Your gaming 3*3

[HotChops]

4. Metal Gear Solid - By the time I finished MGS, I couldn't help but notice that the first two hours of the game were dramatically different from the latter portions. I loved the beginning of MGS -- the real world locations, politics, weapons and military jargon got my blood pumping, but I thought the over-the-top characters like Revolver Ocelot and Psycho Mantis to be really stupid. MGS was very influential in my gaming tastes because it showed me that I loved gritty, realistic military games, and that I really disliked preachy, weird, Japanese-developed games.

No love for MGS3 then? Shame.

 

Well, I liked MGS2, but like most people I was disappointed to play as Raiden. I eventually swapped it for MGS2 Substance, which brought back one of my favorite features of MGS, the VR missions.

 

I didn't get around to trying MGS3 until a few years ago. At first I liked it, but very quickly I found the game's controls incredibly frustrating. The camera kept screwing me, and I couldn't sneak up on anyone for crap. I soon gave up on the control stick and started tapping the directional pad to get close to enemies. Despite these adjustments, I finally got so damn pissed off that I gave up on the damn thing. when I complained on the forums, everyone said the problem was that I should have played MGS 3 Subsistence, which fixed many of those problems. While I certainly don't doubt that, I can't help but feel like that's total bullshit. If the game is unplayable unless you play the updated version, then I don't really think its fair for people to say MGS3 is a good game. They should say that MGS3: Subsistence is a good game.

[toxicitizen]

The original version of MGS 3 is just as playable as Subsistence. It just has that top-down camera every previous MGS game had and some people don't like it.

 

The Subsistence version is pretty much the same except for an added and completely optional 3rd-person camera.

It helped in some contexts and absolutely did not work in others. I found myself constantly switching between the two.

 

Subsistence is hands-down the superior version of the product, but to say that the original version is unplayable is a gross exaggeration.

[HotChops]

The original version of MGS 3 is just as playable as Subsistence. It just has that top-down camera every previous MGS game had and some people don't like it.

 

The Subsistence version is pretty much the same except for an added and completely optional 3rd-person camera.

It helped in some contexts and absolutely did not work in others. I found myself constantly switching between the two.

 

Subsistence is hands-down the superior version of the product, but to say that the original version is unplayable is a gross exaggeration.

 

You know what's fucked up? I think you're right. I feel crazy saying that I couldn't make MGS3 work for me. Everyone else loves it, and it's not like I don't have the skills. I kicked the shit out of every other MG game prior to MGS 3, so why was MGS3 such a problem for me?

 

Ugh... I still have the damn game. I'm about to pop it in and try again just to test my own sanity. Perhaps I had an ache in my balls the first time I played through MGS3 and that's why I couldn't make it work

[Heartless]

I wasn't crazy about Metal Gear Solid 3's camera but it was far from a deal-breaker for me.

 

Sent with 20/20 hindsight.

[SixTwoSixFour]

 

God Hand

 

I must have played through this baby a half-dozen times. It has the BEST combination of action and humor that I've ever seen, and it's a game that has the balls to try stuff no one else could get away with. A boss duo that is flagrantly gay. A special move that consists of begging for forgiveness. The ability to spank a woman to death. And all of this with the best combat system before or... well, maybe not since, Bayonetta is pretty amazing, but honestly, between the two of them it's a close call. Hilarious cultural humor, off kilter style, and action that just won't relent.

 

Tales of Phantasia

 

Back when I was still a kid, my older sister was sort of my mentor in getting started as a gamer. She didn't have trouble getting me to like games... she had trouble getting me to have good taste in games. I liked Batman Forever for SNES, for god's sake. So one day, she showed me an emulator on the family computer, SNES9x, and a translated copy of Tales of Phantasia, my first JRPG.

 

This game has it all. Beautiful art, great story, great characters, writing that was no doubt not nearly as good in the original Japanese, but the translators did a HELL of a job, awesome combat system... and holy shit, it even had VOICEWORK. On the SUPER NINTENDO. Not a lot of it, but damn. I still think it's the best game on the SNES... and perhaps the best RPG of all time.

 

Super Street Fighter IV

 

So, I've always hated fighting games. Always. But when SSFIV came out, at a budget price, I thought to myself, "oh, what the hell, it's not like I have any other releases to be excited about right now." ...Now I've logged 200 hours on the game, I'm hooked. All the stuff about fighting games that I never understood finally clicked, and I now play online competently enough to have some fun. It's great, it taught me how awesome fighting games can be.

 

Perfect Dark

 

Goldeneye deserves respect, but Perfect Dark is the game that really brought it all home. Perfect Dark is the game that my friends and I have been playing SINCE RELEASE. The recent rerelease on 360 has made things easier, but it is just so perfect. Incredible customization, tons of weapons with unique alternate fires, so many modes... I just wish they hadn't taken away the ability to put human heads on alien bodies in the 360 version. That was good times.

 

Chrono Trigger

 

If Tales of Phantasia is the game that taught me to respect the JRPG, then Chrono Trigger is the game that taught me to love it. Wonderful characters, writing, action, plot, great settings, I mean come ON, this game is as close to perfect as I can imagine a game getting. I literally cannot think of a single thing about this game that I would want to change. Multiple endings... god, this game had it all.

 

Final Fantasy X

 

Honestly, I enjoyed the game, but it didn't really blow me away. Then why is it here? Two words: To Zanarkand. That has got to be the prettiest goddamn song I have ever heard, and thanks to its power, FFX remains the only game to ever make me cry. It's just such a powerful, sad song....

 

Devil May Cry

 

"Let's rock, baby!" And with that, all my preconceptions about what an action game was were blown out the window. Devil May Fucking Cry, ladies and gentlemen. The game that taught the world that it's not what you kill... it's how you do the killing. Juggling enemies with gunfire, leaping off an enemy's face, Devil May Cry was style incarnate and it blew me away.

 

Metal Gear Solid

 

My first Mature game, incidentally. I was wildly underage when I bought it, I had to pay my sister's friend to buy it for me. I booted it up, I ran for the enemy base, and I was getting close, when... "Huh? Whose footprints are these?" You should have seen my face. I was just stunned. And throughout the experience, MGS continued to amaze with not just its incredible attention to detail, but its great voicework, action, level design, and story. I love the whole MGS series, but honestly, they're all just playing catchup to the glory of the original that left us all in awe.

 

Mass Effect 2

 

You know a game has really, really made a difference when you start using its swear words. Yes, I have caught myself using "keelah" and "bosh'tet" in casual conversation. My brother in law was a little confused. ME2 is really the ultimate game- amazing writing, great combat, great characters, great graphics (not that that's high on my priority list), an immense world, and so much to do. And Tali. Oh man, Tali. I still say she's the best written character I've ever seen.

 

Side note- that's some pretty hilarious image cropping, Mosaic Maker.

[excel_excel]

Pokemon Blue

Ahh my first ever Game Boy game (got it for xmas along with a Color!)

It was perfect. Such an absorbing adventure, just travelling and battling with your pokemon. Creating that bond with static 2D sprites was just amazing.

 

Doom

The first game to scare me and grip me within its atmosphere. That alone makes my list.

 

Super Mario Bros 3

Super Mario Bros 1 was one of my first games, SMB 3 was my best game I'd ever played at that time. It was simply the greatest sequel of all time. Everything, the music, the graphics, the suits, the worlds, the map. And the sheer fun factor and all those hidden bells and whistles made it a dream come true. My childhood game in a nutshell. (LONG LIVE THE KURIBO SHOE!)

 

Super Mario 64

The first true open world game. Each level was like a playground, just unbelievably great design and the PERFECT transition into 3D for a game character ever. The music in the water levels, the Wing cap, the bowser battles, peach's secret slide. So many memories from this.

 

Final Fantasy IX

My first Final Fantasy that I played and the first one I finished. It didn't do anything revolutionary but everything it did, it did really well. Great characters, great graphics, great music, just a great journey. Was VII better? Perhaps, but this will always be the number one Final Fantasy in my heart.

 

Goldeneye

The mulitplayer game of my youth. And the single player was fantastic.

 

Resident Evil 4

The perfect action game. I don't think I've ever played a game so tightly oiled at Resident Evil 4. Looked amazing, the atmosphere was perfect, the weapons had real kick, the story is my fave in Resi lore and the gunplay was so satisfying. Has yet to be bettered in the action genre.

 

Metal Gear Solid 3

Maybe it was the extremely satisfying gameplay,the little digs Kojima throws in at MGS2, the amazing bosses or the most incredible ending I've ever seen, MGS3 is easily my favourite Metal Gear game. MGS1 was amazing, MGS2 was a extremely novel and satisfying way of making a sequel, but 3 effected me more than either one. THAT ENDING.

 

The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time

Just the most immersive game I've ever played. Hyrule became a living breathing place when I played the game, and its amazing presentation, sublime gameplay design and innovation all added to the experience. That feeling when you walked out to Hyrule field for the first time and realised how open and huge it was and how the game had just begun was amazing. The feeling you got when you got to become Adult Link and realised that the amazing journey you'd had up till then wasn't even half of this amazing game was just indescribable. Everything, the atmosphere, the world, the puzzles, the bosses, the music, was perfect.

Edited January 24, 2011 by excel_excel

[ZTF]

1. Alien Soldier

Discovered this while trying to complete my Treasure collection. Treasure is my favorite developer, and this is my favorite game. In my mind, it's the closest thing to a perfect game there is: blistering action, simple concept but complex tactics, and extremely rewarding.

 

2. Gunstar Heroes

One of the earlier games I've played, it has sentimental value for me because I beat it one awesome afternoon with my Dad. I do the occasional play through usually once every two months.

 

3. Kirby's Dream land

This was the first game I've ever beaten. Not much more to it then that.

 

4. Ragnarok Online

My very first online game was also my first MMO. I was not prepared. I played this my freshmen summer in high school. It destroyed me. I remember one specific instance where I was playing at 4 or 5 in the morning and nodded off. When I woke up around 7, I was a level higher then my last memory. I decided to get some sleep after that.

 

5. Final Fantasy IV

My first RPG. I actually played the PS1 re-release version (loading times and all). I remember the only reason I bought it was to impress the girl across the street who was into RPGs (I had no experience with them previously). I think I became a true "gamer" after this RPG baptism.

 

6. Metal Gear Solid

The first "serious" game I enjoyed. It was also the first game that made me think (the ones before where usually mindless platformers or other action games). Because of this, I tend to overindulge the philosophical aspects of the MGS series.

 

7. Persona 4

The most recent game on the list, I played this during a pretty shitty time in my life. I wasn't employed, wasn't going to school, and had pretty much given up on life. Though I'd be hesitant to say Persona 4 inspired me to get out of this funk, it definitely nurtured me during a possibly dangerous part of my life. Also, it was a great friggen game.

 

8. Guilty Gear X2

Though not my first fighter, it was the first game that I played semi-professionally. I had daily practice sessions and went to a lot of local (and some not so local) tournaments. It was also the first game that I broke a controller on (fuck you, Faust).

 

9. Commander Keen

The earliest gaming memories I have are of this unassuming DOS game. I really should play through it again sometime.

[Mercurial]

I would love to do this, but fuck me I am too lazy.

[BrainHurtBoy...2]

 

The one with the partially obscured logo is Dragon Quest VI. Played that game in Hong Kong, and after a few yeras of playing no games whatsoever, that really got me back into games.

[deanb]

Caveman you needed to download the image then host it yourself, they take the images out their cache/servers after a while.

[Johnny]

 

There are so many more, and which are the most influential is probably a question I would answer differently from moment to moment. I'm not very good at making definitive "lists" of things. Other games I want to include on here is Klonoa, Metroid 2, Metroid Prime, Quake III: Arena, Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner, Woprld of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Duke Nukem 3D, SSX Tricky, Beyond Good & Evil, Zelda: A link To The Past, Chrono Trigger, etc.

 

Diablo II:

I remember first time I played this at a friend's place. I made a Barbarian and got killed directly outside of the Rogue Encampment several times. I then restarted using a sorceress with my friend joining in on their other computer. We played for several hours straight and I was immediately struck by the dark graphics, score, the loot and the high speed of the game.

The road to Act IV and striking down Diablo was amazing, and then came the expansion with Druids and Assasins. Diablo II was a stellar experience and even if some of it's elements have grown old and stale, I still hold it as the best of it's kind.

 

StarCraft:

While StarCraft wasn't the first e-sport I had encountered - I had played a lot of counter-strike before I even got interested in RTSes - it was surely the most engaging. Not to mention it's brilliant campaign, beautiful 2D sprites and wonderful music.

Even with it's archaic pathfinding, controls and interface, StarCraft shone as the best RTS ever until the moment it's sequel was released.

This still makes me laugh.

 

Half-Life:

Revolutionizing first-person shooter storytelling, Half-Life gripped me and many others with it's brilliant singleplayer which (almost) holds up to this day.

And the mods! Oh the mods. The modern semi-realistic shooter genre owes so much to Counter-Strike. It's sad to see it in the state it is today.

 

Half-Life 2:

Building upon everything that it's predecessor did well, Half-Life 2 had some of the best characters ever and was set in one of the most detailed game worlds I've ever encountered. Not only is the oppression that people find themselves in immediately obvious without anyone actually telling us they are oppressed, the world itself shows signs of the Combine's influence.

 

Super Smash Bros. Melee:

It's filled with glitches and strange, hidden mechanics and it may not be the most balanced fighter, but beneath the surface of this party-fighter lies a competitive fighting accident in one of the fastest-paced fighters on the market. Super Smash Bros. Melee when played to tournament rules is the most mindgame-heavy game I've ever played. It is the definition of winning by tricking your opponent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ZLf6AZXQc

 

Heroes of Might and Magic III:

Terrible balance? Check. Shallow strategy? Check. Amazing music and presentation wrapped into so many different factions, creatures and items that, no matter what, we did not notice or care about it's flaws? Check.

 

Planescape: Torment:

The engine is outdated. The graphics are rubbish. The combat is as stale as any Infinity Engine game. The world is amazing. The characters are deep and interesting. The conversations make Dragon Age and Mass Effect look like kid's stuff. The voice acting, music and art design together make this game absolutely engrossing even before you start digging into the story. Planescape: Torment is by far the best role-playing game I've ever played.

 

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Morrowind had the most believable world of any game I played. NPC interaction was a joke, combat felt clunky and archaic, and the graphics aged very quickly.

Nevertheless, the whole game managed to hammer one line of thought into my mind: You are just a pardoned prisoner, a newcomer to this strange, alien landscape. There be monsters, and you must be careful.

It took me hours before I felt like I could handle going outside of the safe zones. And when I did, I was immediately informed that I really couldn't handle it.

Then Oblivion came out and I lost pretty much all respect for Bethesda.

 

Devil May Cry:

DMC was the first time this kind of action game had truly worked great in 3D, and in my opinion it's the best in the series.

Sure, it was stylish and flashy, but it also had a dark atmosphere completely missing from the later titles.

Edited January 31, 2011 by Johnny

[McBeeferton]

The site isn't working at the moment.

[King Jimmeh]

But why?

[deanb]

You know one of the weirdest things about you beefy is your love of EVE. I'm kinda similar. I'm not much of a subbing MMO kinda guy, but I'd like to get into EVE some more.

[Dee]

A little late to the game here but I thought I'd make one of these myself:

 

 

1) Xenogears

Not your perfect specimen of a game, but pretty damn close. It's got a lot of the elements I enjoy in the video game: sci-fi, great plot, wonderful character development and con-tro-ver-sy. Okay, so it was no "I did not have sexual relations with this woman" but it's just a downright great game. I've always been drawn more towards a game with a story and, as expected, equally wonderful characters to make it interesting and this one did it for me.

 

2) Silent Hill 2

I was going to pick the first Silent Hill because it's great, but SH2 had a bigger impact on me emotionally. I'm not gonna say anything for fear of spoiling but it really hit me enough that I couldn't finish playing it right away.

 

3) Heavy Rain

Another great story-telling game that I just adore. Love the concept. Love how you can play multiple characters with an almost infinite amount of outcomes. The characters were brilliant, human, real and I think it was a great game.

 

4)/5) Resident Evil 2/Resident Evil 4 (I'm just going to include both of these together)

I've always adored the Resident Evil series, but both of them have my favorite character in it, Leon Kennedy. I got to watch him transform from a scrawny, brunette police officer to a blond-haired beauty with his biceps busting out of the seems (okay, so maybe not as bad as Chris). Both games were just fun as hell and I enjoyed them.

 

6)Uncharted

When it comes to story telling, Naughty Dog knows what they're doing. Sure, it's a little cliche--or a lot. But the characters are the reason this series holds a special place in my heart.

 

7) Final Fantasy VII

I know, I know. WHY, you ask? Well, it was my first experience with the FF series way back when I was maybe 11 or so and its elements, plot, characters, like the rest of these games, managed to worm their way into my heart. I wrote a shit tone of fan fiction for this one and I've got a lot of the action figures, the spin-offs (sadly, aside from Crisis Core), you name it. D:

 

8) Assassin's Creed II

'Kay, aside from the fact that Ezio is flippin' hot, I rather enjoyed this game. I did not care so much for the first one, but the concept is what kept me interested. Like I said, I'm a character/story development kinda gamer, and Assassin's Creed has some good story-telling/great characters. What I liked so much about AC II is that we got to experience Ezio's life from birth to...well, we're still not done yet. But there were so many facets to him developed in a great way that the game is hard NOT to love. Sure, it's a bit repetitive and irritating at times, but it's on my favorites list.

 

9) Parasite Eve

This was actually one of my first survival-horror RPGs and, while it was done well, stick with me over the years. It was kind of the kick off to my love for survival horrors. I did not play Resident Evil as I was only 10 at the time and probably forbidden to play such scary games, but when I was 12, I played Parasite Eve and thus began a wonderful relationship.

Edited March 1, 2011 by Dee

[deanb]

psst, it's usually expected to explain your choices a bit too

[Dee]

psst, it's usually expected to explain your choices a bit too

 

I know, I know. I tried to and then some personal things came up and I decided I would go into a bit more detail later. Sorry. T_T

[P4: Gritty Reboot]

 

Half-Life (Series) - Yeah, it's cheating to put "series" on here, but I can't think of many franchises in which every game is excellent and builds off the last one. I have played through the entire saga (less Episode 3 of course!) back-to-back multiple times, so I pretty much consider it one game. Brilliant, immersive, compelling, excellent game and story.

 

Metroid Prime - The first and in some ways only FPS on consoles that I can truly just sit back and enjoy. Totally gorgeous game world, awesome exploration, inventive bosses, just a great game overall.

 

LoZ: Ocarina of Time - What can I say that hasn't been said? This game immersed me in its world and never let go.

 

Diddy Kong Racing - An off-the-wall pick, but this game is still the best kart racer out there. This was the only game I had on my N64 for the first year I owned the system, so I memorized every track, banana, balloon, and silver coin location. I just replayed this a couple months back, and it holds up.

 

Chrono Trigger - I just finished this game about a week ago for the first time, and it's already changed my perspective on what a good game should be. Branching storylines, an open world (eventually), likable characters, truly gripping stories, enjoyable combat, great graphics - this game basically addressed every complaint I have about the JRPG genre.

 

Myst - I played this game years after it came out, but its world really grabbed me. I played all the sequels except V, and the games continued to be compelling even after the genre all but died. The sense of loneliness, the creative (if sometimes illogical) puzzles, I just loved the spooky feel of exploring abandoned worlds.

 

C&C: Red Alert 2 - When I was growing up, if I got in trouble, my parents wouldn't ground me, they would simply ban me from playing Red Alert 2 for a while. I would straighten up right away, of course. This was the first RTS I really sunk my teeth into, in spite of playing Age of Empires and some others before it. I loved the humor in this game, and though I sucked at it horribly, skirmishes were a blast.

 

Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast - Story, gameplay, Force powers, lightsaber duels, this was the embodiment of all my childhood Jedi fantasies. We played the crap out of the multiplayer aspect, but it was the singeplayer that will stick with me forever. I recently replayed this one, and it does hold up (it's much better than Force Unleashed, by the way.)

 

Counter-Strike (1.5) - This was the reigning champ at all my LAN parties growing up. Though we'd try other games, eventually the night always ended in CS. I was good in our group of friends, but I got killed online most of the time. I love the balance, the skill required, the unforgiving damage modelling. Just a really fun game overall.

[Saturnine Tenshi]

 

Eventually, I succumbed to exasperation and clicked the generate image link. A selection of nine is friggin' limiting, and could never capture my throbbing fervor. I don't like you, Dean. You will never be in my top nine. In no particular order:

 

 

Suikoden: Pretty much my first jaunt into this generation of role-playing games, and a welcome introduction to the console. Suikoden showed me that you can take a classical novel, reproduce only the most fundamental constituents and output pure captivation. From the variety in gameplay(traditional JRPG, duels, overhead strategy) to the scope of characters(108 recruitable) to a plot concerning politics and war imbued with the welcome fantasy of the realm.

 

 

Ys: The Oath in Felghana: This is where Ys III: Wanderers from Ys would rest if Falcom didn't deem it worthy of a splendiferous remake. Good gawd. This is the PC version, mind you. Why would I not go with the superlative anything on these lists? Never has a video game since the original Ninja Gaiden given me so much unremitting trouble. It gnawed at my skull, eventually sinking its dagger-like fangs in and sticking with me. Absolutely heart-pounding music and gripping gameplay rank this as number one when it comes to combat systems.

 

Counter-Strike: While it was by no means my hymen-sundering first-person shooter, Counter-Strike has long lingered. If I were to somehow cull all of the time spent in the game, its mods and leagues, I would surely be less of a failure today. Since the game first released, I never once completely stopped playing. Until the release of Source.

 

Baldur's Gate: The PC version, of course. None of this hack-n-slash Dragon Age 2 nonsense. The original is what cemented Bioware in my heart for some time, rendering the realm of Dungeons and Dragons in ways that only Planescape: Torment could top. Unfortunately, Torment's charm was a level below Baldur's Gate — poor Obsidian.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onczabODwMY

 

Shadow Hearts: This represents the series, not just "Shadow Hearts". Koudelka, Shadow Hearts and Shadow Hearts: Covenant. Because Shadow Hearts: From the New World was comparative trash. Sorry, little one. Dark, amusing, darkly amusing and, above all, a game with the neck-stroking might to leaved you ensorcelled. Never did I have so much fun collecting homosexual porn and rubbing my musclebound frame against another man's greasy paunch. Also: alternate history is welcome.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c6vHp2_vac

 

Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel: Again, this is representative of the entire series. Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia, Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica and Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel. With Ar tonelico, Gust orchestrates many things; foremost, the marriage of visual novel and role-playing game. Not only are you threaded into the quilt of overlapping tales, but you nudge your way into the heart of the heroines. It's a shame that the game's image is... besmirched by its lascivious content. Yes, there is some lechery here, but it's the layer of milky film atop your favorite drink. In its maw roils a beastly stitching of captivating story, ear-swooning diapasons and gorgeous presentation. Ar tonelico slumbers at the top of my pantheon.

 

 

Xenogears: At a time when Squaresoft had failed me with their latest Final Fantasy release, Humdrum 7: Cloudskiville, Xenogears helped maintain their status. A science fantasy wet dream wrapped around a chronicle of love that transcends generations, where could they go wrong? Well, in budget cuts and rushed development. Second disc follies included, Xenogears reminded me just how bewitching these odysseys can be.

 

Final Fantasy VI: If Xenogears was the picture of delightful storytelling in video games, FFVI was its harbinger. While it wasn't my first Final Fantasy, it was through Final Fantasy VI that I discovered a love for narrative in video games, that I found the medium could be an architect of a world apart. Also, the cast of characters was just great. <3 Kefka. Saddening it marked the descent of the franchise.

 

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind: With its sprawling 3D world, many approaches to character customization and boundless side-quests, what wasn't there to enjoy about Morrowind? It brought the CRPG to life in a time — like present day — when it was faltering.

Edited April 9, 2011 by Saturnine Tenshi

[Connorrrr]

 

Okay here it is. I was thinking about this for ages... and to be honest, if you asked me again tomorrow I'd probably change my mind on some of these, but as I had to come up with it from the top of my head, these are what I pulled out.

 

Honourable mentions: Persona 4, Mass Effect, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, Ocarina of Time, Pokemon Snap, Pokemon Blue, Civilisation IV... Probably some others.

 

Okay, explanation time

 

Killer 7 - I adored this game. I can't remember what made me pick it up, but it was just amazing. It's my favourite game of all time. It was so strange but it's political nature made me really think about it... The characters were great, finding out how they became the Killer7, and how they came to possess the abilities they have, was mindblowing.

 

Final Fantasy IX - It was my first Final Fantasy game, and most people enjoy their first one more right? But I do think there's more to it than that. When all the recent Final Fantasy games had miserable, emo heroes who didn't much care about their companions, along came Zidane, with his happy-go-lucky attitude and kind caring personality for his companions, it was a breath of fresh air. Not to mention, Vivi is the most badass mage in the series.

 

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Man, this was difficult. Of all the Ace Attorney games, I had to pick just one to put in the 3x3... In the end I settled for the first one just because it was the first one to do what it did, but you can take it to mean that I'm talking about the whole series here, or at least the Phoenix Wright arc. The stories these games spun were awesome, the characters were so numerous, and yet so memorable, that I could probably name most of them in this post, even the ones that only appeared once.

 

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - I love the Metal Gear Solid series... I had trouble deciding between this one and the two the preceded it, but in the end I settled for MGS 3 because of the very raw, personal story that wasn't really apparent in the other games. While others had huge, sweeping stories of nuclear warfare and the patriots and what have you, this one, which still contained all that in itself, was more, at its core, a story about a man, and it was an amazing story, perhaps the first game to draw tears from me at the end.

 

Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars - Not a common choice, I know, but this was my first adventure game and it was awesome. I loved the story, I loved the main character, Geroge Stobart. It's a shame they degraded in quality as the series went on, but I remember the first two in the series being simply great. This was before I had played games like Monkey Island and Sam and Max.

 

The World Ends With You - This was and in my opinion, still is the freshest RPG to come out of Japan in a long, long time. The story was great, with plot twists and complications to keep me playing. It was interesting, it did something new, the battle system was great fun once you got the hang of it.

 

Crash Bandicoot - One of the strongest gaming memories I have as a child was of me finally completing this game, defeating Cortex, saving Crash's sister... It was platforming greatness.

 

Kingdom Hearts - The first game that I liked enough to join a forum about it. I loved the whole game, the story was great, the battle system was fun, the disney and Final Fantasy cameos delighted me.

 

Fallout 2 - I'm one of those. Yes, those who played Fallout 3 before any of the other Fallout games. Then I played Fallout 1. And then I played Fallout 2. There are a couple of reasons Fallout 2 comes out on top for me. Firstly, there wasn't a time limit, so I could dick around in the world as long as I liked, which I loved. Secondly, the dirtier, seedier world of Fallout became apparent. It had great references and humour, even if that did piss a few people off, and I just loved it.

[Slagathorian]

A little late to the game here but I thought I'd make one of these myself:

 

 

1) Xenogears

Not your perfect specimen of a game, but pretty damn close. It's got a lot of the elements I enjoy in the video game: sci-fi, great plot, wonderful character development and con-tro-ver-sy. Okay, so it was no "I did not have sexual relations with this woman" but it's just a downright great game. I've always been drawn more towards a game with a story and, as expected, equally wonderful characters to make it interesting and this one did it for me.

 

2) Silent Hill 2

I was going to pick the first Silent Hill because it's great, but SH2 had a bigger impact on me emotionally. I'm not gonna say anything for fear of spoiling but it really hit me enough that I couldn't finish playing it right away.

 

3) Heavy Rain

Another great story-telling game that I just adore. Love the concept. Love how you can play multiple characters with an almost infinite amount of outcomes. The characters were brilliant, human, real and I think it was a great game.

 

4)/5) Resident Evil 2/Resident Evil 4 (I'm just going to include both of these together)

I've always adored the Resident Evil series, but both of them have my favorite character in it, Leon Kennedy. I got to watch him transform from a scrawny, brunette police officer to a blond-haired beauty with his biceps busting out of the seems (okay, so maybe not as bad as Chris). Both games were just fun as hell and I enjoyed them.

 

6)Uncharted

When it comes to story telling, Naughty Dog knows what they're doing. Sure, it's a little cliche--or a lot. But the characters are the reason this series holds a special place in my heart.

 

7) Final Fantasy VII

I know, I know. WHY, you ask? Well, it was my first experience with the FF series way back when I was maybe 11 or so and its elements, plot, characters, like the rest of these games, managed to worm their way into my heart. I wrote a shit tone of fan fiction for this one and I've got a lot of the action figures, the spin-offs (sadly, aside from Crisis Core), you name it. D:

 

8) Assassin's Creed II

'Kay, aside from the fact that Ezio is flippin' hot, I rather enjoyed this game. I did not care so much for the first one, but the concept is what kept me interested. Like I said, I'm a character/story development kinda gamer, and Assassin's Creed has some good story-telling/great characters. What I liked so much about AC II is that we got to experience Ezio's life from birth to...well, we're still not done yet. But there were so many facets to him developed in a great way that the game is hard NOT to love. Sure, it's a bit repetitive and irritating at times, but it's on my favorites list.

 

9) Parasite Eve

This was actually one of my first survival-horror RPGs and, while it was done well, stick with me over the years. It was kind of the kick off to my love for survival horrors. I did not play Resident Evil as I was only 10 at the time and probably forbidden to play such scary games, but when I was 12, I played Parasite Eve and thus began a wonderful relationship.

 

 

 

Your list is pure awesome! Agree with almost all of them.

[Slagathorian]

 

Hard to just pick 9.

 

Runners up would be:

 

Final Fantasy 8

 

Parasite Eve

 

River City Ransom

 

Metal Gear Solid 1-4

 

Infamous 1 & 2

 

Super Mario 3

Edited July 4, 2011 by Deanb
changed image to embeddable version

[P4: Gritty Reboot]

Some great picks there, Slag.

[Hot Heart]

That's not a 3x3! Ban him! BAN HIM!

[Saturnine Tenshi]

WHAT IS THIS 2x5x4 NONSENSE!?