5 games that defined me as a gamer in the 80s
Some kind of artillery game I played in 1982.
-This was the first video game I played. My parent's friends had some early console. I can't remember the console, I can't remember the game's name, but I remember the gameplay. You had cannons and walls. You tried to shoot down your enemy's walls before they shot down yours. My three year old mind was blown to be watching TV that I could also control. A life of gaming began here.
Pac-Man
-The local laundromat had this, and as a four year old it had me hooked. This arcade game got me into playing other arcade games, seeking out arcades for this purpose, and in doing so began introducing me to other genres of gaming. I miss proper arcades, but that's another thread in of itself.
Pitfall
-A neighbor kid had a 2600, and I was introduced to many games in its library. Of all of them, Pitfall impressed me the most at age five. Here was a game where I felt like I personally was on an adventure, exploring a little further every time. The concept of exploration as a motivation for playing was born here. A trait that persists in my personal gaming tastes today.
The Legend of Zelda
-My aunt had a NES and this. Do you know how insanely awesome Zelda was for a kid in the 80s? Unless you were there, no, you don't. Stepping foot into Hyrule for the first time was a rite of passage. No game before Zelda had invoked the sense of wonder, awe, and intrigue that Zelda did. Just looking at the manual and its cool drawings alone, would send my eight year old mind into daydreams of dungeons and mysteries.
Phantasy Star
-Eventually I got my second console in 1988 (the first was an Atari 2600 in 1987). I had a Master System! No one else I knew had one, save my uncle who lived far, far away. But he would send me his games after he beat them, which in retrospect is amazing. Of all he sent me, none blew my nine year old mind like Phantasy Star did. This was my first JRPG, and it was unbelievable. A whole world to explore, mysterious labyrinths, a touching storyline, hard battles, and phenomenal graphics and sound. My love for RPGs was started with Phantasy Star. But it was so good, it would be many years before another JRPG came along that would impress me as much. It took me a whole year to beat Phantasy Star, starting at age nine, but at age ten I had beaten it. No strategy guides or GameFAQs back then, just tons of free time to throw at it.
-This was the first video game I played. My parent's friends had some early console. I can't remember the console, I can't remember the game's name, but I remember the gameplay. You had cannons and walls. You tried to shoot down your enemy's walls before they shot down yours. My three year old mind was blown to be watching TV that I could also control. A life of gaming began here.
Pac-Man
-The local laundromat had this, and as a four year old it had me hooked. This arcade game got me into playing other arcade games, seeking out arcades for this purpose, and in doing so began introducing me to other genres of gaming. I miss proper arcades, but that's another thread in of itself.
Pitfall
-A neighbor kid had a 2600, and I was introduced to many games in its library. Of all of them, Pitfall impressed me the most at age five. Here was a game where I felt like I personally was on an adventure, exploring a little further every time. The concept of exploration as a motivation for playing was born here. A trait that persists in my personal gaming tastes today.
The Legend of Zelda
-My aunt had a NES and this. Do you know how insanely awesome Zelda was for a kid in the 80s? Unless you were there, no, you don't. Stepping foot into Hyrule for the first time was a rite of passage. No game before Zelda had invoked the sense of wonder, awe, and intrigue that Zelda did. Just looking at the manual and its cool drawings alone, would send my eight year old mind into daydreams of dungeons and mysteries.
Phantasy Star
-Eventually I got my second console in 1988 (the first was an Atari 2600 in 1987). I had a Master System! No one else I knew had one, save my uncle who lived far, far away. But he would send me his games after he beat them, which in retrospect is amazing. Of all he sent me, none blew my nine year old mind like Phantasy Star did. This was my first JRPG, and it was unbelievable. A whole world to explore, mysterious labyrinths, a touching storyline, hard battles, and phenomenal graphics and sound. My love for RPGs was started with Phantasy Star. But it was so good, it would be many years before another JRPG came along that would impress me as much. It took me a whole year to beat Phantasy Star, starting at age nine, but at age ten I had beaten it. No strategy guides or GameFAQs back then, just tons of free time to throw at it.
5 games that defined me as a gamer in the 90s
Bionic Commando
-In 1990, I got this for my eleventh birthday. At first I couldn't believe how hard it was. But by the next day, I had beaten it. Bionic Commando taught me that you could take something you thought you knew, like platforming, and completely turn the concept on its head by changing one central mechanic. Not only was Bionic Commando forward thinking, it was simply a badass game. Hitler's head exploded in gory chunks on my screen, and I realized gaming could go into dark places. I wanted to go there more often.
Gargoyle's Quest
-And a darker place I went. Here was another platformer that didn't use simple jumping to get around. Gargoyle's Quest sunk me into its dire world, and I loved it there. I couldn't believe a mere Game Boy game could be this impressive, both technically and graphically. Though I'd had a Game Boy since 1989, it was Gargoyle's Quest that cemented a love of portable gaming that persists to this day.
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
-Yes I'd played adventure games before this, but nothing had hooked me like Quest for Glory II. Not The Secret of Monkey Island, Leisure Suit Larry, or even the King's Quest series. All good games, but Quest for Glory II was something else entirely. Playing through this game was like living another life in a far off Arabian dreamscape. So many mysteries, so many battles, such astounding exploration. I have no idea how many hours I sunk into Quest for Glory II until I finished it, but I didn't regret a single minute. When I played this game, I was simply somewhere else, someone else. For better or worse, Quest for Glory II showed me the power of pure escapism that only video games can provide.
DOOM
-I had already played Wolfenstein 3D and Catacomb Abyss, I thought they were cool, but hardly amazing. DOOM was amazing. Intense first person gameplay, addicting level designs, and delicious violent action. How good was DOOM? It was so good I put together a makeshift surround sound system to enjoy it more immersively. Yes at fourteen years old, in 1993, I had wired up speakers in all four corners of my room, and it even kinda worked! DOOM was so good, I even got into its WAD modding scene, making my own levels and special weapons. DOOM ignited my love of the FPS genre all by itself. In short, DOOM was unbelievably badass in its day.
Super Metroid
-Although I'd played Metroid in the 80s, it was Super Metroid that ignited my love of its genre. But Super Metroid taught me an important lesson. Sometimes atmosphere is just as vital to an experience as its gameplay. Super Metroid was the first video game that truly made me "feel" like I was somewhere, not just exploring it. I doubt I have to say much more, as you should already know Super Metroid is simply a masterpiece. Maybe a little too easy, but that's no big deal.
-In 1990, I got this for my eleventh birthday. At first I couldn't believe how hard it was. But by the next day, I had beaten it. Bionic Commando taught me that you could take something you thought you knew, like platforming, and completely turn the concept on its head by changing one central mechanic. Not only was Bionic Commando forward thinking, it was simply a badass game. Hitler's head exploded in gory chunks on my screen, and I realized gaming could go into dark places. I wanted to go there more often.
Gargoyle's Quest
-And a darker place I went. Here was another platformer that didn't use simple jumping to get around. Gargoyle's Quest sunk me into its dire world, and I loved it there. I couldn't believe a mere Game Boy game could be this impressive, both technically and graphically. Though I'd had a Game Boy since 1989, it was Gargoyle's Quest that cemented a love of portable gaming that persists to this day.
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
-Yes I'd played adventure games before this, but nothing had hooked me like Quest for Glory II. Not The Secret of Monkey Island, Leisure Suit Larry, or even the King's Quest series. All good games, but Quest for Glory II was something else entirely. Playing through this game was like living another life in a far off Arabian dreamscape. So many mysteries, so many battles, such astounding exploration. I have no idea how many hours I sunk into Quest for Glory II until I finished it, but I didn't regret a single minute. When I played this game, I was simply somewhere else, someone else. For better or worse, Quest for Glory II showed me the power of pure escapism that only video games can provide.
DOOM
-I had already played Wolfenstein 3D and Catacomb Abyss, I thought they were cool, but hardly amazing. DOOM was amazing. Intense first person gameplay, addicting level designs, and delicious violent action. How good was DOOM? It was so good I put together a makeshift surround sound system to enjoy it more immersively. Yes at fourteen years old, in 1993, I had wired up speakers in all four corners of my room, and it even kinda worked! DOOM was so good, I even got into its WAD modding scene, making my own levels and special weapons. DOOM ignited my love of the FPS genre all by itself. In short, DOOM was unbelievably badass in its day.
Super Metroid
-Although I'd played Metroid in the 80s, it was Super Metroid that ignited my love of its genre. But Super Metroid taught me an important lesson. Sometimes atmosphere is just as vital to an experience as its gameplay. Super Metroid was the first video game that truly made me "feel" like I was somewhere, not just exploring it. I doubt I have to say much more, as you should already know Super Metroid is simply a masterpiece. Maybe a little too easy, but that's no big deal.
5 games that defined me as a gamer in the 00s
Half-Life
-By the 00s, I had fallen out of console gaming, and had become a hardcore PC gamer. Half-Life only cemented this further. Here was an FPS that made you feel like you were in a story, not being told a story, but being a true part of it. This level of narrative immersion was a new thing to me, especially in FPS. It didn't hurt that Half-Life was tremendously fun to play either.
Fallout
-I had played many RPGs before Fallout, most of them JRPGs. Fallout was a new experience entirely. An RPG that didn't railroad you into being the savior of the world. You could do exactly what you wanted, to whoever you wanted, whenever you wanted. Of course I turned into the most vile, evil bastard the wastelands had ever seen. Because I'd never had the chance to play the bad guy before, that's why. Fallout's amazing battle system, stupendous atmosphere, and interesting plot kept me playing until wee hours. But more than anything, it was Fallout's lesson that forced morality is dumb that made it stick with me.
Thief: The Dark Project
-When I first played Thief, I didn't know if I'd like it. Yes, I'd played stealth driven games before like Tenchu or Metal Gear Solid. But Thief's darkness, and more importantly its insanely awesome sound design, drew this player into its world wholeheartedly. Thief gave the player tremendous freedom in its sprawling levels. Sure, I'd played System Shock and Ultima Underworld before this, I was used to first person freedom. But nothing before, not even Deus Ex, had been this convincing. And Thief had come before Deus Ex and System Shock 2, but still did this immersive first person gameplay even better. Thief used sparse narrative to invoke a sense of constant dread, a master of showing and not telling. People I could write pages about why I love Thief so much. But I'll tell you this instead; I've literally played thousands of video games in my life, but Thief: The Dark Project remains my all time favorite.
Hotel Dusk
-By 2007, I'd played many adventure games. And to be honest, I'd fallen out of love with them. That all changed with CiNG's work on the DS. It was especially Hotel Dusk that amazed me. Here was a low key, down to earth story (for the most part), about a down on his luck detective turned salesman. He was slumming around a hotel, slowly unraveling a mystery he stumbled upon, just talking to people mostly. But never before had characters in a video game seemed so real. When I conversed with people in the hotel, I felt like I was talking to REAL people, not just dialogue boxes with faces. That was a first for me. Every other amazing thing about Hotel Dusk was just ice on the cream cake. Sadly CiNG no longer exists, they were too good for this world.
Shadow of the goddamn Colossus
-I almost hate to talk about this game now. It's been discussed to death. But not without good reason. I took some big lessons from SotC, even more so than from ICO before it. Like what? Like games can say a lot more with action and sights, then they can with reams of dialogue or pages of text tidal waves. What else? Sometimes a game can be about one thing, just one thing, and still be funner than any sandbox out there. Anything else? Games can be subversive as hell, making you do a thing but later regret that thing, tangible actual guilt. And? Maybe there's something more to this medium than just entertainment after all. So that's it? Okay FINE, yes video games can make you cry damn it! Those were MANLY TEARS though. Leave me alone.
-By the 00s, I had fallen out of console gaming, and had become a hardcore PC gamer. Half-Life only cemented this further. Here was an FPS that made you feel like you were in a story, not being told a story, but being a true part of it. This level of narrative immersion was a new thing to me, especially in FPS. It didn't hurt that Half-Life was tremendously fun to play either.
Fallout
-I had played many RPGs before Fallout, most of them JRPGs. Fallout was a new experience entirely. An RPG that didn't railroad you into being the savior of the world. You could do exactly what you wanted, to whoever you wanted, whenever you wanted. Of course I turned into the most vile, evil bastard the wastelands had ever seen. Because I'd never had the chance to play the bad guy before, that's why. Fallout's amazing battle system, stupendous atmosphere, and interesting plot kept me playing until wee hours. But more than anything, it was Fallout's lesson that forced morality is dumb that made it stick with me.
Thief: The Dark Project
-When I first played Thief, I didn't know if I'd like it. Yes, I'd played stealth driven games before like Tenchu or Metal Gear Solid. But Thief's darkness, and more importantly its insanely awesome sound design, drew this player into its world wholeheartedly. Thief gave the player tremendous freedom in its sprawling levels. Sure, I'd played System Shock and Ultima Underworld before this, I was used to first person freedom. But nothing before, not even Deus Ex, had been this convincing. And Thief had come before Deus Ex and System Shock 2, but still did this immersive first person gameplay even better. Thief used sparse narrative to invoke a sense of constant dread, a master of showing and not telling. People I could write pages about why I love Thief so much. But I'll tell you this instead; I've literally played thousands of video games in my life, but Thief: The Dark Project remains my all time favorite.
Hotel Dusk
-By 2007, I'd played many adventure games. And to be honest, I'd fallen out of love with them. That all changed with CiNG's work on the DS. It was especially Hotel Dusk that amazed me. Here was a low key, down to earth story (for the most part), about a down on his luck detective turned salesman. He was slumming around a hotel, slowly unraveling a mystery he stumbled upon, just talking to people mostly. But never before had characters in a video game seemed so real. When I conversed with people in the hotel, I felt like I was talking to REAL people, not just dialogue boxes with faces. That was a first for me. Every other amazing thing about Hotel Dusk was just ice on the cream cake. Sadly CiNG no longer exists, they were too good for this world.
Shadow of the goddamn Colossus
-I almost hate to talk about this game now. It's been discussed to death. But not without good reason. I took some big lessons from SotC, even more so than from ICO before it. Like what? Like games can say a lot more with action and sights, then they can with reams of dialogue or pages of text tidal waves. What else? Sometimes a game can be about one thing, just one thing, and still be funner than any sandbox out there. Anything else? Games can be subversive as hell, making you do a thing but later regret that thing, tangible actual guilt. And? Maybe there's something more to this medium than just entertainment after all. So that's it? Okay FINE, yes video games can make you cry damn it! Those were MANLY TEARS though. Leave me alone.
5 games that define me as a gamer in the 10s
King's Field IV (the whole series really)
-I had played King's Field IV before in 2007. I thought it was janky junk, just as 99% of rational people would upon first play. It wasn't until years later in 2010 that I gave it another try. I don't remember why I did. I guess because I love dungeon crawlers in general. I do know that for the first hour, I was still thinking KF4 was janky junk. But then, somewhere in hour two, something clicked. I simply "got it". And oh my god, did I get it. I don't have to tell this forum for the thousandth time why I love King's Field games, so I'll try to keep it short. King's Field sucks you in, makes you feel like you are in its world, gives you terrific challenges, but always respects your intelligence. That last part is important, so I'll say it again. KING'S FIELD RESPECTS YOU. When you're done you feel like you went on an actual adventure. You survived some serious ordeals, and came out the better player, all on your own. Because King's Field isn't going to help you do anything except die. These games have somber, lonely worlds, made for introspection, dread, and excitement. There's nothing else out there like King's Field. The Souls games are not the same thing, sorry. Forgive my crudeness; but I fucking love King's Field. Sadly the KF series can't live in the modern gamescape, because patience and delayed gratification are necessary to the experience.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
-I've always like JRPGs. Sometimes I get sick of the more flamboyant, easy, and melodramatic ones. So it's true, I've loved the darker JRPGs out there. Vagrant Story, Koudelka, and Shadow Hearts for instance, all great dark JRPGs for sure. But SMT: Nocturne is something else. No I didn't play this in 2003, I wasn't playing PS2 in 2003, sorry I was PC Master Race-ing before PC Master Race-ing was cool.
But sometimes there are phenomenal games that never come to PC. SMT: Nocturne is one of them. Many people have played Nocturne, thinking it's going to be a fun horror ride. Then they get to Matador. Matador is a boss who stops any casual JRPG player cold. In short, his job is to separate the men from the boys. (And you can tell the bastard loves doing it too.) However, if you can push past Matador, chances are you're in it for the long haul after that. And the funny thing is, Matador is an easy boss compared to what comes after! 
Nocturne is a game about a dying world, where you play someone who is possibly good or evil, and it's up to you to remake the world as you see fit. But really, this is a game about demons beating the piss out of you regularly. So you have to learn to be the bigger demon. I loved being the bigger demon. But more than that, Nocturne taught me that JRPGs weren't dead yet. Something about SMT: Nocturne simply resonated with my soul in a way few other games ever have. It is now a part of me.
Demon's Souls
-And while we're talking about souls and challenge, let's just talk about Demon's Souls. I was very late to the game playing this. That didn't matter one bit. I came at Demon's Souls thinking it was going to be a joke. "Kids these days don't know what HARD really is!" I was wrong. Demon's Souls is not a joke. Many times Demons' Souls took my pansy ass, beat it to pulp, shoved it inside out so that my head popped out my own anus, and then played whack-a-mole with my face. Now keep in mind, I played Demon's Souls without a strategy guide and (this is important) did not use magic. This meant that I made a hard game even harder, intentionally. Demon's Souls is a game beaten in baby steps, not strides, but for every victory the taste of victory only grows sweeter. Of course I loved the macabre atmosphere and general plot, but honestly Demon's Souls is about the challenge. And Demon's Souls taught me something you'd think I'd have learned eons ago; playing a game solely for the challenge alone can be rewarding in and of itself. So thank you for the lesson Demon's Souls. I guess I don't mind the scars so much.
Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars
-It's not that Conception II is such a great game, it's only decent. Rather it's that Conception II exemplified a trend which I have been loving in the 2010s. That is to say; ecchi infused DRPGs/SRPGs/Visual Novels actually getting officially localized for the west. The Vita primarily is a nest of them, but so are other platforms (even recent Nintendo systems are compliant). Perhaps its sad that my inner 14 year old pervert still lusts for such naughty gaming, but sales have shown I'm far from alone.
Aquales
-When I played the SHARP X68000's Aquales for the first time, I was very impressed. Here was a 90s era mech shooter that not only held up well, but opened my eyes to a belated yet startling revelation; I'd missed out on classic Japanese PC gaming far too long. After the joy of Aquales, I began mining the MSX, PC88, PC98, and other long lost Japanese computer libraries for hidden gems. I have not been disappointed so far.
-I had played King's Field IV before in 2007. I thought it was janky junk, just as 99% of rational people would upon first play. It wasn't until years later in 2010 that I gave it another try. I don't remember why I did. I guess because I love dungeon crawlers in general. I do know that for the first hour, I was still thinking KF4 was janky junk. But then, somewhere in hour two, something clicked. I simply "got it". And oh my god, did I get it. I don't have to tell this forum for the thousandth time why I love King's Field games, so I'll try to keep it short. King's Field sucks you in, makes you feel like you are in its world, gives you terrific challenges, but always respects your intelligence. That last part is important, so I'll say it again. KING'S FIELD RESPECTS YOU. When you're done you feel like you went on an actual adventure. You survived some serious ordeals, and came out the better player, all on your own. Because King's Field isn't going to help you do anything except die. These games have somber, lonely worlds, made for introspection, dread, and excitement. There's nothing else out there like King's Field. The Souls games are not the same thing, sorry. Forgive my crudeness; but I fucking love King's Field. Sadly the KF series can't live in the modern gamescape, because patience and delayed gratification are necessary to the experience.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
-I've always like JRPGs. Sometimes I get sick of the more flamboyant, easy, and melodramatic ones. So it's true, I've loved the darker JRPGs out there. Vagrant Story, Koudelka, and Shadow Hearts for instance, all great dark JRPGs for sure. But SMT: Nocturne is something else. No I didn't play this in 2003, I wasn't playing PS2 in 2003, sorry I was PC Master Race-ing before PC Master Race-ing was cool.
But sometimes there are phenomenal games that never come to PC. SMT: Nocturne is one of them. Many people have played Nocturne, thinking it's going to be a fun horror ride. Then they get to Matador. Matador is a boss who stops any casual JRPG player cold. In short, his job is to separate the men from the boys. (And you can tell the bastard loves doing it too.) However, if you can push past Matador, chances are you're in it for the long haul after that. And the funny thing is, Matador is an easy boss compared to what comes after! Nocturne is a game about a dying world, where you play someone who is possibly good or evil, and it's up to you to remake the world as you see fit. But really, this is a game about demons beating the piss out of you regularly. So you have to learn to be the bigger demon. I loved being the bigger demon. But more than that, Nocturne taught me that JRPGs weren't dead yet. Something about SMT: Nocturne simply resonated with my soul in a way few other games ever have. It is now a part of me.Demon's Souls
-And while we're talking about souls and challenge, let's just talk about Demon's Souls. I was very late to the game playing this. That didn't matter one bit. I came at Demon's Souls thinking it was going to be a joke. "Kids these days don't know what HARD really is!" I was wrong. Demon's Souls is not a joke. Many times Demons' Souls took my pansy ass, beat it to pulp, shoved it inside out so that my head popped out my own anus, and then played whack-a-mole with my face. Now keep in mind, I played Demon's Souls without a strategy guide and (this is important) did not use magic. This meant that I made a hard game even harder, intentionally. Demon's Souls is a game beaten in baby steps, not strides, but for every victory the taste of victory only grows sweeter. Of course I loved the macabre atmosphere and general plot, but honestly Demon's Souls is about the challenge. And Demon's Souls taught me something you'd think I'd have learned eons ago; playing a game solely for the challenge alone can be rewarding in and of itself. So thank you for the lesson Demon's Souls. I guess I don't mind the scars so much.
Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars
-It's not that Conception II is such a great game, it's only decent. Rather it's that Conception II exemplified a trend which I have been loving in the 2010s. That is to say; ecchi infused DRPGs/SRPGs/Visual Novels actually getting officially localized for the west. The Vita primarily is a nest of them, but so are other platforms (even recent Nintendo systems are compliant). Perhaps its sad that my inner 14 year old pervert still lusts for such naughty gaming, but sales have shown I'm far from alone.
Aquales
-When I played the SHARP X68000's Aquales for the first time, I was very impressed. Here was a 90s era mech shooter that not only held up well, but opened my eyes to a belated yet startling revelation; I'd missed out on classic Japanese PC gaming far too long. After the joy of Aquales, I began mining the MSX, PC88, PC98, and other long lost Japanese computer libraries for hidden gems. I have not been disappointed so far.
