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Defining moments, emotional journeys, stunned silences, shouts of joy and even angry snarls - all elements of the so called "Third Place". The way we feel whilst playing a game is the most important element of computer entertainment. Every so often, a game arrives that will make a permanent home in your memory for years to come. It all depends on the individual person, so the games that have this effect vary greatly. They all have one important thing in common though - they could, and often do, change our lives forever
I have looked back over my short gaming history, and picked out the games I feel made a real impact on my life. Many have come close, such as Wipeout 2097`s fast paced style, Gran Turismo 3`s superbly polished visuals and Devil May Cry`s completely "cool" feel. However these haven`t been the games to really change me. Instead, I present the following four games, responsible for irreversibly altering my life:
Repton 3 (BBC) - My memories of the gameplay have become a little hazy over time, but one thing sticks in my mind above all else, and that is the fact that this was the first game I ever truly became addicted to. To be honest, I was never any good at it, and probably only completed a handful of levels (which compared to my Dad who completed it, was very poor). However, I was stuck to that game for many months, perhaps even years, marvelling at simple facts such as the character moving on screen according to your keyboard actions. This might seem silly, like a caveman discovering his first light switch, but to me at the time, it was the most fantastic experience a computer could ever provide.
Sonic the Hedgehog (Megadrive) - Back in the days of the Megadrive and SNES, I was completely unaware that console wars even existed. Nobody ever told me the SNES was better or vice versa, so I was completely content with my black box of magic tricks. My first game ever, Sonic the Hedgehog was such an amazing game to me, having only ever played on BBCs previously. "Look at the colours", "Its like real life", "Look how fast it is!" - all statements that at the time seemed completely true. Obviously looking back now, its easy to say it looked bad, but at the time this game was incredible. I remember getting completely stuck in the Labyrinth levels for months on end, and the eventual feeling of complete satisfaction when I finally progressed to the next level. Another point to mention is that this game has perhaps the most memorable cheat of all time as well, the level select - up, down, left, right, a + b + c + start - a cheat that most megadrive users still remember today.
Final Fantasy 7 (PS) - After a game like Sonic the Hedgehog, its easy to become used to following preset paths, with perhaps a single one-off fork in the road that only lasts for a minute or so. That fact made Final Fantasy 7 all the more impressive. On my first go, I got lost. Completely. Whilst lost is usually not a good thing, in a game, this was fantastic. It was so big!! I could wander about, end up in another area of Midgar, and talk to a random stranger sat in a cafe drinking a cup of coffee. After completing the game, I now have a map in my mind of the whole of the Final Fantasy world, but it still has holes, meaning that even after several times through the game, I can still take wrong turns. The second factor in making this game so memorable is what Square are best at, CG. The computer generated cut scenes in the game were actually prettier than real life. Sitting aboard a train in Midgar city, discussing what to do next, Cloud Strife, the hero of the game looks out over the city, and the CG kicks in to show the train moving past, whilst panning over the city. Never before had I been so impressed, and this game to me is the best ever, and I haven`t seen any previews to suggest this will change.
Tony Hawk`s Pro Skater 3 (PS2) - Life altering... but for different reasons. This game is perhaps the most addictive I have ever played. It began as a pleasant experience, but progressed onto a thoroughly enjoyable one, before long I was beginning to think it was the best thing since... well... the best thing. The gameplay really is ever expanding. However, this is not why it changed my life. I do not blame this game, as it is really my fault, but I allowed myself to be drawn into the games reach and away from important revision - a mistake I will have to avoid with Final Fantasy 10, expected during my next set of exams. It seems I am merely weak minded, but the power of this game was sufficient to hold my attention when I knew it shouldn`t, and that makes it a hugely powerful experience.
Four games, spread over four gaming platforms - can PS2 be the first to show me two life changing games? Will Metal Gear Solid 2 or Final Fantasy 10 have the same effect? I look forward to the future, and hope that all of you enjoy similar or perhaps even deeper gaming experiences. The potential is truly astounding.
I have looked back over my short gaming history, and picked out the games I feel made a real impact on my life. Many have come close, such as Wipeout 2097`s fast paced style, Gran Turismo 3`s superbly polished visuals and Devil May Cry`s completely "cool" feel. However these haven`t been the games to really change me. Instead, I present the following four games, responsible for irreversibly altering my life:
Repton 3 (BBC) - My memories of the gameplay have become a little hazy over time, but one thing sticks in my mind above all else, and that is the fact that this was the first game I ever truly became addicted to. To be honest, I was never any good at it, and probably only completed a handful of levels (which compared to my Dad who completed it, was very poor). However, I was stuck to that game for many months, perhaps even years, marvelling at simple facts such as the character moving on screen according to your keyboard actions. This might seem silly, like a caveman discovering his first light switch, but to me at the time, it was the most fantastic experience a computer could ever provide.
Sonic the Hedgehog (Megadrive) - Back in the days of the Megadrive and SNES, I was completely unaware that console wars even existed. Nobody ever told me the SNES was better or vice versa, so I was completely content with my black box of magic tricks. My first game ever, Sonic the Hedgehog was such an amazing game to me, having only ever played on BBCs previously. "Look at the colours", "Its like real life", "Look how fast it is!" - all statements that at the time seemed completely true. Obviously looking back now, its easy to say it looked bad, but at the time this game was incredible. I remember getting completely stuck in the Labyrinth levels for months on end, and the eventual feeling of complete satisfaction when I finally progressed to the next level. Another point to mention is that this game has perhaps the most memorable cheat of all time as well, the level select - up, down, left, right, a + b + c + start - a cheat that most megadrive users still remember today.
Final Fantasy 7 (PS) - After a game like Sonic the Hedgehog, its easy to become used to following preset paths, with perhaps a single one-off fork in the road that only lasts for a minute or so. That fact made Final Fantasy 7 all the more impressive. On my first go, I got lost. Completely. Whilst lost is usually not a good thing, in a game, this was fantastic. It was so big!! I could wander about, end up in another area of Midgar, and talk to a random stranger sat in a cafe drinking a cup of coffee. After completing the game, I now have a map in my mind of the whole of the Final Fantasy world, but it still has holes, meaning that even after several times through the game, I can still take wrong turns. The second factor in making this game so memorable is what Square are best at, CG. The computer generated cut scenes in the game were actually prettier than real life. Sitting aboard a train in Midgar city, discussing what to do next, Cloud Strife, the hero of the game looks out over the city, and the CG kicks in to show the train moving past, whilst panning over the city. Never before had I been so impressed, and this game to me is the best ever, and I haven`t seen any previews to suggest this will change.
Tony Hawk`s Pro Skater 3 (PS2) - Life altering... but for different reasons. This game is perhaps the most addictive I have ever played. It began as a pleasant experience, but progressed onto a thoroughly enjoyable one, before long I was beginning to think it was the best thing since... well... the best thing. The gameplay really is ever expanding. However, this is not why it changed my life. I do not blame this game, as it is really my fault, but I allowed myself to be drawn into the games reach and away from important revision - a mistake I will have to avoid with Final Fantasy 10, expected during my next set of exams. It seems I am merely weak minded, but the power of this game was sufficient to hold my attention when I knew it shouldn`t, and that makes it a hugely powerful experience.
Four games, spread over four gaming platforms - can PS2 be the first to show me two life changing games? Will Metal Gear Solid 2 or Final Fantasy 10 have the same effect? I look forward to the future, and hope that all of you enjoy similar or perhaps even deeper gaming experiences. The potential is truly astounding.
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Not a bad idea that, swapping consoles with a friend for a while. Still, as you point out, it`d be hard to do with your PS2.
Arh Sonic the hedgehog i remember that it was brilliant loved every minute of it, even though i never had a mega drive i swapped my Nitendo for a Mega Drive for abit i think this where the days. I wouldn't dream of giving my PS2 to someone else
Uncle Albert wrote:
>At the moment, I've just left Kalm
> (lovely story about Sephiroth) so, yes, I have an awful long way to go! Just
> think of all those tear-drawing moments you had in the game and then feel
> envious of me, who's yet to experience them.
Very true! There is so much in the game yet to experience. If you like it so much already, you`ll be completely in love with the game by the end of it. Its strange that normally getting beaten by a bad guy in a game is a bad thing, but with FF7, I actually found that I was completely in awe of nearly every boss I met. The first one you meet, that scorpion thing, usually gets the better of first time players, and certainly beat me, but that only added to my admiration for the game. Normally I`d be annoyed at being beaten, but with this game I actually felt genuinely impressed with what the bad guys were capable of.
I think that due to the amount of time it takes to do voices and PS2 quality visuals the PS2 game Final Fantasy 10 could be a little shorter, and perhaps less "free roaming" than previous games. I just hope the "I could get lost here" factor still remains!
>At the moment, I've just left Kalm
> (lovely story about Sephiroth) so, yes, I have an awful long way to go! Just
> think of all those tear-drawing moments you had in the game and then feel
> envious of me, who's yet to experience them.
Very true! There is so much in the game yet to experience. If you like it so much already, you`ll be completely in love with the game by the end of it. Its strange that normally getting beaten by a bad guy in a game is a bad thing, but with FF7, I actually found that I was completely in awe of nearly every boss I met. The first one you meet, that scorpion thing, usually gets the better of first time players, and certainly beat me, but that only added to my admiration for the game. Normally I`d be annoyed at being beaten, but with this game I actually felt genuinely impressed with what the bad guys were capable of.
I think that due to the amount of time it takes to do voices and PS2 quality visuals the PS2 game Final Fantasy 10 could be a little shorter, and perhaps less "free roaming" than previous games. I just hope the "I could get lost here" factor still remains!
d'oh ssxpro's back on his usual game a day spree, ah well
might as well say the inevitable.
Great post, definate gad material ;-)
might as well say the inevitable.
Great post, definate gad material ;-)
Well, fortunately for me, one of my favourite games of all time has yet to be completed by myself? The game? The same one many of you have been discussing - Final Fantasy VII.
The environments...the plot...the characters...the atmosphere...it's all really affected me.
First I had it on PSone many years but got rid of it along with my PSone. Next, I bought it on the PC (thanks SR) but it never was the same. Now though, I've got my PS2 and managed to hunt down a second-hand copy at my local GAME.
At the moment, I've just left Kalm (lovely story about Sephiroth) so, yes, I have an awful long way to go! Just think of all those tear-drawing moments you had in the game and then feel envious of me, who's yet to experience them. Ahhh...life's good sometimes. :)
The environments...the plot...the characters...the atmosphere...it's all really affected me.
First I had it on PSone many years but got rid of it along with my PSone. Next, I bought it on the PC (thanks SR) but it never was the same. Now though, I've got my PS2 and managed to hunt down a second-hand copy at my local GAME.
At the moment, I've just left Kalm (lovely story about Sephiroth) so, yes, I have an awful long way to go! Just think of all those tear-drawing moments you had in the game and then feel envious of me, who's yet to experience them. Ahhh...life's good sometimes. :)
That has been top of the DVD Charts for quite a few months now. :D
By the way, great post SSX Pro.
By the way, great post SSX Pro.
Hey, respect to the erotic witch project mate - it must hold the record for being at the top of dvd sales charts
;-))
;-))
i was going to get an x box just for dead or alive but that erotic witch project would probably do a better job ;)
My PS2 collection is coming along nicely and I'll be getting a gamecube. Still not in any rush to get an X-Box though, the only game I can think of that I'd like to have on that is Halo. Dead or Alive 3 is all well and good but as nice as it looks, its never really felt complete to me. Games like Tekken I think are better cause you feel theres more to do.
yeah i remember when beat em ups were 2D.
the old classic street fighter did it for me. i loved that game it got so addictive.
Then i started playing zelda and i got well into that.
I still get into some of the new games like metal gear 2 i can see myself getting really into that.
Also after seen a few previews on a PSW disk my not so big wants list is starting to look like a big wants list.
i still think that games are still getting good but it's just there isn't so many great ones anymore.
i can list a shed load of classic snes games but only a handful of N64 games.
i think that this year could be good for gaming with the x box and GC round the very big corner and the PS2 line up is starting to look good.
the old classic street fighter did it for me. i loved that game it got so addictive.
Then i started playing zelda and i got well into that.
I still get into some of the new games like metal gear 2 i can see myself getting really into that.
Also after seen a few previews on a PSW disk my not so big wants list is starting to look like a big wants list.
i still think that games are still getting good but it's just there isn't so many great ones anymore.
i can list a shed load of classic snes games but only a handful of N64 games.
i think that this year could be good for gaming with the x box and GC round the very big corner and the PS2 line up is starting to look good.
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