JP mark.

[AppleQueso]

Soul Calibur II- While the original is important to me, being the first game I played and my earliest memory, the second is more so. It's the only game I've beaten twice, not two mention one that I played all the time with my now passed-away father. In fact, several hours alone were spent reading the strategy guide (which is now falling apart) over and over again.

Man, it's just mind-blowing to me that we have a member who's earliest gaming memory is on the Dreamcast. Such a strange feeling.

I'm sure some of the older folks around here probably feel the same way when it comes to people who don't remember a time before the NES though.

[alexis524]

1. Pitfall (atari 2600)
2. Hang-On (Sega Master System)
3. Aztec Adventure ( Sega Master System)
4. Kenseiden (Sega Master System)
5. Double Dragon Tiger Handlheld

back in the day when it was all so simple...

[RetroVision]

Id say...

NES Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt
NES Double Dragon
NES Punchout
NES Zelda
NES Super Mario 3
SNES Super Mario World
SNES Street Fighter 2
SNES Super Metroid
SNES Zelda ALTTP

I remember playing those the most...was born in 1981 right in time for the video game market to pick up a bit when I was about 5.