Those Childhood-Defining Classics

[Sylentmana]

So my parents were cleaning out some of their closets and they found a box containing a bunch of my old stuff. They called me up and I went over to pick it up and took it back home. As I was digging through it, I found my old Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance, as well as all my games that went with them! To say I was excited is a vast understatement.

 

I've been playing them a little, but I've come to realize that I've since been spoiled modern conveniences like back lights and higher definition, so its been kinda hard. Among the many games I found what was and still is one of my favorite games of all time: Golden Sun. This was a game that pretty much was the defining JRPG experience for me during my early teens. It came out one day before my 13th birthday, in fact.

 

I still love playing the game after all this time and was quite happy to discover that Nintendo re-released the game on the Wii-U. So any of you who haven't played the game, I highly recommend it.

 

Anyway, now that I've waxed nostalgic for a bit, I wanted to ask you guys what were those games that you absolutely loved when you were growing up? If you are still growing up, then well, just name some of the games that have had/are having a big impact on you recently. Something that you will remember for a long time. Then we old folks can sit back, shake our heads in dismay, and mutter something about "kids these days.":P

[Aaron]

Crash Bandicoot & Spyro were and will always be one of my favorite series of games. CB 3 Warped was the absolute best game I ever played growing.

 

Jade Empire ain't really old but I still get nostalgia thinking about it. 1000 cuts & Furious Ming ftw

[KHMarie]

[align=center] ^{I played a lot of Final Fantasy's/KH (FFVIII being my favorite) growing up, but considering this is a Final Fantasy site I will  instead say it was between Sims or Dynasty Warriors. Those games I played a tremendous amount of over the years. The newer installments I have mixed feelings on (Sims 2 will probably always be my favorite installment of the Sims, and Dynasty Warriors 7 was fantastic in my opinion)}[/align]

 

[align=center]^{There was also my first Pokemon game: Crystal. Holds a special place in my heart along with my lime green GB color my cousin gave me.}[/align]

 

[align=center]^{If I had to go farther out, I could also say some old PS2 classics like Sly Cooper and Jak and Daxter. Whatever my older brother or cousins introduced to me was generally what guided me into what I played.} [/align]

 

[align=center]^{I do wish I had a wider variety of games I had played, though I am slowly but surely getting introduced to more genres now. Never too late to play old classics!} [/align]

[Manari]

The original Final Fantasy has probably the most profound effect on me as a child. I'd never played a game like it before and once I did, I couldn't get enough of it. To this day I still play it, or one of it's many re-releases on newer hardware. Most of the legendary NES classics also were very important to me as kid.

 

But I'm certain that the SNES has the most powerful influence on me. It was the very first console I had to earn the money for myself by mowing lawns, doing yard work, and just doing whatever people would pay a kid for. It took a little over an entire summer for me to earn enough to buy it, but I'll never forget that feeling of bringing it home and playing Super Mario World for the first time. There were so many SNES games that just blew me away with how good they were. Final Fantasy II was SO different than the original (probably because it was actually FF4), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past would become my favorite Zelda game of all time even to this day. I was a huge fan of Metroid, and Super Metroid only improved everything about the original... nay, perfected everything about the original. This was a general theme for the SNES. It took every game I loved on the NES and made them so much better.

 

Why doesn't that happen anymore? New sequels and reboots of old classic successful games are usually worse now. Probably because developers just don't understand that some games shouldn't be forced into a 3D format.

[Sylentmana]

The original Final Fantasy has probably the most profound effect on me as a child. I'd never played a game like it before and once I did, I couldn't get enough of it. To this day I still play it, or one of it's many re-releases on newer hardware. Most of the legendary NES classics also were very important to me as kid.

 

But I'm certain that the SNES has the most powerful influence on me. It was the very first console I had to earn the money for myself by mowing lawns, doing yard work, and just doing whatever people would pay a kid for. It took a little over an entire summer for me to earn enough to buy it, but I'll never forget that feeling of bringing it home and playing Super Mario World for the first time. There were so many SNES games that just blew me away with how good they were. Final Fantasy II was SO different than the original (probably because it was actually FF4), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past would become my favorite Zelda game of all time even to this day. I was a huge fan of Metroid, and Super Metroid only improved everything about the original... nay, perfected everything about the original. This was a general theme for the SNES. It took every game I loved on the NES and made them so much better.

 

Why doesn't that happen anymore? New sequels and reboots of old classic successful games are usually worse now. Probably because developers just don't understand that some games shouldn't be forced into a 3D format.

 

Everything you just said is so much yes. It was the NES that first introduced me to games, but SNES was my first system and was pretty much my childhood with the N64 and Gameboy systems as my early teens. As for that last thing, I'd have to say its largely due in part to corporate greed trying to milk a series and not letting the developers do what they do.

[Shizuno]

I feel the need to mention the not-as-popular FFs. Specifically Tactics (and Advanced, as well. A2, less so.) But even more so, Crystal Chronicles. I remain to this day convinced that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on Gamecube was one of the best co-op gaming experiences ever made. I've yet to find a game that I've replayed that much with friends.

 

Coming in as my favorite game from way back though would have to be the Tales games - Tales of Destiny, Tales of Symphonia, Abyss, etc. The series as a whole is probably one of my favorite series, if not my my favorite overall. Great stories and fun combat - all you ever need.

 

And then another big one was Monster Hunter. The original on PS2, using the bulky as all hell network adapter that was also used with FFXI. I spent more hours in the original MH than all of the sequels combined (My main character had nearly 3000 hours on it), and none of them have pulled me in the way the original did. And I still can't figure out why.

 

And lastly of course there's Pokemon. It's pretty difficult to find someone who grew up in the 90s that didn't have anything to do with the series, and for me, Blue was one of my first video games that was mine alone and not the family's, so it's got a pretty big spot in my heart. 

 

There's others too, like ones that have been mentioned already (Kingdom Hearts, Golden Sun) but there's tons others that just didn't have as big of an impact overall. I mean, god knows I spent hours upon hours just screwing around in Star Wars: Battlefront (and 2), but I think I hit the big ones.

 

Oh, and Star Ocean: Til the End of Time.

[Warren Castille]

In no particular order:

 

Contra

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2

Punch-Out!!

The Legend of Zelda

Super Mario Bros. 3.

 

My 3DS download collection is basically just NES and Game Boy games.

 

Edit: I weep to think of the PS2 era as "childhood" games. Gettin' old.

[Ryanti]

I have plenty of history with many well-known classics known for their amazing gameplay (Wave Race 64 anyone?) or their timelessness (Mario Kart 64 anyone?).

 

 

But if I had to choose any kind of series that impacted me the most, stuck with me throughout my childhood into adulthood, and inspired my writing, it would be the Tales series.

 

The Tales series for me had the most long, slowly-building, epic, iconic narratives I've ever bared witness to in a video game. The style, genre, and presentation of the storytelling in those games were right up my alley more than any other series, and the soundtracks were out of this world. I've frequently believed that those games were fantastic Final Fantasy alternatives for those looking for something more, and despite the hate I might get, the story of Tales games were often superior quality in my eyes.

 

Which culimated in Tales of Vesperia, my favorite video game of all time.

 

But yes, the Tales series (shoutout to Symphonia as well!) Are THE games that made enough of an impact on my life to profoundly effect my life and my writing.

[Dravus]

My first introduction to a 'real' game was a shining gem known as 'The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening'. I was young when I first played it but sharp enough to understand that the plot was heavier than most games I was playing back then. A few years later I replayed it and came to appreciate it even more - especially since it was surprisingly dark given some of the game's events.

 

After that I found myself drifting towards RPG's. As I grew older and entered my teens I essentially grew up throughout the PS1/PS2 era. I played a lot of games like Grandia, Legend of Dragoon and Vagrant Story. I also played stuff like Fallout 3 - and my taste for RPG's was cemented.

 

The most influential game, however, has to be Final Fantasy XII. I adore it - especially since it boasted some awesome characters, a very wonderful game world, mature dialogue, intrigue and fun side quests.

 

FFXIV appeals to me so much because it's similar to FFXII in many ways. I also really enjoyed FFIX a lot too so that deserves a mention!

 

I also have a fondness for survival horror games - so I appreciate the earlier Silent Hill and Resident Evil games.

[Aaron]

Also I have to add in.

 

Zelda Twilight Princess is the best Zelda game.

 

Yes I said it. Fight me.

[Kaiz]

For me, ff6, fft and chrono trigger had a huge impact, but the single greatest classic that influenced me (and still influences me) would be Secret of Mana.

[Greybarren]

My first foray into RPGs ever?  Wizardry:  Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

 

Old scroll dungeon scrolling game, wherein you assemble a party of adventurers to get to the bottom of a many leveled maze.  Stats were randomly generated with point assignments, precious artifacts like the Cuisinart Blade, and terrible foes like Vorpal Bunnies.  I can still play this for hours on the emulator, and still do have some of the recently revived games my Playstation.

 

This is what got me hooked on exploring, killing monsters, and "leveling up".  This was my gateway drug into Might and Magic II when I finally got my Sega Genesis.

 

My first story RPG on console?  Shining Force II

 

Tactical RPG, but I was blown away there actual STORY and CHARACTERS.  It's not a deep game by any means, but dang ... I rented this one over and over and over again.  Found all the secret characters and the fairy battle.  But I didn't keep playing for stuff, I kept playing for story, to answer "What happens next!?"  Funny thing, it's kinda the red-headed step child of the Shining Series as I sadly discovered later, and really couldn't play the others as this one set my expectations on the series.

 

This game always has a special place in my heart for being my first story RPG.  Its the game that eventually brought me to Final Fantasy and many, many others.

 

These were the games I could get lost in and would love to experience for the first time again.

[Cliodhna Eoghan]

there's a few that manage to stay dear to my heart over the years and i'll go back and play from time to time.

 

 

super mario brother's world and link to the past for snes.

holy cow, so many hours wasted but those games right there gave me my first real feeling of elation when you finally finally clear something difficult in a game. back when i played; there wasn't really much internet to speak of so you had to figure things out, rely on friends or call the nintendo hotline for hints if desperate enough so it felt to me; when you finally figured out a puzzle or got that extra secret level unlocked, i felt that much more dapper about it.

 

final fantasy adventure (*coughcough*mana series*coughcough*)

this one really pulled me into the story and exploration aspect. i borrowed it from a friend and spent so much time playing it and reborrowing it; she ended up just letting me keep it. not sure why but the story and gameplay's just so enjoyable i still go back and play it periodically.

 

dragon warrior monsters

another game i borrowed and ended up buying, i got way into the training and breeding for special skills (always had a unicorn in my party) and loved how the home map of the tree would change and grow as the story progressed. i never actually beat it past story mode but it's still fun to go back and play. not to mention the music was wonderful and relaxing in a lot of the field maps

[Spethah]

I never had any childhood-defining games. I only got to watch people play game until I got my hands on WoW and that game has never been defining, it was something I played to pass the time for 10 years. I played other games like Commander Keen and Stonekeep on the PC, but it was something I forgot over time until recently when my dad gave me my floppies. I don't remember much, so it probably wasn't that defining. I had a very poor PC until 2010 that could barely play WoW at 20fps because my parents and I were poor. So, not fortunate.

 

I only got into SMT games when I turned 17 and I've been in love since but that time was past childhood for me and I had a job and I left the house. I was a working adult. I only recently finished playing all the FF games as well. I've yet to even touch Mario or Zelda or any other popular game franchise.

[Oli!]

Also I have to add in.

 

Zelda Twilight Princess is the best Zelda game.

 

Yes I said it. Fight me.

 

Wrong. Wind Waker.

 

 

Also, for me, The Game was Jak and Daxter.

[I'nhalki]

My childhood basically plays as a timeline of the games I played, when I look back. My dad bought an NES the year I was born so he could have an excuse to own something my mom considered a toy, so I grew up with Nintendo and then Sony consoles every year of my life. Gamer dads are awesome. 

 

It's cliché as all hell, but Ocarina of Time was my formative game. I was honestly far too young to appreciate the earlier Zelda titles. Ocarina of Time was the first game that made me cry. It had themes about the bittersweetness and loss of growing up that I still get chills about looking back. I still get choked up when I think about seeing Saria again as an adult--I dunno why it hit me in the feels so much, but it did. The technical and thematic sophistication of that game really stood out to me for the first time as a kid the same way my favorite books and movies did. 

 

Other than that, my formative gaming memories are social ones from elementary school and with my dad--trading Pokémon with buddies at school, inviting friends over after school to play Rogue Squadron or Mario Kart on the 64... Trying to get 120 stars before my dad did on his save file in Mario 64... And then the more solitary memories of the PS1 and PS2 RPGs and horror games that I came to love but didn't have anyone to share them with (somehow all my friends became Counterstrike and Halo zombies in middle school).

 

Growing up with video games is awesome. It's really like having a whole vast array of beautiful places to explore and play in as a child. If my husband and I ever decide to have kids, I'm definitely following my dad's example. : )

[Xzenivar]

First rpg I ever played that got me into that format of games, the original Dragon Warrior. I played that nearly to completion, where it died on me, and lost my data. A year or two later I found it, got mad at it all over again, and punched the cartridge, just one time, but it wised up and my data was restored. I didn't get up until I saved the princess.

 

On the computer, probably The World of Xeen. The combined Might and Magic 4 & 5. I still remember the last scene of 5 with Corad.

 

But my favorite rpg's of all time, that didn't just define what I like in games, but in how I right and still gives me things to think about, The Legend of the Dragoon and Xenogears. I liked the former so much more than FF7, especially the characters, and Xenogears had everything. I loved the story, giant mechs, martial arts, the combat system. There's no other console game I've put more hours into before or since. The second disk was more of a visual novel with dungeon clearing for half the disk, but since I liked reading so much, I didn't even care.

 

Even now, when someone talks about a dragoon, I first think of Dart, Rose and Lavits. Herschal and Miranda. Nothing has really compared to those two games since, no matter how much I enjoyed them.

[Sig]

In no special order:

 

1. FFVI (the first thing that really sucked me into fantasy aesthetics); 
    
   
2. Baldur's Gate II (best RPG story and characters, ever); 
    
   
3. Xenogears (excellent story and characters); 
    
   
4. Suikoden II (so. damn. emotional.); 
    
   
5. Morrowind (lost myself in it for daaaays); 
    
   
6. Everquest (the GLORY DAYS). 
   

[Glacirus]

God, so many games could be listed here...but I'll try to contain myself to the first/introduction to certain types of games. In no real order:

 

Yoshi's Island (First real game experience)

Final Fantasy/FFII/Earthbound/Pokemon (First RP experiences)

Ragnarok Online (First MMO and Class/Job focused game)

City of Heroes (First in-game RP experiences)

FF Tactics Advanced (Game that returned FF to my life)

 

...god, so many more games come to mind, but I'd really go on and on and on, so I'll stop now.

[13uddy]

As a young child, I remember spending so many hours a week over the course of many, many years playing the arcade games at local restaurants, such as "Joust", "Pac-Man" and a bunch of others.  But the one I spent the most time (and quarters/tokens) playing was the old Star Wars arcade game that was built so that you sat inside the frame and played as if you were piloting a starfighter.  

 

For console and other video games, I had all the usual games (the Super Mario Bros. series, Duck Hunt, Tetris, etc.), but it was the RPGs like Final Fantasy and other games that ate away most of my time playing.  

 

In my teens, while I still loved RPGs, I also became addicted to Monster Rancher.  To this day, I still consider Monster Rancher 2 to be one of the best games ever.  The influence Monster Rancher had on me is still pretty evident today with how I enjoy other games where you raise a monster pet, such as the main Pokemon series and select spinoffs (like Pokemon Conquest), some Digimon games and many others (including sites with a pet monster theme).  I also think it might be a part of the reason I enjoy pet classes in many MMO games as well, such as the Beastlord of EverQuest 2 or the Hunters of WoW.  I may be in my mid 30's, but I have never truly given up my dream of having my own pet monster.

[Little Yuna]

[Manari]

*awesome Samus picture*

 

 

As a kid I remember it being more like this:  

 

[Melodia]

Mine go way back.

 

Legend of Zelda

Castlevania

Wizards and Warriors

Contra

Baseball Stars

Dragon Warrior

 

All NES games but ones I loved. Until the Sega Genesis and Phantasy Star III. LOVED that game. The concept of sci-fi in a game and being able to marry someone of your choice, and then continuing the game with their kid? Awesome.

 

My first Final Fantasy was VII and when I was 21 in the Army.

[cuideag]

Super Mario RPG was incredibly important to me and I blame it for giving me the first bud of a very weird appreciation for bad guys and bad guys chumming up with good guys. Also, it was just so fun and the music was so good.

 

I only really wanted a PS1 because of Masters of Teras Kasi (I'll fite u I was great at that game)but not long after that a friend insisted I try this FF7 thing. While that was great, I think Breath of Fire 3 was the one that ended up having a bigger impact on me. It was the first BoF game I played so I didn't have the context that the others might have given me but I was still amazed with the mythology and the world. I am still a sucker for deities and gods and they ways they conflict or grow with each other and their lessers.

 

Xenogears was incredible to me for so many reasons and I am still mad with someone I knew for throwing the copy I lent her away. SO MAD.

 

ICO and Katamari Damacy happened when I was in high school so kinda borderline childhood I guess but they definitely deserve mention each.

[Miss Gaz]

Oh megaman 3 how I loved you. But megaman x is what really did it for me. Some of my other favorites include mystical ninja and zombies ate my neighbors