Your defining videogame experiences

[Big Seany]

Hitting a "out of the park" home run for the first time on Wii Baseball was just incredible.

All the obvious things really, although my excitement about games has increased as I have got older, strangely. The announcement of a new Ghosts & Goblins for PSP, for example, I nearly had to go and choke one off.

Another one - playing Excite Truck the other night after a skinful of alcohol and drugs - brilliant moment.

[Charlie]

Knightlore - first game to truly draw me into it's world.

Zelda: LttP - got it on US import and after slotting it into my Super Famicom, via a bridge adaptor, I was immediately hooked and didn't remove the cartridge for several weeks until the game was completed. I don't think I left the house in that time either, not properly anyway.

Mario 64 - probably my favourite game of all time. Had to sell my JP Playstation and beloved JP Saturn to fund the game and console upon it's release in Japan but it was well worth it. The day it arrived a friend and I dropped acid and it was a sublime experience, so beautiful, so fluid, so intuitive, so full of imagination. I'd never experienced anything like it, and probably never will again.

Oblivion - stepping outide and looking up for the first time, after escaping the sewers, I was blown away by the stars and the clouds, the trees in the breeze. A beautiful moment.

[Concrete donkey]

My moments in gaming are points of revelation for me, events that occur that changed my outlook or behavior in some way. There are more I could type about but I felt this post was long enough all ready.

Switching the Nintendo 64 on for the first time, Turok inside, Mario 64 close by.

The first console I'd ever owned, the first game I've ever played that was mine, and my first 3D gaming experience. I had played games at friends houses before, dabbled in PC gaming with basic strategy games which would lead into a dramatic Civilization addiction that still curses me to this day. But Turok was the game that started my life as a gamer. I was crap at it at first and couldn't navigate at all. I was so heavily dependant on the overview map it was unreal. But something interesting happened, not just that I could see that map whenever I closed my eyes night or day for weeks.

Throughout high school I had atrocious eye hand co-ordination difficulties that meant playing any sports was next to impossible, a source of great embarrassment to me. However once I?d mastered control of this game, and Mario 64 along side it I had found my real life co-ordination difficulties had much improved to the point I could play Table Tennis. It gave me a new source of confidence which I owe to my experience as a gamer. Alas in college when I picked up the N64 pad for the first time it was too late to show this improvement off in PE classes.

Watching my brother save Paul Denton?s life, and other things involving Deus Ex (spoilers)

Deus Ex is the source of many of my gaming defining moments, beginning with the Demo. I wasn?t overly impressed with the first stage of the game, your basic kill terrorists (or not) and save the day. The way others responded to how I approached this task was lost on me first time out and I grew to appreciate it on replaying the demo again and again trying different things out. What first impressed me about Deus Ex, what sold me was the fact that after you save the day (or in this case, night) you are shown to your office. My own office, in a game. I spent ages there, reading, messing around with the basketball, moving stuff around. The fact that I had my own office sold me the game.

But what was the real wow factor, which made me fall in love with this game was watching my brother play, being a few stages behind me. When the agents came to interrupt my secret meeting with my in game brother I followed his instructions and ran, escaped to the roof and got the subway. Paul Denton saved my life by sacrificing his own. I couldn?t wait to see my real life brothers reaction as he went through the same. However he played things out differently. He mined the apartment?s entrance, and when the agents entered the trap he unloaded everything he had on them. Together with Paul they fought their way through to the lobby where they were overwhelmed. Captured, as I was after killing Agent Navarre, there was one important difference. Paul was alive.

Deus Ex was full of these moments, where the experiences are more your own rather than a story you play through like Final Fantasy. I may have saved the world in Deus Ex, but I still regret failing both Paul Denton and my helicopter pilot in saving their lives in this game.

The Vampire experience in Oblivion

I hadn?t read up on Oblivion before playing, I knew I wanted it and got it when the game first came out. Like other games where you can choose to be good or bad I made a choice before I started playing it which one I would be first. I would try the other out on repeat play if I felt the need, I made the same choices with Star Wars KOTOR, Jade Empire and Fable and kept to it. If I was good I would be good to the end no matter how fun being bad looked. There would always be time to be evil the second time round.

About twenty hours into the game, to help a fellow tournament fighter out I went on a far flung journey help find out the truth of his father. Upon doing so I unknowingly became cursed with the Vampire virus. Like I said, I had not read up on the game, didn?t follow the devolpment and rigorously avoided NTSC?s first play thread. I was not bitten by a vampire in combat either, I had cleared the area first before taking a well deserved in game nap in that comfortable looking king sized bed where I had the strangest dream (or so the text tells me anyway) I should have already learned my lesson on sleeping in strange beds whilst I was in the capital. But I was naive. It took me a while to realize what was happening to me, I?m slow like that, and by the time I knew, it was too late. Again, failing to read the instructions I knew only what I had learned from Angel about being a Vampire. I could still be a good guy and be a demon at the same time. It took me awhile to learn about feeding so for real days of playing the game I was avoiding the sunlight, racing against time to get from place to place, sleeping at inns or hunting in caves during the day. I never use the quick jump feature of the game and always walked where I had to go. I stole my first horse in the game to race to Skingrad, chased by trolls to get under a roof before the sun rose. It was a very intense experience, and what more it was my experience.

As my long journey began to cure my curse I was desperate to be human again and the journey to be one was much longer than I anticipated. On the way I found that being a vampire was fun, and took perverse pleasure in feeding of people in their sleep, moving from the homeless people under the thief?s protection, to fellow fighters guild members, to the rich in their mansions. I would break in their places of residence just to feed off them. Hell, I even joined a faction dedicated to wiping vampires out, unable to tell that I was one of them. This was the most fun for me, hunting other Vampires. I would go to places of the map where Vampires were known to be and I loved wiping out their nests.

By the time I had the cure in my hands I realized I no longer wanted it and tucked it away in one of many places of residence. This game was the first to break my rule of picking sides and sticking with it. I never switched to being a fully evil Vampire, but I enjoyed both the good and the bad, A job is a job, a quest a quest. I couldn?t help that I enjoyed it.

[jimmbob]

The Vampire experience in Oblivion

I hadn?t read up on Oblivion before playing, I knew I wanted it and got it when the game first came out. Like other games where you can choose to be good or bad I made a choice before I started playing it which one I would be first. I would try the other out on repeat play if I felt the need, I made the same choices with Star Wars KOTOR, Jade Empire and Fable and kept to it. If I was good I would be good to the end no matter how fun being bad looked. There would always be time to be evil the second time round.

About twenty hours into the game, to help a fellow tournament fighter out I went on a far flung journey help find out the truth of his father. Upon doing so I unknowingly became cursed with the Vampire virus. Like I said, I had not read up on the game, didn?t follow the devolpment and rigorously avoided NTSC?s first play thread. I was not bitten by a vampire in combat either, I had cleared the area first before taking a well deserved in game nap in that comfortable looking king sized bed where I had the strangest dream (or so the text tells me anyway) I should have already learned my lesson on sleeping in strange beds whilst I was in the capital. But I was naive. It took me a while to realize what was happening to me, I?m slow like that, and by the time I knew, it was too late. Again, failing to read the instructions I knew only what I had learned from Angel about being a Vampire. I could still be a good guy and be a demon at the same time. It took me awhile to learn about feeding so for real days of playing the game I was avoiding the sunlight, racing against time to get from place to place, sleeping at inns or hunting in caves during the day. I never use the quick jump feature of the game and always walked where I had to go. I stole my first horse in the game to race to Skingrad, chased by trolls to get under a roof before the sun rose. It was a very intense experience, and what more it was my experience.

As my long journey began to cure my curse I was desperate to be human again and the journey to be one was much longer than I anticipated. On the way I found that being a vampire was fun, and took perverse pleasure in feeding of people in their sleep, moving from the homeless people under the thief?s protection, to fellow fighters guild members, to the rich in their mansions. I would break in their places of residence just to feed off them. Hell, I even joined a faction dedicated to wiping vampires out, unable to tell that I was one of them. This was the most fun for me, hunting other Vampires. I would go to places of the map where Vampires were known to be and I loved wiping out their nests.

By the time I had the cure in my hands I realized I no longer wanted it and tucked it away in one of many places of residence. This game was the first to break my rule of picking sides and sticking with it. I never switched to being a fully evil Vampire, but I enjoyed both the good and the bad, A job is a job, a quest a quest. I couldn?t help that I enjoyed it.

You swine. I swore I wasn't going to get Oblivion. A well written post like that gets my buying finger hovering!

[C']

I was about to post almost the exact the same thing Jimmie.

I actually own Oblivion as I grabbed the LE on release but really didn't find it grabbed after about 5 hours or so and left it. I think I had trouble knowing what to focus on which ruined it in the end for me.

However, reading that has got me wanting to either fire it up again or get the PS3 version. The way Concrete Donkey had created this fully developed persona in the game (that developed naturally from his game experience) made superb reading (a vampire part of vampire hunting guild - brilliant ).

Time to give this game a second chance...

[BeyondJumpFish]

Mine was when my brothers friend brought a playstation round to our house and it was the first time i saw one running. I could hear it in my brothers room but he wouldn't let me in so when they went out i snuck into his room and put Tekken on. I din't even know what it was at the time and it blew my ****ing balls off.
I had to dash out of his room not long after and it just seemed so crap to then have to play on Mortal Kombat 2 on my Megadrive. Life was never the same again...

[Concept]

My moments in gaming are points of revelation for me, events that occur that changed my outlook or behavior in some way. There are more I could type about but I felt this post was long enough all ready.

The Vampire experience in Oblivion

I hadn’t read up on Oblivion before playing, I knew I wanted it and got it when the game first came out. Like other games where you can choose to be good or bad I made a choice before I started playing it which one I would be first. I would try the other out on repeat play if I felt the need, I made the same choices with Star Wars KOTOR, Jade Empire and Fable and kept to it. If I was good I would be good to the end no matter how fun being bad looked. There would always be time to be evil the second time round.

About twenty hours into the game, to help a fellow tournament fighter out I went on a far flung journey help find out the truth of his father. Upon doing so I unknowingly became cursed with the Vampire virus. Like I said, I had not read up on the game, didn’t follow the devolpment and rigorously avoided NTSC’s first play thread. I was not bitten by a vampire in combat either, I had cleared the area first before taking a well deserved in game nap in that comfortable looking king sized bed where I had the strangest dream (or so the text tells me anyway) I should have already learned my lesson on sleeping in strange beds whilst I was in the capital. But I was naive. It took me a while to realize what was happening to me, I’m slow like that, and by the time I knew, it was too late. Again, failing to read the instructions I knew only what I had learned from Angel about being a Vampire. I could still be a good guy and be a demon at the same time. It took me awhile to learn about feeding so for real days of playing the game I was avoiding the sunlight, racing against time to get from place to place, sleeping at inns or hunting in caves during the day. I never use the quick jump feature of the game and always walked where I had to go. I stole my first horse in the game to race to Skingrad, chased by trolls to get under a roof before the sun rose. It was a very intense experience, and what more it was my experience.

As my long journey began to cure my curse I was desperate to be human again and the journey to be one was much longer than I anticipated. On the way I found that being a vampire was fun, and took perverse pleasure in feeding of people in their sleep, moving from the homeless people under the thief’s protection, to fellow fighters guild members, to the rich in their mansions. I would break in their places of residence just to feed off them. Hell, I even joined a faction dedicated to wiping vampires out, unable to tell that I was one of them. This was the most fun for me, hunting other Vampires. I would go to places of the map where Vampires were known to be and I loved wiping out their nests.

By the time I had the cure in my hands I realized I no longer wanted it and tucked it away in one of many places of residence. This game was the first to break my rule of picking sides and sticking with it. I never switched to being a fully evil Vampire, but I enjoyed both the good and the bad, A job is a job, a quest a quest. I couldn’t help that I enjoyed it.

Awesome post. That inspired me enough to try and keep my vampire-disease ridden character (I encountered a glitch where the Count of Skingrad wouldn't come down to speak to me. Now well on my way after breaking into his quarters).

Bethesda should give you a PR job.

[Big N Veiny]

Getting a NES. I became pro on Duck Hunt and my bro became pro at Mario. I remember one day sitting there and watching him clear it three and a half times without losing a life or using a warp.

Getting a N64. First firing up Waverace, first flying around in Pilot wings and first running around in Mario 64 was awe inspiring.

Getting a PS2 and pretty much camping out in the parent's cinema playing GT3.

Getting a GBA SP. Took a break from games and getting a SP is what drug me back in.

Me and 3 friends all hung over, all sitting on the couch taking turns playing the final stage of Katamari Damacy.
Laughing like loons and trying to get 800m so we play eternal mode.
Couldn't get the controller out of the hands of people who usually only played Fifa. A really fun memory that sticks in my mind and makes me love KD even more.

Playing Wii sports multi player. I've had people who have zero interest in video games (i.e . girlfriend) to actually play and have fun. Drinks and 4 players and tennis is a dangerous but unbeatable combination.

[AL-ZILLA]

Mario 64 for me. Swinging king bowser around by his tail.

Psycho Mantis on MGS1. Him moving my controller with his mind.

And pretty much ALL of Shenmue.

[MarioMark]

Getting my Mega Drive and putting Sonic on at Christmas, need I say more?

Playing on a Friends SEGA Saturn with SEGA Rally in it, it was the first proper 3D game I'd played. I think my face was something like this.

Playing on a N64 pod in HMV with Mario 64 on it. I was truly amazed by how fun the game was and it's still my favorite game of all time today.

And the last time I was truly amazed by a game was when I hooked up my Dreamcast to the phone line and put on Phantasy Star Online. Just walking around with other real players who were miles away, and being able to chat to them was an amazing experience. It was the first online game I'd ever played.

So it was all mainly down to SEGA really!

[eastyy]

oh i have to put a comment on one place in the game vampires bloodlines i think it was called

the haunted hotel i thought had such a awesome atmosphere

[nietzschedancing]

DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou. Second loop. One dead Hibachi.

Alright, I've never done that, but that would be the defining moment of my life if I did.

In terms of things I've actually experienced, playing ESPgaluda for the first time. That synthy trance, Ageha's cries of 'Yoshi' now and then, the art, everything, it actually felt life affirming - I could feel my pulse banging away in the neck - it was heaven.

Beating Battle Garegga - I've long sold it now, but the final boss bullet patterns are tatooed in the very fibre of my being. Once again, the thumping music, the sheer sense of speed and palapble panic - I was actually nearly sick after finishing it, such was the exertion.

Xenogears was special as well - despite the crummy last section, I was young when I played it and felt like a genuinely adult experience.

Finally, perhaps the most special - Ocarina of Time. I played it when I was 10/11 and it consumed everything for an age. My Grandfather died while playing it and it offered a sublime little world completely abstracted from the grind of quotidian life. I remeber finishing it and phoning my friend who was playing through it at the same time. He told me he was just about to ring me as he'd finidhed it moments before - a genuine sense of magic, that.

[merf]

I defeated the last 'boss' yesterday at the top of the Shai Gen Tower in Crackdown, climber right up to the top above his little pagoda and just surveyed the whole vista that I'd 'cleansed' over the last few weeks.

Looking down on what feels like a living breathing city, rather than a collection of textured boxes you can jump on (like last years Hulk game), it really felt like this is what next-gen games should be about.

I cannot remember a single title since Mario 64 that just feels so revolutionary and so far ahead of the competition.

[Geoff D]

The Vampire experience in Oblivion

I hadn?t read up on Oblivion before playing, I knew I wanted it and got it when the game first came out. Like other games where you can choose to be good or bad I made a choice before I started playing it which one I would be first. I would try the other out on repeat play if I felt the need, I made the same choices with Star Wars KOTOR, Jade Empire and Fable and kept to it. If I was good I would be good to the end no matter how fun being bad looked. There would always be time to be evil the second time round.

About twenty hours into the game, to help a fellow tournament fighter out I went on a far flung journey help find out the truth of his father. Upon doing so I unknowingly became cursed with the Vampire virus. Like I said, I had not read up on the game, didn?t follow the devolpment and rigorously avoided NTSC?s first play thread. I was not bitten by a vampire in combat either, I had cleared the area first before taking a well deserved in game nap in that comfortable looking king sized bed where I had the strangest dream (or so the text tells me anyway) I should have already learned my lesson on sleeping in strange beds whilst I was in the capital. But I was naive. It took me a while to realize what was happening to me, I?m slow like that, and by the time I knew, it was too late. Again, failing to read the instructions I knew only what I had learned from Angel about being a Vampire. I could still be a good guy and be a demon at the same time. It took me awhile to learn about feeding so for real days of playing the game I was avoiding the sunlight, racing against time to get from place to place, sleeping at inns or hunting in caves during the day. I never use the quick jump feature of the game and always walked where I had to go. I stole my first horse in the game to race to Skingrad, chased by trolls to get under a roof before the sun rose. It was a very intense experience, and what more it was my experience.

As my long journey began to cure my curse I was desperate to be human again and the journey to be one was much longer than I anticipated. On the way I found that being a vampire was fun, and took perverse pleasure in feeding of people in their sleep, moving from the homeless people under the thief?s protection, to fellow fighters guild members, to the rich in their mansions. I would break in their places of residence just to feed off them. Hell, I even joined a faction dedicated to wiping vampires out, unable to tell that I was one of them. This was the most fun for me, hunting other Vampires. I would go to places of the map where Vampires were known to be and I loved wiping out their nests.

By the time I had the cure in my hands I realized I no longer wanted it and tucked it away in one of many places of residence. This game was the first to break my rule of picking sides and sticking with it. I never switched to being a fully evil Vampire, but I enjoyed both the good and the bad, A job is a job, a quest a quest. I couldn?t help that I enjoyed it.

This post needs to be archived somewhere on the site. Whenever anyone is feeling battered & bruised from talk of sales figures, which console is 'best', innovation & so on, they should be able to come & re-read this & remember how ****ing great gaming can be.

[ItsThere]

Fishing in Okami. Normally I hate fishing in games. I hated it in Sonic, I hated it in Zelda (even TP) it was just dull and uninteresting.

However, Capcom being Capcom shoe horned this tired mecanic into an EXCITING mini game. Just one of the little moments of brilliance that shines through from time to time and you realise you are grinning like you used to,