What was the last game that got you excited like you used to when you were a kid?

Ok, bit of an odd question I admit, but I keep seeing footage of Wargroove and I'm not exaggerating when I say it's sending shivers down my spine. Usually when I see footage of a new game these days I say, "Hmmm, that's cool," then I give a shrug and more often than not wait to buy it at a discount. This is the first game since maybe Halo: Reach that I can't watch without smiling.

Here's what I want to know. Obviously, what game triggered you like this emotionally? Why are you so excited about it and what in particular do you think makes that specific game strike a chord with you. If perhaps it reminds you of a game from childhood, what was that game? How old were you when you first played it and what can you remember about playing it your first time around.

A good OP goes first. Anyway, here's Wargroove:

I fucking loved Advance Wars. In fact, anything vaguely turn base strategy on the GBA is something I would play until I was blue in the face, and that console was full of them. I loved them so much, it's strange to acknowledge than I don't think I ever beat a single one. I probably got Advance Wars for my birthday and I can't even remember knowing anything about it. It quickly became my favorite thing on planet Earth... until Fire Emblem became my favorite thing on planet Earth... until finally Final Fantasy Tactics Advance became my favorite thing on planet earth... until my mom made me go outside.

Other than consistently finding the next game I wanted to play, I guess I was a pretty anxious kid when it came to strategy games even though I loved them unequivocally. The levels in Advance Wars where the enemy could spawn units were ones that I found intimidating, I found myself always frustrated by Fire Emblem's permadeath, and I never figured out you could pay to remove stat penalties in Tactics. In hindsight, that last one in particular is a real head-slapper, but what do you want, I'm terrible at video games.

A while ago, someone in the world used the phrase "spiritual successor to Advance Wars" in a sentence and I awoke to a cold sweat. I lamented to imagine something like Skulls of the Shogun or a very modern Valkyria Chronicles, but my tac-strat-spidey senses sent me hurdling through google searches none-the-less until, as if sent down by God, I laid eyes upon not only an attempt to realize the old grid-base-pixelly-goodness exactly as I had remembered it, but a pretty gorgeous and shockingly faithful one at that.

I can confirm that I check Wikipedia daily in the hopes of finding the exact day of Wargroove's release. If you haven't played a game from this genre, I urged you to make it your first.

That's it for my wall of text. Please write your own. I love it when you guys go in depth and I promise you I read every post.

During multiple game of the year threads last year, I'd often mention the Steam version of Senran Kagura Estival Versus is my game of the year for 2017. That still holds true for me today. Nier was great, but my hype for Estival was so fuckin' real, because, I had my doubts about the series coming to PC until Shinovi Versus showed up on Steam back in 2016, and licensing agreements were sorted out with Estival so that the three Ikkitousen DLC characters were made available outside of the Japanese version on the same day that the Steam version released. That second point is a very big deal to me since Ikki is my favorite anime, so I'm pretty satisfied with the notion of an extremely niche/cult series like Ikki get some parietal attention in games that aren't exclusive to Japan, and the very high probability of Ikki being the direct inspiration for Senran since Kenichiro Takaki worked on the three Ikki games for PS2 and PSP before creating Senran. So, unless someone works on my absolute dream game of creating a multiple character action/Devil May Cry game with a few of favorite characters from action anime (such as Satellizer el Bridget from Freezing), nothing can top Estival in terms of hype.

Nothing gets me as excited as I was when I was a kid sadly but I was pretty damn hyped for MGSV. I love that universe and those characters and I feel like for better or worse you never really know exactly what you're going to get with Kojima's games which add to the excitement for me. I ended up enjoying it quite a lot, I know others didnt.

Breath of the Wild for me. I wasn't really interested in the game before it came out, but all the reviews and let's plays I watched made me so hyped to play it! It excited me in way very few games ever have because it seemed like the perfect game for me. I love those massive open world games where you are trying to accomplish a task, but you keep finding interesting things in the world that distract you from your goal. The sense of exploration is unreal in this game, and fills me with a childlike sense of wonder.

It took a while for me to finally break down and buy a console to play it on, but when I did it was the only game I played for like 3 months. I spent 150 hours playing it before deciding to take a break, and I am not even close to completing the game and there is still DLC to do as well. I'm definitely looking forward to the day where I get to jump back in and get addicted all over again!

The most excited I recall being for a game as a kid was Mortal Kombat’s Genesis release with broken street dates everywhere. Mortal Monday came three days early.

As far as games that got me excited as an adult...

I remember getting pretty damned excited when I got Halo 2 at a midnight launch. Halo:CE got me back into games, so the idea of more Halo was pretty amazing. My excitment for a game was pretty embarrassing that night, in hindsight.

Gears of War 1 was another one. I called around and found a store that had it the Monday night before the game came out. My buddy and I raced down there to grab copies and then raced home to play.

WCW/NWO: Revenge is one that I cut classes to get, but this was before you could get a game on release day reliably. I felt less bad about that one as it was a game that we’d play in huge groups. Those AKI wrestling games were something special.

I wasn't immediately gripped by it as I wasn't even aware of its existence until after it was released, but I can say that waiting for the August 1st update to Stardewvalley has managed to get me more hyped than any game in recent memory. I really got into that game, and the idea of more content and multiplayer has me feeling super giddy like a kid on their way to Toys R Us... Oh... Too soon? :(

But yeah I don't usually get all that excited about games these days. I've found that the hype machine tends to just end up getting me disappointed when the game is released. That said the few games that have managed that tend to either be things that really hit that nostalgia bone or things that mimic things that would hit that nostalgia bone.

MGS5.

I spent over 100 hours in Ground Zeroes and had my notepad open while going through the story to write up my musings and discuss them with a buddy of mine that went through the game as well. Very cool experience. Storywise, it missed it's mark. It's a heavily flawed, but amazing game none the less.

Probably Dead Space 2.

Metal Gear Solid 5
GTA V
Breath of The Wild
Hitman
The Witness
Overwatch
Dark Souls

Watching Youtube videos got me obsessed with VRChat.

It was a magic I hadn't felt in years.

Octopath Traveler right now. It's hitting so many of my familiarity/nostalgia notes while also being very innovative and extremely well balanced. It feel like the natural evolution of the 16-bit Final Fantasy and I loooooooooove it. Just hearing the excellent battle music pop on is enough to make me a little giddy. :D

I've always loved the kinda legends and myths where a lone hero goes adventuring to defeat a monster. That's something that's excited me since I was a little kid, so whenever something nails that specific feeling, I'm all over it. I'm also a sucker for good-feeling, third person melee combat. Different combinations of both have lead me to series like Zelda, Shadow of the Colossus, Dark Souls and Dragon's Crown.

I was pretty stoked about Dragon's Dogma when it was announced and I really liked the demo. But the memory that sticks out to me is when I had ordered Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen and sat in front of the TV like a little kid while it installed, eagerly awaiting a time when I could play it again.

A similar memory is when I for once preordered a game: Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword! It arrived early, about a week before Christmas, and I was so giddy when I unpacked it. I was so excited to play the Wii's first original 3d Zelda game, the first Zelda game in what, five years? Then I actually played it, and was bummed out by the poor resolution compared to the games on my 360, the gameplay, the wiimote waggling, the slow opening hours and the design of that first forest area, which killed any atmosphere and made me feel like I was in a kindergarten.

Breath of the Wild managed to rekindle a lot of that childlike wonder, though.

Hm, I can't think of anything I've obsessed over like I did when I was a kid, but Monster Hunter: World is probably your best bet. That thing absolutely dominated most of the first half of this year for me.

Right now I'm playing a ton of Absolver and getting back to some FFXIV, having a good time with those, but goddamn, I haven't really deep-dived on a game like I did with MHW in what feels like forever.

Soul Calibur 6 is getting me pretty pumped. SC is the only fighting game series I've been remotely competent at and I need my current generation fix.

Octopath Traveler.

Breath of the Wild is close but maybe doesn't quite hit that incredible amount of excitement you would have as a kid. My answer would have to be Overwatch. 670 hours played and still going every day.

God of War.

It's the first game since the Witcher 3 that I have really, properly felt enamoured with, thought about playing when I wasn't playing it and wanted to do every part. I platinumed God of War (my first ever, and I've had Playstations going back to the PS1), and I wish I could forget that game so I could play it from the beginning, fresh, again, without the knowledge of what was to come.

For me it was Detroit: Become Human it super amazing!

The Witcher 3 easily, first game that had me just at awe in the craftsmanship that went into it.

It took quite some time away and a look back in hindsight for me to even notice the flaws of that game (for which there are many) because I was so enamoured by the parts it did so well.

The Shenmue HD announcement.

I don't feel like that about any games anymore really. Metal Gear Rising or Nier 1 or Automata maybe, I remember being pretty ecstatic about them. I look back at those games like a dream, whereas most games are a blur.

God of War (2018) kind of did that for me. I was looking forward to it, but I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. There was also a couple of different waves that went along with it, from how the axe feels good, to realizing how they are going to develop the combat system, to <spoilers>, to the story, to how they portray Kratos, to the side quests, to the Valkyries. The game was great in a lot of different respects, and not in the ways I anticipated.

With every year there's at least two games that I'm really excited about, that I know will stick with me for a long time. Sometimes it's based on how fun a game is. Sometimes it's with a game I have been excited for for a long time. God of War may do that as well. In the moment, the game just had a lot of surprises and it was kind of inspiring to see it through.

I find it harder not to feel childlike excitement for multiple games each year. From the last decade:

• The medieval/fantasy sword and sorcery shit nearly always does it to me: Dogma, Souls, Dragon Age, Witcher.
• Platformers with stunning artwork: Cuphead, Sundered, Wonder Boy: Dragon's Trap, Shantae.
• Whimsical RPGs: Ni No Kuni, Octopath, BotW, Undertale.
• Thought-provoking puzzlers: Talos Principle, The Witness, Gorogoa.
• Peaceful artsy games: Bound, Flower, Superbrothers.
• Children's storybook kinda games: Edith Finch, Thomas Was Alone, The Unfinished Swan.
• Mysterious walking sims: Ethan Carter, Firewatch, Dear Esther, Tacoma.
• Horror bliss: Soma, Layers of Fear, Outlast, Prey, Alien Isolation.

I could go on and on. I have gone on and on...

I suppose a good handful, but I've always been a bit of a sucker for pre-release hype and I was never especially excitable as a kid, so those two things balance out to an adult life where I still get reasonably antsy and count-the-days like for stuff as minor as NBA 2K or the Quick Look of Madden.

Metal Gear Solid 2. I feel nothing any more.

Deleted my previous longass post because theres actually been a lot of VR games(disclaimer: im on a ps4pro) that have reduced me to giggly child like excitement haha. Namely:

SuperhotVR.All of it.

Wipeout collection in VR with all nausea protection off, holy jesus, I though the game was a bit slow and unwieldy outside of VR but damn is it insane in VR, it seems like your going way faster when youre actually in the craft and I found it way easier to play from the vr cockpit than on a flat screen. After only a couple races I need a break though haha its super rad. Like holy shit I loved F zero GX but I never expected to be IN a fucking experience like it which also looks better on top of that .

Racing at night in vr with a t150 wheel in a normal Japanese car on the Japanese highway track in grand turismo sport with " I wanna be the night" playing. Just laughing my ass off.

Going really fast in polybius still does it for me despite me also sucking at it.

Most recently, Ive had a good ol giggly time with both the persistence and detached but its way too hot atm to endure a VR helmet for long times so I couldn't go on for to long, I can't wait for it to rain&cool off, its 30 degrees Celcius inside. Detached seems like its probably overpriced but I'll also take a longass time with me stubbornly sticking to simulation controls. But its actually really really fun to try and control the innertia in simulation mode, It almost feels like trying to play a videogame for the first time and just barely managing. Really exciting stuff despite probably looking real boring when you look at a youtube video of it. In both the persistence and detached(And a lot of other recent-ish psvr titles) the depth is also noticeably....deeper than in earlier VR titles, shit actually looks far away. Really immersive. Haha sorry but I do think its aplicable here..

Pre-release: Almost nothing. I did for Mass Effect: Andromeda and got burned bad. I am cautiously excited for Cyperpunk: 2077 though.

Actually playing it: There's been a few since I got back into gaming in 2009 after a hiatus. Mostly its when a game's story has actually gotten me emotionally invested and I truly care about the characters (and not just the plot). I didn't play many games as a little kid, and when I was young teen it was mostly strategy games, WoW, and PS1 JRPGs. I have extremely fond memories of the FFIX characters in particular and if a game can hit me in the feels the way that one did back then, its simply the best. Pyre, Mass Effect 2, Firewatch, Bioshock Infinite are all on the short list.

One game that isn't, is The Witcher 3. I love that game too, but I never cared enough about Geralt as a character. So even though I was deeply invested in seeing where the story went, I never felt that childlike excitement in watching it unfold.

Maybe not anywhere close to as exciting as some games could be when you were a kid, but Breath of the Wild certainly was the most exciting thing in about 15 years or so.

MGSV was the last game I remember really loving, but I wasn't excited like I was when I was when I was a kid.

Honestly, the last one might be Skyrim. I look forward to games these days and get a little excited, but I don't feel that overwhelming excitement any more.

There’s usually a game every two years or so that still gets me excited like a kid. Usually it’s a big non-annual sequel with a massive, well crafted open world to explore, since that’s my gaming bread and butter. Last game that really did it for me was Breath of the Wild, and currently Red Dead Redemption 2 is also doing it...no joke, I’ve had recurring dreams about playing it over the past few years. Cyberpunk, Starfield and TES VI will probably also scratch that childlike excitement itch when they’re closer to launch.

MGSV and Nier Automata came close in terms of anticipation and playing-sessions way too long to be healthy. But, honestly speaking, the last game that reallyhit all those childhood-excitement-buttons for me was Persona 4 way back in 2009. So I guess the child in me finally died at around age 22.

Just recently when the Spyro Reignited Trilogy was confirmed I was in a more 'hype' state then I have been for a while. I always looked on at announcements of Nintendo's big hitters such as Zelda and Smash Bros with the fan reaction and feeling a bit left out. I still love most of what Nintendo do but I don't really hold them up with the same reverence as the people that have had a lot of their childhood dominated by their great games. Most of my gaming childhood was defined by the classic PS1 and PS2 titles with Spyro being a big part of that and seeing those games I enjoyed so much given a new lease of life has given me some indication on what others are feeling when Nintendo pulls it out of the bag with a big title.

There are a few others games in recent years I've been more excited for such as Mass Effect 3, MGS 5 and Gran Turismo 5 which ultimately didn't really live up to what I wanted.

I still get it quite frequently - recent games that have done that include Monster Hunter World, Hitman 2016, Yakuza 0, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Bloodborne, Into the Breach, Dead Cells, and Rocket League. I love tons of games but it is always special when you get that true feeling of unbridled joy from something.

Most recently Two Point Hospital is giving me those vibes (as a huge fan of Theme hospital when I was younger). Wargroove definitely has me interested as well - hopefully both of them can deliver on what they're going for!

I've never really been one to get prerelease hyped over a game (even as a kid)

That said, The Witness is the first thing that comes to mind for me

@slaps2: OP I bet checking the game's twitter account https://twitter.com/WargrooveGame will probably be your fastest avenue to learn if the game is released or not (or when it will).

As for me , Dragon's Dogma is probably the most recent game to excite me to that level more or less for similar reasons as to what @redhotchilimist laid out quite well.

I think Nier: Automata is probably the biggest for me, in recent years. I felt more emotion and general excitement while playing through it than I have for a game in a long time.

So often I find myself, even when greatly enjoying a game, really rushing to be finished and get to the end. Nier was a rare case for me where I was sad to finish it, and have nothing else left to do - feeling almost hollow when I was done.

Souls games are other examples of that I've had. But with literal hollowing!

Danganronpa V3 was the last big title I was like "I will pre-order this the moment it comes out, I must play this". Also the last game I spent at least 3 hours a day (if not more) playing through until I beat it, which is not a thing I typically do with most games these days.

"Story-driven mystery games with a fun cast and twists you don't see coming" is a very..small genre. One I have played essentially everything that's come out in it. Not a game I can widely recommend to everyone, Re:The anime is intense and also 'it will spoil the previous two games'.

Though that last part is not so bad, since if your going to like V3, your going to like 1 and 2 as well/more even. I have a much easier time recommending the first Danganronpa. That you just need too get over the "Anime is intense" part of it, and if you can welp, great games which in time will naturally lead you to want to seek out and play V3 when you get too it.

Before that the last game I pre-ordered so i could pre-install it and play it at 12:01 (or whenever it unlocked on steam) and played to completition 3+ hours every day until I did.. was..the witcher 3? So yah, very few games grab me these days.

The last game that I had this for was Breath of the Wild, but only once I'd actually started playing it. I was excited for a new Zelda sure, but the way that game made everything an adventure and a discovery was amazing. I honestly didn't think I would feel that way playing a game as an adult.

Nier Automata was the one I marked out for the moment it was announced, and that Platinum would be helping to work on it, and I would say I meet the expectations I had or it to live up to my own hype.

Persona 5, on the other hand, is also one of those games I freaked out about the second it was revealed, but failed to meet my expectations.

I think it's harder for me to have this same excitement for whole new ip, where the factor of the unknown comes into play. I tend to be more cautiously optimistic for them. But, like a lot of other people, I'm sure, I'm currently very interested in Cyberpunk 2077.

Nothing. I don't care about video games like I used to, and now I don't even follow the news to see what's coming. For one, I don't bother reading gaming news, because what a game is when announced and what a game is when released vary so much these days I just don't see the point. Two, the hype is never real anymore. For some it might be, but I just grow tired of it and it ruins my time with the game (wich I fully admit is my problem but a problem none the less).

I just see what's released, pick up a game from time to time and enjoy my state of no longer concerned gamer.

@slag: I've tried everything short of espionage in order to find a release date.

Super Smash Bros.

Just the idea of characters from multiple games, even if they are were all owned by one published, was exciting. And those early commercials of the mascots battling it out in an open field was all too exciting.

First game that came to mind was Titanfall 2, for some reason. Maybe Sonic Mania last year. If I think about it more I'd probably come up with a couple of others.

I'm just a sucker for great moments. Titanfall 2 was a game built of them.

Probably Witcher 3 or Rise of the Tomb Raider. I rarely play things when they're current, but I remember being pretty excited for both of those.

Dragons lair for the Amiga

The Danganronpa series, even though it wasn't perfect it got me excited in a way few things do anymore! It was the only time I can remember being excited for a paycheck because I'd be able to buy a new game!

Dark Souls III for me.

Binge played it in a few days and loved every second of it too.