These are the experiences that define me as a lover of video games. Please note that I'm not saying these are the best games ever made. They're just special to me. I may have enjoyed the gameplay, or the characters, or even just the soundtrack. Something stuck out and grabbed me.
These are listed according to platform.
My first home console experience. SMB3 is my favorite of the NES Mario titles, but I still have a soft spot for this one.
Kickin' Dracula's ass is still fun after all of these goddamn years.
Do I really need to justify this?
When I played this for the first time, I had no idea of what the hell I was doing, but I knew I was playing something special. Over two decades later, I still whip this one out now and then. Plus, hey, Samus is HOT yo. :P
Goddamn, this game is HARD. Thank goodness there's the Konami Code.
Doofy as it is, I still dig it.
Ninja rap! Go ninja, go ninja, go! *continues drinking*
The only football game I've ever loved.
This is the only Punch-Out I give a shit about.
Think about this game and how fucking nasty the situation would be in real life. Hells yeah.
This one doesn't hold up as well as its siblings. Probably because, at the time, nobody knew what to do without Nintendo Power. Fuck that magazine and its hold over us.
This is some addictive-ass shit.
If only you could fight that giant fuckin' Fu Man Chu dragon fucker in the background...
This game's soundtrack is weird, and totally not appropriate for Batman, but I still dig it. The game: not so much.
Holy poop from a butt, this game is STILL totally tits.
Let's be clear: this is not a good game. Not at all. But for some reason, I dug the hell out of this when I was little. I probably thought there was really going to be a movie sequel.
A stinker to be sure (and damn near impossible to beat without Game Genie), but the horror nerd in me refuses to cast it aside.
This one pisses me off. Hard as fuck. I'm not sure I beat this.
Now this is what I'm talkin' 'bout!
I remember loving the shit out of this when it released, but I can't get into it anymore. Time is a funny clown fucker.
Friggin' sweet if you ask me--and you must be asking me if you're reading this.
I didn't get around to the Atari 2600 catalog until the SNES era, but even then I appreciated the games for more than their nostalgic value. This was the first of the lot I played, and probably still my favorite.
Magic fairy sprinkles fell into an blank SNES cartridge and gave birth to this wondrous miracle of awesomeness.
It was Final Fantasy II when I played it the first time, but it was still awesome--and still is.
YES.
Take an awesome game and inject it with baddassery. What do you get? That's right--this game.
I played this for the first time in the arcade, then later on the SNES. I still prefer the SNES version.
It was Final Fantasy III when I played it the first time, but it was still awesome--and still fuckin' is if you ask me.
Fuck me running, this is STILL a bad-ass game.
Take the kick-ass Mario characters and setting and mash them up with old-school Square and you get a game that I'd have sex with.
Had to jump through a lot of hoops to get a proper copy of this game, but it was worth the effort. Seriously folks, check this fucker out. Fuck the stupid SNES "port".
I just about wet myself the first time I saw a dude rip a fool's head off--spine included--in an arcade. After that, Street Fighter felt weak in comparison (even though SF is still one of my favorite fighting game series).
Played this for the first time in an arcade at the Charleston Town Center with some creepy old guy. I beat him. 'Twas the beginning of a crazy addiction.
I loved this shit out of this back in the day. First time playing this: hopped up on greasy pizza in a Billy Bob's Wonderland with a big group of friends.
Take the love and joy the original MK gave, multiply it by ten, and you get the complex bundle of emotions I felt upon playing this fantastic sequel for the first time. I'll never forget that day: I was on a school trip at a rollerskating joint. There was a small arcade tucked away in a corner. Standing there, calling out to me and my friends, was MK II.
The addiction got worse with this one.
I've played all of the Alpha titles, but this one is my favorite. I still play it on occasion.
Of the original trilogy, I think I like this one the least. I can't explain why. Something about the atmosphere of the first game still sits well with me, and the second game is just fucking awesome. Part 3 is great, but kinda wonky too. Just my humble opinion of course.
My first Genesis game (came with the console), and still one of my top-ten Genesis faves. Strangely, I never got around to the original.
My first FMV experience. It's all about the song and dance routine. Did you know this piece of shit was written by the fucktard that created the atrocious soap opera Passions? Well, now you do.
The only Sonic game besides the second one that I give a shit about.
What a piece of poop. But it's a piece of poop starring Tim Curry as the villain, so fuck you for not loving it.
I still have no idea of what the fuck you're supposed to do in this game, but it's a laugh riot.
The only Jaguar game I ever played--and, evidently, the only one worth playing. Pretty fucking good, all things considered.
Being a horror nut, this game was a revelation in its heyday. Games can be spooky *and* fun? Awesome! These days, the controls make it a hard game to return to.
I don't think this game can ever get old--and, sadly, will never be improved upon, judging from the quality of Castlevania HD...
Fucked up shit yo.
People love to rag on this, but I still love it. In fact, it's my favorite of the PS1 era FF games.
Yes, I do like Castlevania. How did you know? AAAAGGHHH
Not a great game, but the graphics kicked ass at the time. Kinda felt like an old-school adventure game, now that I think about it. And you go to Chinese Hell!
More fucked up shit yo.
Fuck yeah.
Scared the fuck out of me back in the day.
This game is fucked up. You can't win--not really anyway. You can achieve a moral victory, which is nice I guess; or you can fail miserably. Hard too.
Spooky at the time, but it's lost much of its creep-factor over time. Still holds a special place in my heart.
A shitload of CDs equals a great game, right? Nope, but I still liked this one, despite the high quantity of doof. The deaths of Carno's wives are still gruesome as hell.
Yes sir, this is some good ol' stuff.
I played through this gem, start to finish, four times--and every experience was different.
A great sequel, and still creepy (in spots).
Kicked the shit out of the original--and I LOVED the original.
Even better sir. BETTER.
It's Half-Life. Nuff said.
OK, I take that previous Sonic comment back--this game is pretty much tits. Kinda.
I didn't believe Metroid would translate well to first-person. I was wrong.
DOUBLE YES.
This is probably my favorite game to date, regardless of the genre or platform. It has everything I could want in a game: genuine suspense and scares; good action; gore; good length; great story, inspired by the works of master horror storyteller H.P. Lovecraft; and, best of all, the game totally fucks with you.
Of all the Paper Mario games, this one is the best, in my totally awesome opinion.
Hard as fuck, and weirded the hell out of me, but I prefer this one to the Persona games of late.
Um, who let this Raiden guy in here? Oh well, he's not so bad. Kinda. Sorta. AAAGHHH god he's naked what the hell noooooooooooooooooo
Creepy-ass vibe did it for me. Hard as balls though, and required waaaaay too much grinding.
I really don't get the backlash against this one. Game kicks ass, people. Go get raped by a donkey.
I tried not to piss my pants. No, really, I tried. I failed. Well, maybe not, but it's not inconceivable, is it?
Better than the first, but not as creepy. Ah, a conundrum.
Not quite the same as the SNES Mario RPG, but pretty damn good regardless.
Halo wasn't my first FPS experience on a console, but it was the first that didn't suck. I still have fond memories of my first home console LAN party. That was a crazy time. Too bad the sequels are pretty much the same damn game.
Probably my favorite Star Wars game to date. Here's hoping BioWare strikes gold again with the Old Republic MMO.
Throw the Shivering Isles expansion into the mix and you have one hell of a good time.
Sure, it can be wonky at times, but suffering through the wonk is worth it to experience one of the best sci-fi RPG stories in ages.
A spiritual successor to System Shock? Sure, but I prefer the System Shock series. Still, this game is damn good.
I'm sorry to say I never played the first two games. I will correct that soon. Anyhoo, yeah, this is fucking great.
Haters gonna hate. I liked it. No, it isn't as funny as the movies--but how could it *possibly* be that funny? There are still plenty of funny moments sprinkled throughout, and the ghost-catching mechanism works well.
Fuck the haters--this is one of the best sequels ever made, in ANY genre, in ANY form of media.
Remember the blasphemy I wrote for my SFIV entry? Add a few extra "fuckin' A" and "hell yeah" remarks to that and you have my feelings for this one.
I've liked most of the handheld Castlevanias, but this one changed up the formula in a fun and intriguing way. You can actually beat the game and fail--I love that.
The SMT series doesn't lose anything in the transition from consoles to the DS. This game is the shizznittlebamsnipsnamsnipsnap.
My favorite Mario RPG. Kinda hard in spots, but overall a great handheld RPG experience.
Old-fashioned dragon killin' RPG fun. Played this on PS3 *and* PC.
Long live Nathan Drake.
The best superhero game, period. Yes, I'm including Arkham Asylum in the mix.
One hell of a hardcore RPG experience. Don't even bother if you're a wuss.
If you need to know why this is on my list, you obviously did not play it. Stop reading this list, buy the game--and a PS3 if necessary--and FUCKING PLAY THIS GAME ASAP!
The only game in the series I ever picked up. Pretty addictive, but I can't imagine buying another one unless they shake things up.
The last good RE game. You heard that right.
