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[oneida]

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
- lots of friends made, it's been quite the journey. :,)

Phantasy Star Online
- this game has been a huge part of my life since it came out. so many memories!

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- one of my first games and certainly the first i beat, made a friend in grade school playing this and racing to the ending. hi, dillan

Virtua Fighter 2
- the game that brought me to Sega, played it in the arcade vs CPU and at home vs my older brother.

Metal Gear Solid 2
- not even my favorite MG game, but certainly the one that got me into the franchise. I've played through this game possibly more than any other game.

 

[KRaZyAmmo]

Need for speed series
Mario 64
BioShock
Persona 3
Burnout 3

 

[Ryaaan14]

Mortal Kombat 2
Super Mario 64
Silent Hill 2
Halo CE
Mass Effect

 

[janoDX]

Yoshi's Story: The game that introduced me the N64, a game I liked a lot at my age and I still find myself playing it on my PC.

The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask: This game helped me during hard times, even with the creepy looks and how the story was about the end of the world. It's my favorite Zelda of all time.

The Last of Us: Perfection, pure perfection, I legit cried in some parts because of how human is the story, it's about survival and how the zombie fungus isn't the only enemy.

Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 1: Just, I just can't bring myself to play this again, If with TLoU I cried, this made me cry like a baby, the final was... Wow...

Rock Band 2: It made me some good friends from outside my country, I played a lot of it, I enjoyed getting back from work just to play a lot of songs with my friends and have a great time.

 

[GwyndolinCinder]

Castlevania:SOTN - Played this game for so long when i was a kid, the world blew my mind back in the day!

Onimusha - I would always go round to my uncles to play this,it completely kicked off my love for action games

Kingdom hearts - I love the cheese Disney story of the first two games, its completely obtuse and crazy now (thanks ffxv) but ah well

Dark souls - Set a new bar for videogames, i judge every game now much harder than before, especially critical of level design and "fairness" of combat.

League/ FFXIV - So okay thats two, but they kinda two sides of the same coin for me. Both allowed me to have fun with friends in games, for the first time since high school.

 

[Sora_N]

Pokemon Blue
Kingdom Hearts
Uncharted 2
Super Mario 3
Final Fantasy IX

 

[MikeyB]

Galaga - This was the first game I ever played. I still play it once a week.

Team Fortress Classic - My foray into online MP shooters. I spent many late nights spreading disease and setting people aflame.

Diablo 2 - an addiction for years. I had so many different necro, paladin, and assasin builds. It also taught ne the dangers of Skinner Box games and made me wary of them. Thankfully, I stayed away from MMOs because of that experience. I don't think I would have had the control to complete school otherwise.

Saint's Row 2 - a bittersweet one. I used to play this regularly with a high school buddy across the country. He was juggling addictions and slipping further and further into the hard stuff. This game was the only way I had to regularly stay in touch with him and check in on him. I loved the light-heartedness of the game. It made me realize I like my games a little lighter. Driver: San Francisco, House of the Dead: Overkill, and certain aspects of Sleeping Dogs appealed to me for similar reasons.

Escape Velocity - this game had all I ever wanted in the world. Exploring, independence, isolation, and the potential to rise from nobody to somebody important. Freelancer scratched the same itch and I hope No Man's Sky will as well.

 

[SMG]

CJ's Elephant Antics ZX Spectrum
First game I can ever remember playing, so has to be on this list.


Halo
The mix of physics, advance character behaviour (both friendly, enemy) and vast scope allowed for hundreds of hours of messing around. It was great to do things like getting on top of or out of maps then weeks later see people on the internet just catch up with the stuff i discovered.

Shenmue
Best game ever.

Final Fantasy IX
I think it was Lindblum that made me love cities in RPG's (and why I have a distaste for RPG that focus on drag dungeons). Also amazing to think that such a vibrant and odd artstyle was rendered at the highest standard games could be at the time.

Battlefield 2
Nothing like jumping out of a jet onto the enemy carrier then taking over their heli and machine gunning them as they spawn. Also my favorite stealth game, sneaking around taking flags then laying ambushes on unsuspecting real people.

 

[SigNature]

Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast) - First video game I ever played. Created my love for video games through the cheesy dialogue and open ended levels paths. I'll forever love the game for starting with a bossfight.

Phantom Dust (XBOX) - My favorite video game. Can't find anything else like it. Love the atmosphere, love the soundtrack, love the world, love the story, love the gameplay. Made me cry my eyes out in the end. I don't want to talk about the dead remake.

Spoiler

Edgar did nothing wrong.

We Love Katamari (PS2) - It's a game that will always put me in a good mood. Middle school was rough, but with this game I could forget it all at the end of the day. Godlike soundtrack, but then again I think all the games here have that in common. Happiest game I ever played.

Silent Hill 2 (PS2) - My favorite horror game. A game that gave me a true love of atmosphere in video games. Also love the dialogue here. Fuck the remastered version.

Spoiler

James did nothing wrong.

God Hand (PS2) - My favorite action game. A game that really made me so damn satisfied to play it, no matter how many times I died. It just forced me to get good in a way that didn't involve stat grinding or RNG or anything. I just had to kick ass, and better than anyone else that challenged me. Especially that bouncer. Fuck that bouncer.

 

[Skunkers]

Final Fantasy Tactics
TIE Fighter
Shenmue 2
Uncharted 2
The Last of Us

 

[RalchAC]

Super Mario World (SNES): First game I ever played, when a cousine of mine gave me his SNES when I was like 4-5 years old since he was buying a PS1.

Kingdom Hearts (PS2): The game that made me fall in love with JRPGs. Disney worlds, Final Fantasy characters, a cool battle system and a story that was interesting (at least to my young self).

World of Warcraft: Pretty much the game I played the most while I was a teenager. Great friends, great experiences, being a guild officer taught me stuff about teamwork, responsibility and accepting people that you don't really like in your group for a greater good. I have bags under my eyes ever since. Too much time sleeping 5-6 hours a day lol.

Tales of Vesperia (X360): Outside Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, I hadn't played many JRPGs. After the disapointment that was Final Fantasy XIII, I pretty much stopped caring about Japanese games. A few years ago, when I finally got bored of World of Warcraft, I saw this game on the second hand bin for 12€. I said "why the hell not?". A while later my thought was "why the hell didn't I play this game earlier?". This game pretty much showed me that there was a much bigger world outside the few JRPG franchises I knew, and it's one of the most memorable games I ever played. Great graphics, really cool battle system and amazing characters. Yuri is still one of the most interesting leads I've ever seen.

Persona 4 Golden (Vita): A few years have passed since ToV. I had dropped my journalism university studies in October 31st 2013, so it was too late to start another degree. I didn't really know what to do anymore. I was a bit depressed. Then I bought this little gem, which reminded a bunch of things I needed to be told in order to be a lively dude again. I never expected a videogame to help me push forward with my life in the same ways some books had done it before. Lesson learnt. Videogames can teach you valuable stuff.

 

[Sid]

The best game I have ever played.

My 2nd favorite game of all time, surprised to see how detailed the world is and the spectacular mission variety.

The best FPS I have ever played.

One of my most played PS3 games of all time, really liked the story and the gameplay.

Did not expect this game to be as good as it was, the Tower of Latria level really blew me away.

 

[Itachi87]

The Legend of Zelda: OoT: This is my favorite game of all time. It hasn't aged as well as others but it's still a fantastic game.

Chrono Trigger: The best JRPG of all time with one of the best soundtrack of any game out there.

Super Smash Bros.: I have so many good memories of playing this game on the N64 with my brothers and friends.

Resident Evil 4: One of the reasons I got the GCN was b/c of this game. The gameplay and atmosphere was so good.

Civilization IV: BtS: The best Civ game ever made imo. I've lost thousands of hours to this game.

 

[ColdRose]

Bladerunner - the first videogame I played on my own PC.

Baldur's Gate - the game that made me realise I didn't just like gaming, I absolutely bloody loved it. It isn't one of my top ten now (edged out), but I'll never forget the sense of wonder I experienced the first time I played it.

Planescape:Torment - the first game to make me cry and get really emotionally involved in the narrative and characters. Still my GOAT.

Mass Effect 1: I had a really difficult pregnancy with my first child, all sorts of scares, baby had an irregular heartbeat and doctors thought she might have a heart defect (she didn't, as it turned out), and I suffered from agonisingly painful sciatica, as well as practically all-day 'morning' sickness. ME really helped take my mind off all the horrible stuff, I found myself able to actually relax and unwind a bit for the first time in the entire pregnancy. Much love for that.

Dragon Age: Inquisition - while I enjoyed the game well enough (particularly Trespasser) it isn't one of my all-time top five favourites (nor are Bladerunner, BG1 or ME1, for that matter) - but I do have reason to be grateful. I (speculatively) entered the voice over competition that Bioware ran for the game, and I was one of the two winners. I'd always loved acting, even done a bit of training, but never had the confidence to pursue it. After I won the contest, I developed a bit more faith in myself - and in January this year (I had another baby, so it took a while to get going), I started working as a professional voice actress. Nearly five months in, it's going really well, I've been getting regular work, including some interesting stuff like games and story narration, and I've been making actual money doing something I really enjoy, which makes a lovely change from my old jobs. So, I'll always have fond memories of DAI for giving me the push I needed to get going

Edit: All-time top 5

Planescape: Torment
Mass Effect 2
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Fallout 2
BG2

 

[hlhbk]

1. Super Mario Bros (NES) First game I ever played at a very young age at the launch of the NES.

2. Super Mario World (SNES) blew my mind as a 11 year old.

3. Doom (PC) one of the most influential games in my life. It caused me to get into PC gaming which got me to go down the path of pursuing IT for a career. My favorite game of all time.

4. Journeyman Project 2: Buried in time (PC) first PC adventure game. It was so cool and ahead of its time. The entire series is great.

5. Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn) One of the greatest RPG's ever. Completely blew away FFVII at the time.

 

[kamineko]

In 2007, I had a lot of bad shit going on in my life. My wife left me, I was struggling with a drinking problem. Work wasn't going so great. I didn't really have any friends, and my closest family was like 700 miles away.

At the time, there were no NA releases of Dragon Quest V and VI. I decided to try the fan-translated SFC versions. That was new territory for me, but I enjoyed figuring it all out.

I had such a wonderful time playing those games. As bad as life was going, I just couldn't wait to get home to play more Dragon Quest. The sweet-natured tone of those games was exactly what I needed at that time. I honestly don't know I could have lived through that period without Dragon Quest.

Even now, thinking about it, I feel good. So those two, for sure.

My father and I used to play Jumpman on my C64. He didn't understand videogames at all. He was consistently terrible. It was years before I realized that he hated videogames; he was obviously playing because he wanted to spend time with me.

After I graduated college, I had this kind of amazing slacker life. I worked 20 hours a week waiting tables, and made enough in tips to pay my share of rent & bills, stay stoned, with a little extra left for videogames. I bought an N64 and we had crazy Goldeneye Tournaments. Such great fun with friends. Life would never be that easy again.

It's hard to name just a few. My whole life, games have been around. They're always part of the story.

 

[Nosgotham]

funnily enough after really thinking about this question, the games that have meant the most to me were single player games that i played alongside my brother, who i was never really close with but i always admired. i have the fondest memories of these games and they opened me up to new genres as well

The Immortal: we spent hours trying to figure out the cryptic clues and master the obtuse combat mechanics. The lore was deeper than what was presented to the player kind of like Dark Souls

Civilization : me and my brother would literally play for 24 hours straight, sometimes taking shifts so we could nap or eat. Somethimg about this game became extremely addicting to us and it was the first time I played a game in this genre.

Earthbound: This game really meant a lot to me. I hated RPGs before I played it and now JRPGs are my favorite genre. I made T-Shirts, had a geo cities fan site and even made my own Earthbound inspired magic cards in microsoft paint. The crestivity and contemoprary plot blew my mind and opened me up to an awesome genre

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain: storytelling, violence, moral ambiguity. fucking amazing atmosphere. Dennis Dyack gets a life long pass because of his involvement in this title.

Resident Evil: Directors Cut- its fucking resident evil back when it was good

 

[Pendas]

1. Final Fantasy XI - The MMO that consumed me for a long time. I made a lot of great friends, and a lot of good memories on this thing. I still play other games with my old Linkshell members. Sadly, nothing will ever bring back the good ol'Days.

2. League of Legends - The current FFXI substitute. It doesn't have the magic, exploration, or grandeur of FFXI but it does have the camaraderie and online craziness that never gets old.

3. Grandia - The first RPG I ever got completely enthralled in. The storytelling, world, gameplay, and music are some of the best I ever experienced. It's also what motivated me to pursue my career.

4. Legend of Zelda: OOT - I have a funny story about this game. Zelda was always my favorite franchise and I wanted this game more than anything. My Dad got it for me on Christmas Morning. The second I opened it, he took it out of my hand and said I couldn't play it until I got my grades up. It was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my life, but looking back in it, it made me appreciate it all the more.

5. Earthbound - A long time ago, I spent weeks saving money to buy a brand new video game. I went to Best Buy and saw it, the game I spent weeks saving for. I picked it up and walked to the counter, when my Mom said I should buy a game for my little brother so he wouldn't feel left out. I complained, but obliged, and looked for the cheapest game they had. It was a really weird one called "Earthbound," but it was only five bucks, so whatever. Fast forward three weeks, I can't even remember the name of the first game I bought, and Earthbound became my all time favorite RPG.

 

[CountAntonius]

Morrowind-
I have never lost myself in a game's universe like this one. Still my favorite single player game of all time and it has to this day not been matched by any other.

Dark Souls-
For me the beginning of a beautiful dark journey that i have loved every step of the way. From the lore to the PvP I absolutely love this series and this is where I started it.

Halo CE-
This one is taking Goldeneye's place. It took everything me and my friends loved about Goldeneye and took it to the next level. Halo nights will always be fond memories of mine and I don't think I ever played a campaign more than i did this one.

Super Mario World-
Before I knew what a hardcore gamer was and when I only bought one game a year this was the first game I was old enough to truly love and delve into insanely. I dreamed about it at night and looked through the manual while at school.

Rocket League-
600 hours in with absolutely no sign of letting up. I have and will continue to buy every piece of DLC I can. I watch the pro's play and strive to become a good player one day.

Honorable Mentions-
Goldeneye 007
Street Fighter 2
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Counter Strike Global offensive
Phantasy Star Online
Rust
Grand Theft Auto 3
Jedi Academy
Day of Defeat

 

[InsertNameHere]

KOTOR: Introduced me into a new world of Star Wars and was one of the first games I ever played on the original Xbox and I'll always remember where I was each time I played it.

Red Dead Redemption - My god, when this came out junior year of high school for me, it was all ANYONE could talk about. Didn't matter what group of people you were friends with, a majority of the guys I knew had it and we all could talk about the numerous things we had done or saw in the game and every single thing was different.

Mortal Kombat 3 - The game that introduced me into gaming. My sister had a sega genesis and I still remember sitting in her room just having a ball. Not quite knowing what was going on.

Call of Duty 4 - Another throw back to high school, it was all any of my friends played. As soon as you got home, it was Call of Duty time. The hours and hours of fun and time spent on that game blows my mind.

Batman Arkham Asylum - As a huge Batman fan, I had my doubts when this first came out but my god it was just perfect. All the little easter eggs, all the villains, it was everything I wanted in a Batman game.

 

[QuantumZebra]

EverQuest - 17 years later I still play this game ... I met my wife on it. It got me into IT through building PCs... changed my life.

FFVII - Changed what video games were to me... this game blew my damn 12 year old mind.

Diablo 2 - Along with EQ this RPG was the one I suck countless hours into... played it with my dad and my friends... love it to this day.

Starcraft - My first foray into online gaming... this is where I learned what guilds/clans were, and how to troll people on the internet.

Unreal Tournament - Played the modded servers non-stop. This game was my soma whenever I took a break from EQ... pure FPS madness.

 

[Jumping Chief]

Life is Strange
Halo 4
Mass Effect 2
Dig Dug
Fallout 3

My reasons are very personal and shall keep to myself.

 

[ArgyleGamer]

Metal Gear Solid
Everquest
Persona 4 Golden
Dark Souls
Full Throttle

 

[solidsnakeiv]

Final Fantasy VII
Metal Gear Solid
Legend of Dragoon
Tomb Raider
Mass Effect

Honorable Mention...Resident Evil 2

 

[BlueBadger]

Many of mine are due to nostalgia, but here goes...

1) Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney.
And I'm not picking a single game for this one. I mean the entire series. My friend introduced me to the series when I was in the 12th grade. It has been about 6 years since then, and I still play Ace Attorney everyday. It's kind of like reading your favourite book before bed. It helps me fall asleep, it helps me deal with anxiety, and there's just something comforting about it. I also cosplayed as Apollo Justice at PAX once or twice now. I know it sounds weird, but the whole series is pretty close to me.

2) Final Fantasy VIII
This is one of my favourite games of all time. It was the first Final Fantasy game I ever played. It always brings me back to the days my cousin introduced me to the game at his place. He was one of my very best friends growing up and was big on video games as well. I remember the day he showed me this game for the first time, my jaw hit the floor. It was the reason I bought a PSone to begin with!

3) Paper Mario 64
This was my "summer vacation game" when I was growing up. Every summer, I played it before and after going to the pool. So every time I think about this game, it just brings me back to those carefree elementary school summer vacation days with my friends.

4) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
One of the first games I ever got for the N64. I was able to bond over it with so many of my friends. Taking turns over and over and over with them to try and beat the water temple because none of us could ourselves. LOL. The experience of the entire game the first time I played it through was amazing.

5)Mario Kart 64
This is the only video game I could convince my dad to play. At some point in my childhood, he would play it with me every night before bed. My dad and I have always been really close, but that was some important bonding time with him for me. I could never convince him to enjoy any video games with me, but he was addicted to that one!

I'm sure there are more.. But those ones are the first ones that come to mind.

 

[piggychan]

Bubble Bobble - why i got into gaming

One of my favorite arcade games and certainly one of those that got me into gaming but I think it's this that started it all for me..

Mr Do! So much strategy and it's just so simple to pick up and play and then you fall in love with it!

Phantasy Star online - Dreamcast/Gamecube/PC/Xbox

The others that I cherish
Grandia
Ys Book I & II
Final Fantasy 6