Name 5 (five) games that shaped the gamer you are today

[Shizuka]

Not necessarily your five favorite games of all time.

For me, the five games would be (kinda chronological order):

1. Pokémon Yellow (GBC) - This game was arguably my first game ever, as in the first game I played alone, on my own Game Boy Color, that wasn't shared with a sibling or played in front of friends. I had ZERO english knowledge at the young age of seven years old, but I loved the anime and I wanted to play it. It has taught me a lot of english at the time, something I think only kinds can do, because there's no way in hell I'd play a game in a completely unknown language and manage to FINISH the game, understand everything that's going on. Looking back, that was beyond wild.

2. Radiata Stories (PS2) - During the PS2 era, I'd buy games solely by the cover. I loved japanese games, I'd go to a store and buy the japanese-looking games. Radiata Stories, I think, was a game that my brother had mentioned to me and that I decided to give it a try. That game simply devoured every single minute I had outside of school, it was just that addictive. I wasn't a fan of action RPGs before it, but that one just had something that really got me good. I think I've yet to find a game that did for me what Radiata Stories did and I'm glad I got to experience it.

3. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) - It was my first game, on my first HD console, on my first HDTV. It blew me away in a way that I didn't think possible at the time. The TV was tiny as fuck, but experiencing HD graphics was a huge experience for me. The game itself was also something that took my by surprise. I was entirely captivated by the story, even if I had to read in-game summaries for lots of stuff. Even if the cast wasn't perfect, Vanille and Fang were the shit for me and I'd never remove them from my party, ever. It's a crime that Square-Enix managed to remaster every single mainline non-MMO Final Fantasy, except for the FFXIII trilogy. I tried FF XIII-2 and it just didn't click, never tried Lightning Returns because of the countdown.

4. Persona 4 Golden (Vita) - Despite claiming that I would buy all japanese-looking PS2 games back then, Persona 3 and 4 came out during a break I had taken from gaming and when I returned, I was only playing PS3, so I didn't get to play P3 and P4. When I bought a PSP, I did buy Persona 1, Persona 3 Portable and Persona 2: Innocent Sin, but I didn't get past an hour or so in any of those games. When I got my Vita, at launch, after basically going Cartman freezing himself until the Wii came out, I was playing almost every single game available, and Persona 4 Golden was the biggest title for that first year. I decided to give it a go and I remember like it was yesterday how I first boot up the game at night, shortly before going to bed, just to try it out. That intro was so mysterious, so engaging, so stunning. I dunno, 70 hours later I was getting my platinum trophy and sad that I had to say goodbye to the Persona 4 crew. I've tried other Persona titles after Persona 4 Golden, but not a single entry got me as P4G did.

5. The House in Fata Morgana (PC) - I was already into visual novels when this came out in 2016, but not a lot, and specially not for PC visual novels. I stumbled upon a Hardcore Gamer review for the original release that gave it a 4.5/5 and I decided to give it a try, back when NO ONE was talking about the game, barely a month after launch. Oh boy, was I in for a ride. The game devoured me, chewed me and spit me out, and that was just chapter 1. The only thing I was talking about for the rest of 2016 was Fata Morgana. To this day, I think I've sold this game to over a hundred people, I've played every single release since, I've professionally reviewed the PS4 and Vita releases and gave it a 100 score and there's nothing that'll ever come close to it ever again. Oh, and after that, I just became a huge visual novel fanatic, nothing was ever the same after Fata Morgana.

 

[Wrexis]

Everyone knows these games so I'll keep it light, but what they mean to me....

Metal Gear Solid - the foundation of my love of narrative driven games with a strong focus on good presentation.
Xenogears - my first exposure to space opera in gaming. Still searching for that high when the scope of that universe is truly revealed.
Mass Effect - it's Star Trek with Lovecraftian horror. It's like Bioware checked all my boxes.
Final Fantasy XI - my first - and last - exposure to MMOs. I played the game on - and very off - for 20 years. It's a "you had to be there" type of game now.
Final Fantasy VII - my first JRPG. Opened my eyes as to what gaming could be.

 

[TransEuropaExpress]

Dark Souls brought me back from not gaming at all for at least five years at the time. I was running around being a loser and I can honestly say that game gave me something less destructive to fixate on and I got addicted to that instead. Played like 300+ hours after buying a 360 for it.

Thanks From Chads!

Edit: Uhm I forgot the other four. Later...

 

[PepperedHam]

World of Warcraft, Morrowind, Shenmue 2, Pokemon Red, and Halo 2 for sure.

 

[Trick_GSF]

Resident Evil - 1996
Vice City - 2002
Uncharted - 2007
Fallout 3 - 2008
Dark Souls - 2011

 

[St. Elmo's Fire]

Final Fantasy VII
Uncharted 2
Ico
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

 

[KENMASTERS1]

FFX
RE4
RDR2
CvS2
GTA: SA

 

[Platy]

Turtles in Time
my love for beat em ups

Astroboy Omega Factor
my love for simplified combo systems

Mario 64
my love for exploration and collectathon

Tony Hawk 2 (GBA)
my love for weird version of games

Super Smash Bros 64
my love for platform fighters

 

[JLP101]

Doom
Ocarina of Time
Grim Fandango
System Shock
Deus Ex

 

[Fat4all]

the last of us
the last of us left behind
the last of us part 2
the last of us part 1
the last of us part 2 remastered

Spoiler

- earthbound
- majoras mask
- resident evil 2
- shin megami tensei 3
- undertale

 

[Beelzebufo]

Banjo Kazooie N64, FFVII PS1, Prince of Persia the Sands of Time PS2, CoD 4 360, FFXIV PC

 

[SiegeDamage]

A Link to the Past (SNES)
Final Fantasy II (IV) (SNES)
Majora's Mask (N64)
Tibia (PC)
WarCraft III (PC)

 

[RoadDogg]

SMB2
Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Half-Life 1/TFC/CS/hundreds of other mods
Virtua Cop 1/2


HL1 could count for all 5 games on its own with all of the mods I played for years but that's too limiting.

 

[PallasKitten]

This is gonna be hard to pinpoint exactly for me I think, probably going to forget some important ones, but here goes (not in any particular order really):

1. Pokemon Red/Blue (GB) - I don't remember which version I played first, it may have even been Yellow as the memories are hazy, but I think Blue was my first foray into Pokemon. It was one of the very first games I ever played, and Pokemon would remain a large part of my life for many, many years to come. My interest waned here and there, but I mostly stuck with the series (and bought every version, and the 3rd versions like the sucker I was) until Let's Go, which is when I mostly checked out of the series aside from spin-offs. But my time with Pokemon helped me develop interest in JRPGs overall, and is what led me to Megami Tensei, which soon became one my favourite game series.

2. Pikmin (Gamecube) - Was a bit hesitant to list this one as I'm not really sure how much it's really shaped my gaming habits, especially nowadays. But it was the game that got me more invested with other RTS games, which I had played before Pikmin, but Pikmin really piqued my interest in the genre. Thing is, I don't actually play RTS games much any more at all. Not that I don't like the genre any more, but I like other genres more and RTS games kinda got left to the wayside for me, and I have a backlog of RTS games I've had for literally over a decade at this point. If nothing else, Pikmin helped me immediately have interest in other "quirky" looking games like Chulip, Cubivore and Katamari, which definitely still influences me to this day.

3. Demon's Souls (PS3) - This is another one that I wasn't too sure on. I feel like Oblivion could have also maybe fit here to some degree. I played this around the time I was dipping my feet in more RPGs in general, in particular action RPGs. It being Souls and all, I remember dying a lot, and it took me quite a bit of time to really get into the groove of it, but once I did I was pretty hooked. Definitely gave me an appreciation for punishing but rewarding games, and got me more interested in action JRPGs especially. The main reason I picked Demon's Souls over Oblivion here is because I'm generally far, far more picky when it comes to WRPGs/CRPGs, especially in more recent years, and I've had a lot more fun with action JRPGs.

4. Danganronpa (Vita) - I'd played a few DS visual novels (or VN/adventure hybrid games anyway) before this game, but this was the one that really got me interested in VNs as a genre. I kinda bought this game on a whim too, as I wasn't really sure what to expect from it but even in 2014 it felt like the Vita didn't have a ton of games and I pretty much just bought this as an excuse to play something on my Vita. And I'm glad I did because a decade later and I've played several visual novels since and have experienced some overwhelmingly good stories as a result. I think Steins;Gate was the first VN I got after this that was more just a "strict"/traditional VN, so maybe you could argue that shaped me a bit more as far as traditional VNs go, but I probably wouldn't have checked it out if not for Danganronpa. It also helped that the Vita had a fair selection of visual novels.

5. Spyro the Dragon (PS1) - One of the first 3D games I remember playing. The trilogy in general remains some of my favourite 3D platformers, but aside from just being games I really enjoyed, they helped introduce me to 3D environments and 3D platformers in general. I remember playing many, many other 3D platformers as a result of Spyro, and I often miss the heyday of 3D collectathons of the 5th and 6th gen. I still enjoy platformers (both 2D and 3D) to this day.

 

[xir]

Kings quest iv
Ultima vi
Demons souls
Metroid prime
Counterfeit monkey

 

[BasilZero]

1. Super Mario World - the one that started it all, my first video game , got me into Nintendo gaming and Mario in general

2. Pokemon Yellow - my first RPG, and got me into portable gaming and the Pokemon series

3. Final Fantasy IV - the game that introduced me to the series which is my most favorite series. Also alongside Pokemon got me into the jRPG craze which is why its my most favorite genre. I've played through the SNES, GBA, PS1, PSP, DS, and Switch versions. I have it on iOS (Pixel and 3D remake), PS4 and Steam (both Pixel and 3D) as well.

4. Grand Theft Auto Vice City - my first western developed game, prior to getting a PS2 in 2005 - every game I've bought/played was Japanese origin. Ever since I played GTA VC on PS2 , I expanded my horizons into western gaming and have played GTA San Andreas (PS2), IV (PC), and III (Steam/PC) as my latest game I played in the series, going to play V on PS5 soon.

5. Super Smash Bros Melee - probably clocked over 600 hours alone on my GCN, emulated several more years later. I played through Smash and Street Fighter before but this game got me into the fighting genre.

Other honorable mentions....

6. Quake and Bioshock Infinite - my first FPS game I played was Quake in the late 90s on PC but it wouldnt be until Bioshock Infinite on PC that I would play my first full run on a FPS game. The story, themes, gameplay , etc all got me hooked and I've slowly been playing through different FPS genre games throughout the years. I've played through Bioshock 1 and 2 but Infinite is my favorite of the trilogy.

7. Mario Kart 64 - Like Smash, I've played the original game in the series but it wasnt until the N64 that I really got into the series and it made me get into other games in the genre. Mario Kart 64, I probably played it for over 300 hours just on my N64 alone.

8. Narcissu 1st & 2nd - my first VN game, it was a F2P and since I played it, I've gotten into other VNs, I still got a lot to catch up to but thanks to this game, I managed to get into the genre.

9. Devil May Cry 3 - my first action hack and slash game, I was super hyped in this game when it was first revealed, never played the first two games prior to it but over the years I've played through almost the entire series, DMC1 on PS2, PS3, PS4 and Switch (have it on Xbox and PC as well), DMC2 on PS2, PS3, PS4 (have it on Switch, Xbox and PC), DMC3 OG on PS2, DMC3SE on PS3, PS4 (and have it on Switch, Xbox and PC), still need to play DMC5 , which I will on PS5 via the SE version. Because of this game, I got into other action games such as God of War and Bayonetta.

10. Metal Gear Solid 1 - I got into the series late, like 2017 - played the game via the MGS Legacy collection on PS3, played through MGS1, 2, 3, 4 and Peace walker back to back on the PS3. Also played Ac!d and Portable Ops (which was pretty bad). I havent played V yet but I plan to. Story driven games have always been my favorite and I look forward to getting into the other games that are similar such as Death Stranding.

 

[Dewot]

Spyro: Year of the Dragon
Pokemon Emerald
Final Fantasy X
Skyrim
Umineko

 

[Ashes of Dreams]

1. Sonic the Hedgehog - I believe this was the first video game I ever played. I have very vague memories of watching family members play it, wanting to try it for myself, and getting hooked. I remember always coming back and failing to get past Labyrinth Zone. I don't imagine it was very long before I had moved on to Sonic 2 and 3&K, and I'd say both those games are much better. But if we're talking about formative games, you can't get more formative than what I'm pretty sure was my very first one. And indeed I still love classic Sonic to this day and it's very much shaped what I enjoy in 2D platformers.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - I actually find it rather difficult to even put into words how big of a deal this game was for me as a kid. It really opened my eyes to so much. Exploring a (at the time) big fantasy world, getting obsessed with every aspect of the game. I used to daydream I lived in Hyrule. I used to draw stick-figure Zelda comics. I credit Ocarina of Time as equally as I do Lord of the Rings for getting me into fantasy as a genre and both things sparked my imagination equally. This was also around the time I was discovering the internet and talking about Zelda online was also a really big part of my childhood.

3. Final Fantasy VII - This wasn't the first RPG I played. That was probably technically Pokemon but those games didn't really stick with me like it did a lot of my peers. For me it was Final Fantasy VII that felt like my TRUE introduction to RPGs, specifically story-focused JRPGs. I could go on about why I think this game was so good but since this thread isn't really about that, I will say as an RPG this one really influenced my tastes moving forward in a lot of ways. I like character focused stories about people with flaws, themes that tie everything in the story together, and RPG mechanics that allow for customization and choice in how you approach the combat.

4. Silent Hill 2 - This wasn't my first horror game, it wasn't even my first Silent Hill game. But the impact this game had on me when I played it (which was FAR too young btw) is matched by no other. This game single handedly shaped my taste in horror. But more importantly than that, it taught me to think about things on a deeper level. This really introduced me to the layers themes could have, moreso than FFVII did. It's probably not an exaggeration to say that this game changed how I look at media and what I expect of it. There's some other media that came later that did similar things (if we're including Visual Novels, Umineko no Naku Koro ni should be on here for similar reasons) but this is the one that did it first.

5. Persona 3 - Introduced me to Megami Tensei. Also, it was very anime. Uhhh and themes about death or something idk. It hit at a time when I was losing interest in a lot of things with the JRPG genre but it completely revitalized it for me. Now I'm an insufferable SMT fan and it's all this game's fault.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

1 - Metal Gear Solid
2 - Half Life
3 - Counter Strike
4 - Wing Commander (the whole series really)
5 - Final Fantasy VII

 

[GlitchyDegree]

A few of these have effected me beyond video games and aren't listed in any particular order:
Fallout 3 (Xbox 360) Introduced me to my favorite kind of games.

SoulCalibur II (GameCube) Not my first fighting game, but the one that made me a fan of the genre.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Gameboy Advance) Introduced me to skateboarding, and to one of my all time favorite video game series.

The Beatles Rock Band (Wii) This game introduced me to my favorite band, and made fall in love with music as a medium.

Style Savvy Styling Star (3DS) This played a part in me accepting I was trans.

Honorable mention:
WrestleMania X8 (GameCube) A game I often forget to credit. This game was my introduction to professional wrestling as a whole. So while it's not great, I have to give it props for that.

 

[NSESN]

Pokémon Platinum: was the game that me hooked on games in general
MH Portable 3rd: introduced me to MH, and that no language barrier can stop me from playing
Zelda ALBW: still my favorite zelda, perfect experience
Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations: the perfect way to end a trilogy that no game was ever able to top since
Xenoblade Chronicles: Still for ne the most impressive world in a game, can't believe that run on a wii

 

[WeAreStarStuff]

Super Mario Bros 3.
Zelda tOoT
Goldeneye
Killzone 2
TLoU2

 

[Sephiroth]

Super Mario Bros. 3
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy Tactics
Dark Souls

 

[GalaxyDive]

In chronological order;

1. Super Mario Bros 1/2/3 + World: Just mashing these together; originally played them all within a fairly short enough timeframe as a really young kid. Just super formative to my love of gaming as a whole. Can also use this as the jumping off point to Mario spinoff games, like Kart and Smash, as well as Yoshi's Island, which is one of my all-time favorites

2. Mega Man X: Pretty pivotal to my sense of "cool" in games, among other things. Was probably also my first loved game that didn't have "Mario" in the title.

3. Pokemon Red: Maybe I didn't quite realize it at the time but this would have been my true inflection point into RPGs, but there was a lot more wrapping around it, including the schoolyard hype, anime, etc. There is something about Pokemon games that's just magical in nature, to the point that this year I've been playing Gen 2 and 3 romhacks on my GBA rather than hitting up my RPG/RTS backlog on handhelds/Switch.

4. Final Fantasy VII (and VIII; played at roughly the same time but my brother was at controls in VIII while VII was me): I had played SMRPG and poked out some other things (and had played Pokemon by then) but this really blew open the doors on JRPGs, worldbuilding, and game music that held up even outside of the game. This led to my favorite game ever (FFIX) shortly after, and beyond Final Fantasy as a whole started a love affair with the PS1's game dev sweet spot for the genre, opening up favorites that I played contemporary to them (i.e. Breath of Fire 4), ones that I was LTTP to (Chrono Cross) and still probably others on my backlog.

5. Halo 1/2: Besides obviously being a fantastic game in its own right, the first really opened me up to the genre that would consume most of my gaming with friends/online for 15+ years. I LAN'd the game once or twice with some high school friends, but it was 2 with Xbox Live that really opened those floodgates.

 

[9-Volt]

1- Yoshi's Island - This might not be my first 2D platformer but it was the one that kindled my love to the genre.

2- Phantasy Star IV - First RPG I have played. At first the top donw gameplay didn't feel attractive to 9 year old me but it grew on me. To the point of making the genre my overall favorite.

3- Civilization I - I played this with a broken childhood English I had yet I still hooked on it. Civ made me love history and taught me crapton of stuff that books would have not done. It is the reason why I'm a history/archeology nut today.

4- Monkey Island 2 Lechuck's Revenge - And this game is why I'm a Pirate nut today.

5- Street Fighter II - I was a big time arcade dweller as a child. Not only the token eater SF2 shaped my love for the genre it also brought me closer to the world of martial arts. Thansk to this game I went on to be an amateur boxing during my college years.

 

[DoctorPlayer MD]

Donkey Kong Country
Harvest Moon
Pokemon Red/Blue
Mortal Kombat 3
Pokemon Go

Edit: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past also influenced me a lot. Don't know if I would switch any of these 5 titles for it, but together they are my top 6.

 

[nooknook]

Legend Of Zelda - Had the NES when it was the thing to have. This was the game to sucked me in like movies, music, and books.

Mario Galaxy - After being away from games for a while this was what brought me back after getting a Wii during the height of its time. It was magical! The Wii opened me up to a lot of different types of games as it was my first console in a long time.

Mario Kart Wii - My introduction to party games and online gaming. Pure fun!

Xenoblade - My first JRPG. Played it in Japanese while living in Japan. It took me a while to understand the mechanics. But, once I wrapped my mind around it I wanted to play every JRPG I could get my hands on.

Animal Crossing Wild World - Another type of game that was new and wonderful for me. My first look into "cozy games." Such awesome memories walking around Tokyo, and many other parts of Japan, with my DS while chilling out to Animal Crossing.

I know that was already 5, but I can't leave this out:

Dark Souls - I bought my first Playstation after falling in love with games again with the Wii and DS. My gamer friends insisted I get Dark Souls. So, that was the first game I played on my new PS3. This masterpiece work of art changed my life.

Others worth mentioning: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate / Skyrim / Final Fantasy XIV

 

[CabooseMSG]

1) Runescape circa 2003-2007
2) KOTOR
3) Halo
4) DOTA 2
5) GTA 4

These were the games I played the most through my preteen/teen years. So itd make sense these were the ones that affected me most.

 

[Nikus]

A Link to the Past
Secret of Mana
Super Metroid
Metal Gear Solid
Devil May Cry

 

[DiegoPaulino]

° Captain Comando
° Street Fighter II The World Warrior
° Mega Drive's Aladdin
° The King of Fighters ' 97
° Castlevania Circle of the Moon

 

[Kiro]

Zelda: A Link to the Past
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
StarCraft
Golden Sun (1&2)
Super Smash Bros Melee

 

[CladInShadows]

Civilisation 2: Test of Time, Commander Keen, Banjo Kazooie, Zelda: OOT, Final Fantasy VII

 

[night814]

Super metroid, megaman X, ocarina of Time, Melee, Phantasy Star Online.

Easily the games I put the most time in or have played through too many times

 

[Jaymageck]

Super Metroid - shaped my desire for Metroidvania style design and moody science fiction

Tetris (Gameboy) - made me want to spend countless hours playing addictive handheld games anywhere and everywhere

FFVII - put me onto games as narrative experiences

Resident Evil 2 - started a lifelong interest in survival horror and cool 3D action

Sonic the Hedgehog (Master System) - shaped my interest in 2d platforming but also Sonic was my big "games are my personality" moment as I was wearing Sonic t shirts and reading Sonic comics.

 

[Transistor]

This is easy:

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Outer Wilds
Final Fantasy Tactics
Super Mario World

 

[ThatNerdGUI]

A Link to the Past
Final Fantasy VI
Symphony of the Night
Metal Gear Solid
Phantasy Star Online

 

[Genesius]

Interesting question because I would assume that because I'm old I would be more influenced by more NES classics but honestly the stuff that's really defined what I play today came in later generations.

Resident Evil
Dark Souls
Animal Crossing
Mortal Kombat II
Red Dead Redemption

 

[Daimon]

Final Fantasy VII
Gran Turismo
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil 2
Street Fighter Alpha 3

Honourable mentions:

Sonic & Knuckles
Mortal Kombat II
Tekken 3
Persona 3
Demon's Souls

There are a few more that also influenced me a lot, including older ones, but I think PS1 era was the one that cemented my tastes in certain genres.

 

[WandererJ]

Chronologically:

1. Street Fighter II
2. Chrono Trigger
3. Final Fantasy VII
4. Resident Evil
5. Metal Gear Solid

Running-up: Dark Souls

That's me, a Capcom-Square-Kojima-Miyazaki beetch.

 

[Prison_mike]

Zombies Ate My Neighbors (Sega)
Mario 64
Halo
Bad Company 2
NieR

 

[TaySan]

1.Doom/Duke Nukem 3D
2.Super Mario 64
3.Halo 2
4. Max Payne
5. Marble Blast Ultra

 

[Mechaplum]

Planescape Torment, Jane's flight sims, Civilisation 2 and Baldur's Gate 2 basically shaped my gaming interests when I was like 15.

Then Nier Automata, Dark Souls 3 and Persona 4 pulled me into these genres on consoles within the last decade.

That's more than 5 but I couldn't really choose.

 

[wafflebrain]

Maniac Mansion (DOS) - My first point and click adventure game. The campy 'haunted house' theme and revolving characters with alternate paths for each was something I'd never seen before, and the environment interaction system (open, pull, pick up, walk to, etc) felt really novel in a sea of games that didn't really have anything like that going on.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis) - The colors (those blue Sega skies), the art, the soundtrack, the speed, there wasn't another side scroller I'd seen that looked so good on console. Playing this for the first time as a kid was like taking a psychedelic, blew my mind and is probably the single biggest wow moment with the biggest impact on my psychology WRT gaming relative to the time.

Mario 64 (N64) - The second biggest wow moment behind Sonic, this time the 3d equivalent. Playing this at a demo station at a Blockbuster Video for the first time and trying to wrap my head around the controls with my jaw on the floor the entire time was a real formative moment for me and many others for obvious reasons.

Resident Evil (original on PC) - Although it had its share of camp this was also legitimately terrifying to play at the time, the Spencer Mansion truly was a character unto itself, each room its own micro world of tension and themes. The progression going through the whole thing remains one of the most memorable experiences I've had in gaming. REmake is the stronger presentation and my favorite but the og is the one that made the largest impact by far.

Hitman Contracts (PC) - World of Assassination is definitely a big leap forward for the series but Contracts is where I first started playing the series. The amount of environmental interaction and intricate map design had me hooked, and the amount of tools, disguises, and weapons at your disposal made a big impression. There really weren't any other games that allowed you to explore interiors with that many accessible doors/areas. Maps like the manor with the hedge maze and the hotel in particular really stood out.

 

[Multievolution]

Five games, huh? And not specifically my favourites? I'll certainly try.


1. Legend of Zelda links awakening (game boy colour)

This one's interesting, I got it by accident when I got a game boy colour (wanted a game boy didn't know there was a difference as a kid)

I had no connection to Zelda at the time, and I never got passed the second temple back then, but I used to adore that game, the music and environments, I attribute this as when I first liked a game.

2. Pokemon red, I spent a while looking for a pikachu for a friend way before I ever had a copy of my own, these games got me to really look things up, I learned how to use a cheat device, glitches, and the concept of secrets in general, I wouldn't play games the same way without them:


3. Windwaker, I really wanted to bring something up like dark cloud, which definitely made an impression, but instead I must say windwaker. This was a game a friend brought over and showed me the soup spin attack on, and I fell in love. He did this a few times in fact, and I'd never considered the connection between it and the one I played as a kid. One phone call later, the last copy at game was reserved for me, and I found myself invested in a story for the first time. When Zelda picked up that master sword when link took a hit, I felt joy, when that music and bubbles played at the end I felt sorrow at a beautiful games end.



4. Oblivion, I disliked it at first, I couldn't get into it in 1st person at all, needed 3rd person, and this only came later, when this game clicked it opened a world like no other.
I started creating characters, role playing and actually coming up with my own ideas, I'd done so with toys as a kid, but this took it to another level and made me conscious of it. This game was fundamental to me realising I wanted to be a writer.


5. I was going to say duel links, if I'm being honest, that game got me into this passive form of playing games on mobile that I'm in now, and that's noteworthy, but the answer I will l instead give is halo 3. I had played the second one some, but it never hooked me like 3, the countdown to it, and getting gold for the first time was crazy, and the game was the hub of my world for a good two years.


First the campaign, I was invested in it, I wanted to see the end of the fight so to speak, and it delivered. I never got to be very social outside of school, but the amount of times I could load campaign up and play with friends was enough to make me feel included. And the multiplayer… I can remember random games where public chat would have someone claim to be filming a Nickelodeon show, and how I'd stay up to three am playing zombies with some really friendly Americans, driving a warthog around the desert level and trying not to die.

I remember the first time heard "wake me when you need me" and I think I always will.

 

[GamerJM]

Pokemon Red - Made me fall in love with video games as a whole. Also made me get into Pokemon, which became a lifelong obsession.

Super Smash Bros. Melee - Put more time into it than any other video game by far, made friends through it in elementary school and again through the competitive scene in college.

Soul Calibur II - This could have happened with any great video game, but it was when I was playing this game that I happened to have the thought "I love video games more than basically any activity, I'm going to rearrange my life such that gaming is the hobby that comes before anything".

Dance Dance Revolution Extreme - This is the game that made me fall in love with rhythm games, which ended up dominating my high school years. Also motivated me to have some level of cardio.

Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan - Was my first import game, led me to import many more games and also helped me get more into Japanese music/entertainment in general.

Honorable mentions:

Rock Band 2 - Honestly feels weird to put two rhythm games here and have neither of them be this game because it completely defined my life in high school and basically got me into music in general. However, the former was possible because of DDR Extreme and the latter isn't strictly related to gaming.

Fire Emblem (GBA) - Got me into SRPGs and completely defined a lot of 2004 for me, still one of my most played games ever.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Got my into adventure games, visual novels, and motivated me to watch more anime.

Final Fantasy VII - Kind of a weird one. I actually played this right at the start of the pandemic for the first time, in preparation for FF7 Remake. I started it expecting not to finish it, as at the time I was in a bit of a gaming funk and had a habit of not finishing longer RPGs, or taking months to do so. However, because of all of the pandemic free time and because of how engaged I was by it, I ended up beating it in a couple of weeks. This led me to play through a bunch of games over the next two years or so and I cleared out a lot of "bucket list" games that I never actually expected to finish.

Balatro - Kind of a pre-emptive one! Potentially got me into roguelikes and/or card games? It's a top 10 all-timer for me, I put over 100 hours into it, but I've never been into either of those things. So maybe?

 

[RedMercury]

Doom - One of the first computer games I really got heavily into (along with Myst) as a young kid, the first multiplayer experience I had as well. It was just really cool and really fast.

Final Fantasy 7 - The first narrative in a game that really gripped me, got me used to very deep mechanics, was the first game I found legit hard to put down.

Dark Souls - I think this game gave me a respect for perseverance, and allowed me to try lots of games I never before would have because I would have thought "oh i could never beat that" or "that's definitely not for me"

Silent Hill 2 - Gave me an appreciation that games can be thematically deep and really get in your head

Super Mario Bros - First game I had for the first console I had so, pretty important. The only game my Dad and my late Uncle ever sat down with me and played so, good memories there.

5. The House in Fata Morgana (PC) - I was already into visual novels when this came out in 2016, but not a lot, and specially not for PC visual novels. I stumbled upon a Hardcore Gamer review for the original release that gave it a 4.5/5 and I decided to give it a try, back when NO ONE was talking about the game, barely a month after launch. Oh boy, was I in for a ride. The game devoured me, chewed me and spit me out, and that was just chapter 1. The only thing I was talking about for the rest of 2016 was Fata Morgana. To this day, I think I've sold this game to over a hundred people, I've played every single release since, I've professionally reviewed the PS4 and Vita releases and gave it a 100 score and there's nothing that'll ever come close to it ever again. Oh, and after that, I just became a huge visual novel fanatic, nothing was ever the same after Fata Morgana.

Click to shrink...

I wouldn't say Fata Morgana shaped me, but damn did it blow my mind. It's brilliant, I have never played anything with a story that hit like that and I'm afraid I never will. For all the praise Sony gets about the stories they tell in the third person games they publish, whether it be Last of Us or God of War, yeah those are nice stories but they are like a Michael Bay movie compared to Fata Morgana, I wish we could see something like that outside of a VN or even something close.

 

[Gareth]

Shining Force II
Unreal Tournament
Morrowind
Rome: Total War
Halo 3

 

[TeraDax]

Nice original thread for real! Love the idea! :)

Though I guess it's hard for me, across all the differents games... and my taste are so varied, it's kinda tough to pin point anything, but I'll try!

The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time:
One of the game that started it all. The game I've played so much as a kid. The game I managed to finish while all my friends struggled. The game that made me fall in love with what is my favorite series.

The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask:
My GOAT. A game I first loathed, because I was stuck at the beginning while I managed to finish OoT before. First it required extra negociation because we needed to rent the expension pack at the same time, and then the weird mecanics prevented me to escape that damn Deku form. And then, later, it clicked. That virtual world, with the NPC schedules, the story, the mood, the gameplay, everything. While I cannot say it's the best «Zelda» game, it's for my number 1 game. Learned to give game a second chance (or actually a fourth)

Age of Empire 2:
Growing up with a shitty PC when you are the one in your friends circle that loved that platform the most, but everyone had a better machine was kinda a bitch. But that shitty PC was more than enough to run AoE 2. The perfect time waster. So many matches vs CPU. Creating scenarios in my mind as the games progressed. Later trying to recreate battles from LotR or from my books idea.

Super Mario 64:
First game I completed 100%. A game you can almost always replay. One of the other game I had to help my friends to finish. Loved Mario's platformer from then on. I feel other game could replace it in that list, but that would not be fair, it deserve it.

Monter Hunter Tri:
Tough choice, but I have to go with it. Literally shaped most of my gaming time from at least the next 10 years. Felt in love with the series, which then became one of my favorite. Played every MH that game after in the West (And also english translation of Portable 3), while making sure to play the OG on PS2 and for sure Freedom Unite. Had some of my best gaming experience playing co-op on Tri Ultimate and all 3DS games. Truly a great time. Sadly, I'm not too happy with the direction the serie took with World, but since Rise was such a pleasure, I guess I can still count on some good time again eventually.

Wew. That was hard to decided for sure. Some honorable mentions:
Paper Mario 64 -> Made me realize I could love some turn by turn combat. And the story and world were so great. Top 5 GOAT.
Resident Evil 4 -> Gosh, what a game, enough said.
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga -> Similar to PM, but getting a original game so good on my GBA was a fantastic experience.
Dark Souls -> Became one of my favorites series, and still play every Fromsoft game (other that Sekiro, sorry).
Harvest Moon 64 -> Discoved a totally different kind of game I used to play. Became a fan of the series and ended getting every games (Made the switch to Story of Season or course)

And so many more... Vice City, Oblivion, Mario Galaxy, REmake...

 

[Elyian]

I've actually thought about this before, always fun to talk about.

- Megaman X: This was one of the first games I ever played, and it's definitely one of the games with which I have the earliest memories of. Absolutely fell in love with this franchise coming off of the first MMX, but that game in particular was what had gotten me into fast paced, almost "actiony" games. Going into other classic 2D platformers like Mario and Sonic were phenomenal experiences too, but Megaman X? That shit was my jam. Still go back to it to this day, and I 100 percent attribute my love for more action focused games to Megaman X.

- Marvel Vs. Capcom: Used to play a ton of fighting games as a kid with my older brothers, and I think this was probably the first one that started to click for me. I won't lie, I was a filthy button masher throughout the entirety of our sessions playing that game, and this continued on with how I played MVC2(which was where I learned NOT to button mash), but MVC1 was where I really started to wet my feet with fighters, and this game in particular has molded my taste in fighters in general(tend to enjoy faster, more "anime" style fighters).

- Kingdom Hearts: This shit right here, this was the game that showed me "action RPGs are the way". I don't know what it was about this game, especially since I don't really care about Disney like that, but my brothers sold me on it when I was like 6, and I ended up using my birthday to get it. Got it, tried, and I just couldn't put that shit down! I was trash at the time, and i'm sure I did everything wrong the first time around, but that was probably one of the first 3D games to show me what gaming could be. Fast forward 5ish years, and Kingdom Hearts II comes in and completely changes the game, further solidifying for me that "action RPGS are THE way!!!".

- Super Smash Bros.: Smash bros is the window for Nintendo for me. it is, without an ounce of exaggeration, the MAIN reason I even own Nintendo home consoles. It was what I played the most on the N64, it was why we had gotten a Gamecube(for Melee), Why I was interested in the Wii(for Brawl), why I bought a Wii U(for Smash Wii U), and the main reason I got a Switch(for Ultimate). This obviously led into me trying the rest of Nintendo's bangers, but smash bros is on a whole other level for me. The start of the best video game franchise out there!

- Halo 3/COD World at War: Kinda cheating with this one, but I have a reason for this! So Halo 3 was the first game me and my brothers had played online MP on, and the first time we jumped online was pretty fucking impressive. This was VERY short-lived though, cause soon after we got into online MP, our Xbox 360 got the dreaded RRoD, and we ended up canning the thing for a PS3 a few months later. Now, on the PS3, one of the first games we got was Call of Duty: World at War, and THIS was where the torch was passed on to. I've spent hundreds upon thousands of hours playing online shooters, and this all started with the short but great experience I had with Halo 3, and why I was at all curious to even try online MP again with COD:WaW.

 

[Bulgowski]

Not definitive as I have a few major ones missing but these 5 stand out to me.

1998 - 2006: Ocarina of Time (and the first four 3D Zelda games more broadly): My definitive gaming experiences as a kid and teenager. Set the standard for me with games and honestly made it difficult to branch out because of how high that standard felt to me. I went with Ocarina because I played it first and it really expanded my mind to the immersive potential of video games but I could easily but Majora's Mask, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess here as well.

2004: Beyond Good and Evil: One of the first video games I found out about through my own research that really resonated with me. Was important in expanding my tastes beyond the Zelda - Smash - "Game Boy JRPG I saw in Nintendo Power" binary. Was really into it's world building and how much more cinematic it felt compared to what I had played up to that point. I also got into Sands of Time around that time and feel very similarly about it.

2005: Shadow of the Colossus: First game to really make me rethink what games could do and what they could make me feel.

2011: L.A. Noire: Reignited my interest in "modern" games after being out of the medium for years (I would credit replaying Twilight Princess that same year for reigniting my interest in games more broadly). At the time, it's serious narrative, weird face tech and investigation mechanics felt unlike anything I had experienced at that point and made me feel like their was still new and interesting ground for gaming to grow into as a medium (even if in retrospect the game isn't the best). I would also say it was a precursor for my interest in gameplay light, narrative heavy games and point and click adventure games.

2015: The Witcher 3 - Solidified gaming as one of my primary adult hobbies and set the standard for a lot of the qualities I look for in games now. Wad also one of the longest games I had played at that point and made me more opening to taking on bigger games like RPGs and Open World games.

Honorable mentions: Pokemon (Gen 1+2), Smash Bros Melee, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, The Last of Us, Hollow Knight