Why I Will Have Carpal Tunnel - 10 MIG W/O
Jan 28 '02
The Bottom Line In case you care, the ten games that most altered my fevered little brain.
I have never before done one of these new-fangled, write-offs things that are so popular with the young kids these days. I’m content to just sit back and keep spewing out my regular crud about this game or that game, this movie that sucked, that one that was okay because you saw Angelina Jolie’s ta-ta’s. However, search66, a fine writer on this site, and one whose opinion I hold in high regard, mentioned that he was holding a write-off, and I felt it was time to break into this undiscovered territory. So, here it is; my first write off, and the subject happens to be one that is near and dear to my heart; video games. More accurately, the top ten video games that were most influential to me.
I feel very fortunate that I got on this crazy, wobbly old bandwagon of video games relatively early, when it still had wooden wheels and no climate control. I’m talking back in the days when you would actually get a woody watching a single-pixel “ball” drift slowly back and forth against a black background, highlighted with “bleeps” and “blips” that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on the original Star Trek. It was sometimes hard to tell what the hell you were even supposed to be doing in these games, but above all else; THEY WERE FUN. There was nothing for a crappy game to hide behind back then; it was either fun, or it was toast. You would never hear anyone say, “Yeah, it sucks, but it sure is pretty to look at.”
I have assembled here a modest list of 10 games that I felt not only changed me as a fan of video games, but also changed the gaming world in various (and sometimes subtle) ways.
10. Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)- I list this game first because it is relatively new, and has yet to have a chance to have a significant impact on the gaming world. However, GTA III is so fun, and is so deep in gameplay, that I feel that it deserves instant recognition. What other game for the PS2 right now gives you the gaming freedom to follow an infinitely branching storyline, or simply go off on your own to create whatever havoc your wicked heart desires?
9. Baseball Simulator 1.000 (SNES) - I can’t tell you how many hours of my life I spent playing this evil, evil game. This was the first sports game I knew of that allowed you to customize your own baseball teams, direct their strengths, weaknesses, payroll, and roster moves, and keep track of all of your stats. It was a highly addictive combination that made for a fantastic early baseball simulator.
8. Street Fighter II (SNES) - I bought an SNES for this game, that’s how much hype was surrounding it at the time. And the game did not disappoint; it had a thrilling combo attack of great graphics for the time, massive arcade popularity, deep controls, and above all else, a whole lot of fun. I mean, how many people my age DIDN’T stay up a few nights, high on caffeine, going around and around with a few friends with this game? In my circle of friends at the time, your status was basically determined by how much butt you could kick with Chun Li, or if you could do anything with E. Honda. Okay, I hung out with losers, but any game that you can take that seriously deserves some recognition.
7. RC Pro Am (NES) - I have never played a racing game that is more fun, with the notable exception of Super Mario Cart. And Super Mario Cart isn’t ranked ahead of this game because RC Pro Am blew me away with NES hardware. A classic to be remembered.
6. The Legend of Zelda (NES) - This is the first game that I got so addicted to, I would stay up late playing it, then go to bed and have dreams about it. That made an impression. The first game that encouraged you to roam around a vast (at the time) world full of challenging puzzles that actually made you think, Legend of Zelda was light years ahead of its time, and it still reverberates today.
5. Privateer (PC) - One of the few PC titles that I actually became addicted to. For those who have no idea what I am talking about (there may be a few out there, sadly), Privateer was an ingenious mix of open-ended gameplay, sci-fi action fun, and good, old-fashioned flight simulation. Think of it as Grand Theft Auto’s distant ancestor. Set in a futuristic space environment, in Privateer, you had the option of following many storylines that involved your main character either becoming a bad guy or good guy. You could smuggle illegal goods in the hold of you ship and hope you didn’t get inspected by the fuzz, or you could become the fuzz, tracking down pirate trash like yourself. One false move to your peers would tip them off about you and you’d make enemies fast. You could upgrade your ship using the cash you got from running missions and joining Guilds, or you could actually follow a deep plot that would take you all over a vast universe. This game should be on everyone’s play list if it hasn’t been already.
4. Tecmo Bowl (NES) - Without a doubt, the best football game created so far. With laughable graphics by today’s standards, this classic got by with some of the most fun gameplay you are sure to find anywhere. The 1,000 time you throw a bomb into the end zone and watch the cheesy animation of the player’s high-fiving each other is sure to be just as great as the first time.
3. Final Fantasy VII (Playstation) - Squaresoft’s first venture into Sony’s new system was thing to remember. Jaw-dropping graphics, combined with and easy and addictive battle and magic system, combined with an epic story that STILL has people talking today, FFVII is a phenomenon that the company is unlikely to ever repeat. FFVII was many people’s first introduction into the legendary series, and they will always remember their first. I had been playing Final Fantasy for years, and actually hesitated for awhile to get the seventh installment, but when I did, it captivated me for months, and still does whenever I pop it into the Playstation. Quite a journey.
2. Super Mario Brothers (NES) - The reason I got an NES. I remember that before I had the system, my local Wal Mart had a display NES where you could play Super Mario Brothers. I would volunteer to go with my mom whenever she was going to Wal Mart, just so I could stand and play this game for however long I was allowed. She would literally have to drag me away from this newfound wonder of mushrooms and Italian plumbers. Many advancements have been and will continue to be made in video games, but nothing will ever grab me again the way this game reeled me in.
1. Final Fantasy VI (SNES) - I have never gotten so wrapped up in a game as I did the first time I played FFVI, which was III in the US. Right from the get-go you are introduced to a stunningly deep cast of characters that all have their own side stories and personalities, and you watch in amazement as their fates are all twisted together into a common goal. It has been used by Squaresoft many times since, but never to such perfection as witnessed here. The story of Locke, Celes, Terra and Edgar will always been first and foremost in my gaming heart. I may cheat with new flames such as Final Fantasy X and Golden Sun, but FFVI will always be the one I come home to.
I thank you for reading my egomaniacal rant on my favorite games. I hope that my little essay will encourage at least a couple of you to try out one or more of these games, if you haven’t already. They all made a significant impact on my gaming existence, and I’m sure they will with you, too, if given the opportunity.
While searching Ebay for copies of all of these great games I just turned you on to, check out the other reviews in this write off from all of these great writers. Come on, you know those Ebay pages take a long time to load.
search66
pavona21
xeno3998
Horhay
baronsamedi3
paulyoungotti
rock_on
shoplmart
Jeremy1456
Starsoldier1
scigamer
darrio
nscanuck
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Epinions.com ID:
tanta07
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Member: John
Location: Greeley, CO. USA
Reviews written: 212
Trusted by: 51 members
About Me:
The sunshine bores the daylights out of me.
Chasing shadows, moonlight mystery.
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