Saturday, May 23, 2020

That One Game...

That one game... what's the one video game I immediately think of when I think of one of the many game consoles I played over the decades. Not the best of my collection, not necessarily my favorite from each, but the one game I have most nostalgic and happy memories of playing the first or multiple times. Being born in the 80's my first system was the original Nintendo Entertainment System, so we'll start there and go to the generation right before the current systems currently out.

NES: Contra (Konami 1987)
One of the few NES games I beat as a kid, I've played and mastered the three Super Mario Bros. games hundreds of times, but Contra is the game I am truly skilled at and enjoy speed playing entirely from muscle memory. The music, the spread gun, co-op play with my brother, and the Konami code are all deeply ingrained in my psyche as early video gaming at it's best.

Sega Genesis: X-Men 2: Clone Wars (Headgames 1995)
I did not grow up with the Sega Genesis, we were a Nintendo household, I didn't play many Genesis games and didn't get an actual console 'til I was an adult from a friend. Out of the box of games it came with was X-Men 2, being a huge X-Men fan of course and not being good at the Sonic The Hedgehog games, it is the game I played and enjoyed the most on the Sega Genesis.

Super NES: Street Fighter II (Capcom 1992)
My love for Street Fighter II started with the original arcade machine, so I was so excited to finally have my favorite arcade game to play at on Nintendo's newest 16-bit console. The Super Nintendo has tons of the greatest home video games of all time and in my opinion is the greatest cartridge based system of them all. I love Super Mario World, and played that alot with the family, but when it came to solo playing or with my brother or friends it was Street Fighter II. Mastering the characters, the great music and sound effects, and challenge of arcade mode all made it my most addictive replay.

Nintendo 64: Star Wars: Shadows of The Empire (Lucasarts 1996) 
If you know me or read anything on this blog then you know I'm a die hard life long Star Wars fan, and before the prequels started even being rumored there was the Shadows of The Empire multimedia event that was hyped like a movie release that officially added a brand new story to the Star Wars universe with a novel, comics, video game, and toys. The one rendition experienced by the most people was the game for the recently released Nintendo 64, I did not have an N64 at the time, but I did rent the console from Blockbuster Video back in the day to play it several times, and since not getting the console until recently thus makes it my most well remembered and most played N64 game.

Playstation: Resident Evil: Director's Cut Dual Shock Version (Capcom 1998)
Yes, Resident Evil 2 is the better game in comparison, but before I got RE2, I played RE1 over and over again, and it hands down my absolute favorite PS1 game. I have the  mansion and all it's secrets permanently mapped out and etched in to my memory forever. Beating RE1 for the first time is one of my unforgettable favorite video gaming memories, and to this day is still a game I pop in and play to completion every few months.

Sega Saturn: X-Men: Children of The Atom (Capcom 1996)
Another system I didn't have until much recently, and I only have four games for it. Out of those four the one I have played the most and have the most affection for is X-Men: Children of The Atom, another game I already loved and played alot as an arcade machine. As a Capcom fanboy and all around lover of fighting games combined with being an X-Men fan and comic collector make it a prized addition to my collection.

Sega Dreamcast: Soulcalibur (Project Soul 1999)
The Dreamcast was the first Sega system I acquired,and had hooked along side my other consoles, and as a fighting game player and lover of the franchise's previous entry Soul Blade on the PS1 I had to get Soulcalibur. A truly gorgeous arcade port, and with it's evolution in graphics and fighting mechanics truly surpasses Soul Blade, and made me a forever Soulcalibur fan that'll be there for every release. 

Playstation 2: Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (Capcom 2001)
Ah, The Playstaion 2, my biggest collection of disc based games, and the one game that made me want to get the PS2 and could not wait to play was the fourth entry in the Resident Evil franchise. I did not get a Sega Dreamcast, so I couldn't play the original release of Code Veronica, but when I read in a magazine that the PS2 would have an enhanced version it increased my desire to acquire the system as soon as possible tenfold. So it became my very first PS2 game and most replayed.

Xbox: Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic (Bioware 2003)
The Xbox was not "my system" in more then one way, I didn't immediately jump onboard Microsoft's first foray into the console world, but my younger brother really wanted it to play the popular Halo: Combat Evolved, so I got it for him for Christmas that year. I eventually started finding games that were Xbox exclusives, but the one above them all that is my most played and the game that made me a devoted Bioware fan was KOTOR. I must have like 20 save files for it, I would replay each time going back and forth between Jedi and Sith. The third person action RPG with customizable character and decision based moral that effects the endgame was completely entrancing and it being Star Wars made it all the more irresistible pleasure.

Nintendo Gamecube: Resident Evil Remake (Capcom 2002)
The game that made want to buy a Gamecube Day 1. When I read Capcom had made a deal that all future Resident Evil games were going to be Gamcube exclusives, I was then destined to get one so I could play my beloved survival horror series. To remake and retell the original Resident Evil in the same location with same characters but in new high definition graphics truly shows off the difference and progression in six year of video game development. I was blown away by it's dedication to being a completely new, but some what familiar frightening gaming experience. I damn near ran out of the room when a Hunter jumped from upstairs to downstairs right as there was a lightning flash. 

Playstation 3: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Lucasarts 2008)
I like to consider myself a Playstation fanboy, but it seems when it comes to the 7th generation systems it seems I leaned more towards and got more Xbox 360 games. So when I was having trouble considering a PS3 game I looked at my collection of games and noticed most of them were games I enjoyed playing and beating but didn't have enthralling replayability. Out of the few I did replay multiple times, I have to say The Force Unleashed is probably my favorite PS3 game. Easy checklist to check off, it's Star Wars, it's a great prequel story to the Original Trilogy, and it was just plain damn fun to play. Hack and slash Stormtroopers, awesome over the top Force powers, and like KOTOR, light or dark side choices to end good or evil.

Xbox 360: Mass Effect 2 (Bioware 2010)
I followed Bioware from KOTOR to KOTOR II and Jade Empire, and even got the 360 to play the original Mass Effect, but it's sequel is the one that takes the cake of personal greatest 360 game. All the open world, custom character, RPG stats, and moral choices I loved from ME1 but now with more impressive graphics, superiorly improved battle mechanics, cinematic blockbuster storytelling, emotional character relations, long engaging gameplay with must play DLC missions all add up to one of my most revisited video games. If I had to have only one Xbox 360 game in my house it would forever be Mass Effect 2.

Nintendo Wii: Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (Capcom 2007)
Truthfully, I've never considered the Wii as a serious video game console, to me it's more of a mass entertainment device for the family or group of friends, and it's library of games reflects that. So the one game I enjoy the most for solo gameplay is RE: The Umbrella Chronicles. Reliving scenarios from previous titles but as a first person rail shooter is the obvious selling point, and personally gives me those old arcade shooter day feels. Replayability come from using different weapons, going different routes, and of course always trying to get that better end score. I would be remiss if I did not say yes it is even more fun when playing with a second player in co-op mode, but I do like the challenge of solo gameplay.