The Five games that define you as a gamer

[Vinterdraken]

Heres my five most defining and influencing games (not in any order) and some very short thought on why. Had a hard time trying to keep the post length to down. These are games I could really talk about for hours.

Silent Hill 3 - Before this game I didnt put much weight on horror games. In fact I thought Resident Evil 1 was the best survival horror ever made before this gem quickly changed my mind and turned my world upside down. It completely changed my standards for horror games and led me to check out the rest of the series. This game made me rethink alot about what games I liked, my position on female protagonists and had a real impact on my life.

Warcraft 2 - Before Warcraft 2 I wasnt really a PC gamer and I had never been a fanboy for anything computer or videogame related. I loved WC2 from the moment I saw it at my cousins house. WC2 was the game that both got me into blizzard games for which I have had great love ever since and into strategy games. It shaped my views of fantasy and inspired me greatly in early forays into roleplaying. Without WC2 I wouldnt have gotten into WC1 or 3, Starcraft or Diablo, all games that really influenced me during the many years I played them. Also, it eventually led me to get into World of Warcraft and to the whole concept of social online gaming. The main reason for me to get WoW was that I was a huge fan of the series and setting and couldnt wait to actually get to walk around Azeroth and explore every inch of it.

Final Fantasy VII - Like the other two games sofar on my list final fantasy VII introduced me to a genre I hadnt really experienced before and made me grow as a gamer and explore entire new vistas and games I had never even thought of before. In this case it was my first look at JRPGs and It got me hooked. I was blown away by the pure epicness and vastness of the game and It got me to go back and find gems like FF6, FF5, Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 - During a certain period of my life HoMM was the default activity to fall back on when you had friends over or where visiting relatives or stuck at fancy parties at my parents friends houses. It was one of the first PC games I really got to play multiplayer with others, especially since we got an internet connection fairly late (and our parents refused to let us use if for gaming the first few years) and I never really got around to any LANs. HoMM3 was a great game and a great way to make friends (and to get into arguements with them).

Frogger - This game really needs to be on my list for a simple reason, this was the first game I ever played and it is what got me set on the road to becoming a gamer. So in some ways this is the game that has had the most influence on me. I was never really good at frogger, mostly because I was really young when I got to try it out on our familys old Atari, or atleast thats the excuse Im going to use, but I could play it for hours if my siblings would let me.

There are so many more games I would like to add to the list... But Im going to stop myself and keep to the five. One thing that struck me when thinking about all the different top games of my life is that most of them had extremely well made soundtracks. It made me reflect about how important the music of a game really is to me personally.

 

[JustShyofGenius]

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Civilization IV
Diablo 2
Morrowind
Perfect Dark

 

[ungothicdove]

Nice thread!

1. Red Alert

This was one of the first games that I remember really loving. My buddy had it and I'd waste away hours whenever he'd let me play. Tanya was also and early gaming crush.

2. Star Wars: Battlefront

This game was one of the first that I bought when I was fledgling gamer. Even today it's such a fun game to play alone or with some friends.

3. Halo: CE

I've put way more time into Halo 2 but Halo was really kind of what started my predilection for FPS games. I remember being really excited for Halo 3 to come out when it was announced but I had just got to college and another game ended up stealing my heart...

4. Half-Life

After becoming friends with a kid in my dorm, he told me to try out Half Life 2. I played for a few hours that night while all my friends were in another room having a get together. I couldn't tear my self away from that game! Needless to say, it was a big reason that spurred me on to build my own computer to play on.

5. Civilization 5

I don't know what to say about this game, I just really enjoy it.

 

[dimensional]

ok quickly

1. FFVII - got me into RPGS I had tried some before both western and JRPGS including FFVI but I really didnt care for them then this game came out and everyone was going on about it so I had a go and absolutely loved it, this game singlehandedly changed my view of RPGS and completely changed my gaming habits it also became my favourite game ever made, no other game has had such an impact on my gaming life.

2.Super Mario Bros - The first game that really impressed me and got me into gaming properly I prefer Super Mario Bros 3 but the first one had more influence on my gaming.

3.Street Fighter 2 - I mainly played turbo but this game was everywhere when I was growing up and it was/is absolutely awesome and got me into fighting games.

Cant really decide on another two I dont think any other game has had as much effect on me as these three so I will just list a few more important ones I remember

Valkyria Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles
Outrun
Bubble Bobble
Soul Calibur
The Longest Journey

 

[Godhead]

1. Dungeon Siege: I tried to play Diablo at a very young age but could never get very far in, then this game came along and was the first true game that I had ever experienced where I would not get bored playing for hours on end. Not to mention the time I would spend at Fortress Kroth and Glacern just to listen to the music.

Spoiler: Seriously

Spoiler: This shit is awesome

2. Battle Realms: Where Dungeon Siege was my first true game, Battle Realms was my first RTS. I still think that it is one of the better to ever come out due to the rice and water system along with the training system instead of "lol I spawn more shit".

3. KOTOR: This was the first time I found out about Bioware, and this led me to find Obsidian through KOTOR 2 along with other RPG's like Baldur's Gate and somehow Deus Ex as well. (Wow a lot of these are "first time I _______")

4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Trilogy: Best survival FPS ever.

5. Spec Ops: The Line: This game really made me think that there was a good moral choice system. It wasn't blatantly obvious so a few of them I didn't even realize until the end, while the ones I did notice were just two different shades of horrible.

 

[Godhead]

snip

I actually remember finding a copy of Masters of Orion at a local game shop. Was to young to truly understand it and now I can't find it anymore.

 

[Wayneguard]

Five games? fuck that ONE game: Morrowind. That one was a life changer right there.

 

[TJSAINT]

1. Oblivion
2. Fallout: New Vegas
3. Fable
4. Dragon Age: Origins
5. Bioshock

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Space Invaders
Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past.
Baldur's Gate
Doom
Final Fantasy 6

And ah hell Morrowind (I know I've gone over but it warrants a mention)

I think that pretty much covers my taste in games and where those tastes come from. I had an argument the other day with my friend about graphics in games and how important they are. Basically I wanted to play Wanderlust and he wanted to play Painkiller co op. It's weird how we are best mates but our tastes in games can be so different.

He also won't play Torchlight 2 because it's too 'cartoony' which is lame because I love playing co op with him :<

snip

I actually remember finding a copy of Masters of Orion at a local game shop. Was to young to truly understand it and now I can't find it anymore.

It's on GOG.com for like a fiver.

 

[Nazulu]

1. Dungeon Siege: I tried to play Diablo at a very young age but could never get very far in, then this game came along and was the first true game that I had ever experienced where I would not get bored playing for hours on end. Not to mention the time I would spend at Fortress Kroth and Glacern just to listen to the music.

Spoiler: Seriously

Spoiler: This shit is awesome

Fuckin' Oaf, that is a good soundtrack. Most people mention pretty average game music, but this shit is great. I'm going to have to check it out. Thanks mate.

Is there any sequels worth getting too?

 

[Haefulz]

Pokemon - My favorite game series of all time, and the one I've spent the most time with. Hands down, this game defines me.

Halo - This was my first game of the previous generation, and paved the way for my enjoyment of FPS games. Sure, I played Goldeneye back in the day, but I never really got into a FPS game until Halo, and the entire series has been something me and my friends all enjoy together.

Rainbow Six Vegas - This was the first online multiplayer game I ever got into, and still one of my favorite multiplayer games of all time.

Oblivion - My first game of the current generation, and probably the game I've sunk the most hours into for any single game this generation. Skyrim was awesome and better, but I played Oblivion way more.

Banjo-Kazooie - My first N64 game, and still my favorite platformer of all time. The worlds were just amazing, the puzzles and collecting was fun, and the platforming/move system was second to none.

Damn, we have 3 games in common.
That's quite a strange coincidence, although 2 of yours are series' rather than specific games.
WERE YOU THE GOBLIN ON MY SHOULDER ALL ALONG???

I wasn't even going to try to decide my favorite Pokemon game. The series as a whole is amazing, and keeps getting better. That said, my favorite generation is without a doubt Gen 2.

 

[jpenning]

1. Doom
Fighting demons from hell in space? I couldn't load that game fast enough when I heard of it.

2. Duke Nukem 3D
Guns, Strippers, toilet humour and a jetpack

3. Demon's souls
just one of those games you get obsessed with and have that love/hate relationship with

4. Morrowind
I have lost count of the amount of hours me and my brother have spent on that game

5. Battletanx Global Assault "N64 version"
Me and my brother played the co-op campaign COUNTLESS times and we still run through it every now and then.

 

[Strazdas]

1. civilization
im the kind of guy that likes to turn on his pc in the morning, start a nice long 40 hours huge map game and enjoy it for the whole weekend, preferably with tea and candy.
2. War and Peace
unlike most games, it cares more about the economy than about the fighting, and i care more about the economy in any game i play.
3. Stronghold
Once agian much into economy but i picked this one for its ability to create massive battles. i used to make my own maps, and created an onslaught of enemy soldiers coming nonstop for 20-40 hours while having to defend, sometimes up to 1000 person in the map at the same time (technically they claim the limit of 1000 was removed in stronghold legends, practically i found they lied, the limit is still there, the enemies dont spawn after that, its just that you get 1000 of every colour, so if you got 7 colour of enemies, thats effectively 7000)
4. Eve Online
Im new in eve online (barely 3 years of gaming, and ive met people who play for 10) but im loving it. It has the best market system of any game. it has the ability to chose your destiny. i am an industrualist and perfectly happy without any pvp. people fight wars with what i produce, and i just count isk hehehe.
5. Its not that easy to pick the last one. actually had to give it osme thought. I dont think i can faily fit any of the games i want to place here without hurting others. So im going with an easy choice.
Worms armaggedon. Countless hours of fun with family and friends. I used to specialize in bazooka, he specialized in grenades, we had some awesome duels.


So as you can see im a failry industral player. give me thingsto build and i dont need things to kill.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

Well, I feel that the following 5 games represent me very well:

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Yes, not Sonic 1, not Sonic & Knuckles, the first video game I ever owned, but Sonic 2. Why? Because aside from being the first Sonic title that I have ever played, it was also the first video game that got me interested in video games to the point where I wanted to buy a console and start owning games. I have enjoyed the NES, SNES, and various arcade titles, but none of them got me excited about video games as Sonic 2 did.

2. Final Fantasy X
Why not any preceding and "debatable" better numbered titles? Because I owned a PS2 and Final Fantasy X was the first FF game on the PS2. It was also the first RPG to get me interested in other RPGs, making it one of my favorite genres.

3. Devil May Cry
I'm not a huge Devil May Cry fan, and I've only played DMC 1, 2, and 4, but DMC was the game that helped me get desensitized by all the mature content and gore that is common ground in this day and age. Before DMC, I couldn't play Jurassic Park for the SNES, Onimusha on the PS2, etc. Being able to deal some serious damage to those Marionettes in style gave me the confidence to press on and only deal more seriously stylish carnage.

4. Bioshock
Why not SystemShock 2? Again, Bioshock came first to me. This was the first title that proved to me that a FPS can be more than dull, repetitive, DLC spewing, multiplayer death matches, and could actually provide an enthralling single player campaing, a great story, a daunting atmosphere, customization to fit you're play style, and having options on how to dispose of your foes. After Bioshock, I've kept an open mind to many FPS and Third-Person Shooters, both obscure and mainstream.

5. Tetris
I'm good at Tetris, plain and simple. Everyone has that one game, be it casual or complex, that they are inherently good at. They can play it for weeks like a champ, put it down for several months, and pick it back up as if a day hasn't gone by without them playing it.

 

[Shadow flame master]

My top five in no apparent order:

1. Kingdom Hearts. I can't choose one for the life of me, but it was the first game that got me to actually give a damn about it's characters, and had villains (or should I say 'fucking bastard Xehanort') that I generally detested. Not to mention its amazing soundtrack.

2. Pokemon. Although I can't say anything for generations one and two, gen three (specifically Emerald) was my first and current favorite. The other games I own are Platinum and Heart Gold. The franchise is good for wasting time and procrastination which is why it is on my list. Also, yes, I like mudkips.

3. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. This was the first game that got me to think about how to kill my enemies. That still didn't save me from falling in lava for the up-tenth time. I love the sailing and overall art theme of the game as well.

4. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. I've had other mario titles before this (Sunshine, Super Mario World SNES) but this one was my favorite by far for its art. It was also the first proper turn based rpg game that I've had (yes, before pokemon). The bosses were also the hardest I've ever fought before Kingdom Hearts.

5. Halo 3. The first fps I have ever played. I loved almost every minute of it (fuck the flood) and was equally pleased with the way the felt. I also just love sci-fi.

 

[AngloDoom]

In no particular order:

1: Kirby Super Star - One of my first games and the first co-op game I'd ever seen that I spent from my childhood to my teens playing with my closest friend. I guess it symbolises my love of silly, cute, fun games and sharing them with friends.

2: Pokemon Blue - My gateway drug into the world of obsession. Not only did I complete my Pokedex and quickly level my Pokemon to Lv. 100, eight year old Anglo got his own inflatable chair, covered it in Pokemon stickers, and declared himself Gym Leader of the street. When Pokemon Stadium came out I was the only child on my street to have it, and all the other children fought me on the game to try and earn their gym badge I made myself. Obsession was fun.

3: Kingdom Hearts - A game that made my fall in love with a strange fantastic setting and gave me daydreams of adventuring to other worlds to this very day. Also a game I introduced to a friend which got her into gaming and also my longest lasting relationship.

4: Bioshock - The first game I'd seen which had used the medium itself to deliver a (very poignant) message in a highly effective way. I don't think I've ever seen such a thing done as well in any game since, and Bioshcok was the game which makes me believe that games, can indeed, be art.


5. Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time - The first game to challenge me mentally and test my patience as well as probably the first 'serious' game I ever played. OoT scared me, excited me, puzzled me, and most of all made me feel like I'd completed a journey. It took me over a year to complete the game, despite playing it religiously, but no game had ever felt so big and never before had I felt like the destined hero. I travelled through vast distances and times to save that princess before realising I never once gave a flying fuck about her - I just enjoyed the journey. The first game I was sad to complete.

----------


This was actually a good little exercise. It's made me realise that if Nintendo went back to creating fun, colourful, adventurous platformers instead of gimmicky games I'd fall back in love with games all over again.
I didn't realise until now just how much I love Nintendo, despite what it's become.

 

[Jinx]

1. Spyro
One of the first games I have ever played. It hooked me up to the game world.

2. Gothic 1 & 2
This one influenced me the most. I think of it as the peak of open world RPGs and measure every new game with it. So far every single one is below "Gothic" standard. Really well made story with characters that actually have personalities (that includes main character, even though he has no name he's not just some soulless blob you can see in Elder scrolls and similar titles)

3. Morrowind
This is my second favourite game after Gothic. Hudge open world that actually feel nice and real. You can peek into the life of every NPC, find many caves to explore. Really nice atmosphere.

4. Thief 2 & 3
I like stealth, when I was a kid I used to pick locks and break into the schools or kindergartens. I remember meticulously collecting metal springs from the street cleaner and making pick locks from them, buying metal wire and crafting a super awesome bow. Because of this game, I have some real life skills right now

5. Team fortress 2
My most favourite FPS.

 

[NinjaSniperAssassin]

Wacky Races
An old PC kart racer, similar to Mario Kart. Until I was 10 the only game system I had was my parents' computer, and this was the game I played far more than any other. It was the game that got me into videogames.

NHL 99
The first sports game I'd ever played, but the reason this defines me is that it made me interested in more than just my team (go Canucks go!). Before this game came around I watched the hockey games on TV and cheered on my squad, but I never really cared about other teams or their players. Playing as other teams in the league made me interested in who these players were I was controlling and was really the first time I'd cared about the NHL when there wasn't a game on TV.

Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
The first ever console game I owned, I've beaten it well over a dozen times. On top of that, an included demo for the third game caused me to buy my first issue of the Official US Playstation Magazine, which in turn caused me to start keeping up with video game news. Wacky Races may have gotten me into videogames but R&C:GC made me a gamer.

Devil May Cry 3
This was my first ever M-rated game. It kicked my ass. This was the first time I'd really been challenged by a videogame (remember, no pre-PS2 consoles), and I kinda liked it. I point to this game as the one that started my habit of playing everything on the hardest difficulty setting.

Persona 3
The game that kick-started my love affair with character-driven games, as well as introducing me to the first game story I'd ever cared about. Before playing this game I'd never really become emotionally invested in a game's story, but after completing it I realized how much I'd been missing out on by only caring about gameplay.

 

[Aeonknight]

Chrono Trigger

FFIV

.hack series

BF3

FFXI


... Yea, those games would probably be either my most heavily invested in or influential games.

 

[Omega Pirate]

The legend of Zelda Majoras Mask
This game is what started my obsession with the Zelda series. Also I love the dark undertones the game has. The first 3D game I ever played, influenced me a lot, for better or for worse.

Pokemon Crystal Version
The first Pokemon game I ever played. This was at a time where my family was at a low point in terms of money and sanity. I put quite a fee hours into it since it was my only game at the same. Even more I borrowed it and the gameboy color from a friend of mine.

Tales of Symphonia
I found final fantasy boring, tales of symphonia showed me what a JRPG could be. Needless to say its one of the foundations from which my love for anime came. The other being DBZ.

Monster Hunter Tri
What I found in hack and slash games is the amount of combos you can do is useless, the best way to win is to yu the most basic combo over and over again. Monster Hunters actions are limited in number, but the way you utilize them is up to you. This is the kind of game I want to play.

Those 4 games shaped me, they have influenced my personality, my likes, my dislikes, my goals, my dreams. They made me who I am.

As for the 5th spot, I honestly can't think of any game that has shaped me as much as those 4 have. I spent about a year playing runescape, I dont regret it. But the game has not influenced me at the same level as the above. I think I will give my 5th spot to...

Knights in the Nightmare
I always look for fun and interesting gameplay. Knight is the first one in years to have impressed me to the core. I loved everything about the game. I guess that one DS game restored my faith in game developers, if they can make such a masterpiece I will continue to look forward to what they will make in the future as an industry.