Personal Blog
Games I remember as I was growing up...
Tetris GB B/W: First true experience (I think) of a gaming platform. At the time it felt amazing, the aspect of controlling falling shapes to rid a mass of blocks at the bottom was very satisfying.
They say you are shaped by your childhood, so I suppose this was the foundation for my admiration of tactic/logic based games. I can still hear the Tetris theme music ringing in my head.
Simple interface, limited controls and a sleek and simple design aesthetic. Great for all ages. Easy to pick up, hard to master. High endurance required.
Mario NES: Another all time classic, I remember watching my friends play this as I sat in awe of its mesmerising and addictive game-play mechanics. Classic side-on gaming had never received my attention before, but as soon as I saw Mario I knew it was a winner. The pure simplicity was enough to make you continue time after time after death.
I never actually got to play it much until recent years in the form of Super Mario Sunshine. Regardless of Mario's transformation to 3D, it seems to have retained all the core factors of a great Mario game.
Classic 2D Mario has survived through years of re-iteration and fusing with other franchises, (Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Brothers respectively) he remains one of the most malleable and well loved heroes of all time.
Simple control scheme, power-ups, boss fights, horizontal and vertical level design, original and unique throughout each new iteration, co-operative, social game-play, party game, from simple to hardcore gaming.
Pokemon Yellow GB Colour: One of the first RPG's I ever played. It's simplicity and addictive quality led me to play for hours on end. Random encounters in the field conjured feelings of excitement and intrigue as you'd never know which Pokemon you would face next. Being able to show off your collection to your friends and battle them was an amazing new feature I had never seen before, and this added to the quirky unique quality of the game. A deeply influential game for myself and many others.
Collecting, capturing, trading and battling, challenges, strengthening, exploring, unravelling, mysterious and intense. Social versus seclusion. Pikachu!
Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time N64: The first RPG to make me realise the potential of gaming consoles. I absolutely adored this game and craved to play it everyday. Borrowed from my sister at first, I didn't realise what I was getting myself into. As soon as you put the cartridge into the slot and load up the starting screen, you feel goosebumps travel up your spine.
Playing as Link for the first time wasn't easy, as traps would easily knock you over and bosses would seriously seem to overwhelm you. Through trial and error I learnt the ways and eventually got to explore the massive land of Hyrule. This game features a massive array of tasks for you to partake in, side-quests, horse riding, fishing, archery contests, treasure chest hunting and even ghost hunting. A game I can truly never forget, and one that made me aware of 3D gaming as opposed to side scrolling or top down games. A heavy hitter in the gaming world.
Questing, characterisation, gaining power, strength and knowledge, saving the world, vanquishing evils, travelling, exploring, growing and networking. Ground breaking.
Metal Gear Solid PS1: Well, the first time I played this I can't say I was very good at it. (Being the first tactical/stealth game I ever played) I remember getting stuck at the first area of the game, not knowing how to get past the guards to reach the lift, which I must say, was very frustrating and embarrassing. After getting to grips with this (very mature for my age at the time) game, I soon realised how incredibly in depth and visceral it was. The worries of being found by guards whilst hiding in a card board box, or the intensity of being chased by wolves will never fade from my memory. The story was and always will be politically confusing and long-winded as ever, featuring literally hours of cut-scenes, but that never drove me away from the game. To be in the shoes of one of gaming histories most hardcore protagonists is always an honour.
Tactical espionage action, as Kojima puts it.
Final Fantasy 7 and 8 PS1: I'll be honest and say I didn't actually want FF7 at first, as I actually asked for FF8 for Christmas but got the wrong one. Regardless of that, I ended up enjoying both.
FF7 struck me with its great cut scenes and music score, but again, I struggled with the first part of the game. This was my first experience with a menu-heavy, Japanese RPG. It's confusing and multi-layered item/equipment/status screens overwhelmed my younger self. Eventually I got through the game and saw it for what it was, a great RPG, still loved my millions.
FF8 on the other hand, blew me away. Even better graphics than its predecessor, even better mechanics and an explosive compelling story to follow. The characters in FF8 felt more flushed out, characterised and flavoursome, despite Squall's lack of speech. (Obviously intended for the gamer to place themselves in his place) The designs, scenery and score all fell in to place beautifully.
Massive game worlds, colourful characters, sinister plots and villains, enchanting creatures, fantastic designs, customisable, variable, alluring and compulsive.
Halo 1 Xbox: My first 'true' FPS. This game blew my mind away with it's amazing storytelling devices and one of the best opening levels I have ever played in my life. With graphics to make every game before it tremble in fear, and with a tight game mechanic to blow its competition out of the water, this game pioneered a new wave of shooter gaming. Everything felt real, from the vibration of the Assault Rifle, to the human character models and the living surface of Halo itself.
A truly visceral and heart-pumping adventure, an understandable plot, and addictive and satisfying game plays earns this game a top spot on my all star gaming podium.
Ground-breaking, fresh, explosive, co-operative, huge, high-tech, multi-player, engrossing, violent, mixed-genres and galactic.
