For 90s kids, there’s no need for explanation. For others, well, pokemon was a phenomenon. It was everywhere, on TV, in magazines, toys, stickers. You could trade pokemon at the school excursion on the bus.
You felt alive in this world, pokemon gen 1-2 were the pinnacle of pokemon for me. And in gen2, finishing the game, and lo and behold, there’s a whole other region (kanto) waiting for you to explore it. The night cycle in the game blew my mind in ways that I have been chasing ever since.
I know it will never be reached again, but the memory will remain as powerful as it was that evening of the early 00s. What is your greatest gaming high, that you know will never be topped again, and that you have been chasing ever since?
Getting called out by my name in the literature club, or being told about how I could have used my superpower better in that other game. Two get-up-and-take-a-walk moments for me.
On a different tack, the introverted but social Unreal Tournament clan nights, Instagib with Relics. Played that to absolute death, clan nights with pizza and beers. Worms, too, with four people sharing a keyboard.
Lands Of Lore, Eye of the Beholder, BG1 and 2, etc. when solving a puzzle or finding a secret after being lost for hours.
Bioshock, the first one at the end. “Would you kindly”. I lost my mind.
This is the same thing I thought of as well. Blew my mind at the time.
Um … I definitely saw that coming. Gorgeous game tho. The sequels … meh.
I just finished Stray, which is a masterpiece. So it’s not been that long, honestly.
That’s a hell of a game ending, is it not? It fukin screams for a sequel.
B12 is alive! That flicker. He’s there. And we just freed the zurks …
Damn, I need to get around to finishing this one. Took a break after the second chapter and forgot to pick it back up.
Once you get past the tower where you have to run around while you wait for the elevator, things ease up. Still lots of chances to die, but that’s the only spot in the game where you are that hard pressed. Although the sewer run is pretty stressful too …
Probably not everyone’s type of game but the first time I got into orbit in KSP. Doing it manually was a huge challenge and the first time I got into orbit not to mention later when they added the mun and I landed and returned to kerbin was a awesome feeling . When they added other planets and later when they added asteroids it was still a great feeling to do it without mechjeb. Of course that was in 2011. I have more hours in that game than any other and I still play it for few week one or two times a year.
There was a period of about 2 years where every single one of my friends played Destiny religiously. Every day I could log on and just have 2 friends ready to run strikes or get a ragtag team of 6 and run raids (yes, plural).)
15 to 20 members in the clan, just loving this flawed game, having laughs, bantering, even getting deep and serious about relationships, politics, religion, and more.
Even the fights that meant we kicked out 2 racist pieces of garbage from the clan are such precious memories to me.
We have lives now, partners and jobs. I still play, but I raid with strangers or not at all. Sometimes we log on and do an old activity together or run trials, we laugh and have fun, bit never again will we be carefree, and whimsical.
It’s a recent one, but the boss fight in chapter 6 of Celeste is the best gaming experience I have ever had. Highly recommend. The story, mechanics, and music are top tier.
Halo 1 LAN parties
Unreal Tournament LAN parties.
Holy shit. I was trying to think of an answer and this is probably it. Unreal was indeed unreal. Once I got used to the pace of the game it was on. Saddle me up with Speed Boost & a Flak Canon.
Also, Halo 3 custom games with full lobbies and super creative customs. Honestly, just Halo 3 in general
Damn- I wish LAN parties were still a thing. The vibe was unmatched
Same except Marathon 2
Splinter cell: Pandora Tomorrow.
Spies v Mercenaries, screens were set back to back so you couldn’t peek at the other team. We were rotating around for a while before people settled into their preferred play style and shit got intense.
I miss that game.
Wing commander 2. Full voice acted dialog running on a sound blaster at 16 bits and midi soundtrack, pre-rendered 3d graphics, in box loot, printed manuals, and a full on dramatic storyline. In terms of impact, nothing even came/ comes close. Truly the golden age. Now it’s a game of diminishing returns. And $99 plus gacha and microtx, really? Really?
Beating halo final level with wife in co-op
Sonic 2 all emeralds, no deaths Metal Slug in the arcade
Any clutch ending
Beating halo final level with wife in co-op
Ah, The Maw after your very first experience.
“Stop! This is where Foehammer is going to pick us up!”
(PUNCHES THE GAS)
Such an incredible final mission haha.
Ark Survival Evolved.
Waking up on the beach, getting insta-murdered by a raptor.
Managing to meet up with your mates, building a hut, thinking you are doing ok and carno eats you and your hut in the night.
Taming your first T rex, stomping about monching everything, thinking you are doing ok, then suddenly giga eats you and everything you love.
Wish I could recapture that feeling.
I lived and breathed Morrowind.
But I’ve got optimistic insane news for you all
IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN
I’m playing a game called Kenshi and it feels like it’s 2003!
I’m at the verge of tears. Chase that gaming high, YOU’LL FIND IT!!!
“I heard them say we’ve reached Morrowind. I’m sure they’ll let us go.”
–Jiub
Truly loved Morrowind. The first game that I played that had such a powerful construction set! And getting to influence the construction of the colony on Solstheim in Bloodmoon was captivating.
It really did feel like “Living another life” as the box art proclaimed.
I’m still enjoying OpenMW to this day, when I can, in my adult life. Also (can’t find the image at the moment)
YoU wOuLdN’T sTeAL a LiMeWaRe PlaTteR!!
Are we soulmates!? I lived and breathed Morrowind too! I’ve got Kirkbride’s concept art tattooed all over my body, hehe.
I want to feel that time again when we ran a mod-packed Minecraft server with friends and we built a whole city with really creative and elaborate structures and cool tech. Everyone had their speciality and it all came together perfectly.
Nowadays none of us have the time anymore to get lost in games for weeks and months like that. Also it’s hard to get back into it after such a long pause. Everything has changed so much.
But going more retro, it would probably be starting up my new N64 and jumping around with Mario in this crazy 3D environment. Holy shit that was amazing!
I doubt anybody’s gonna actually use it much, but I’m currently setting up a Minetest/Luanti Voxelibre server accessible to friends and fam through TailScale on my home server.
I thought it’d be so neat having a world running whether I was there to see it or not.
But yeah, I know I won’t get that community aspect of having a digital third-place the people in my life can just vibe. =\
My wife lost her Minecraft login / key we had since beta, but I really enjoyed playing with her, and personally using Technic mods and stuff.
This open source implementation has come REALLY FAR and feels like discovery again!
Aww man, the memories of making a garden base for Botania outside my friend’s Thaumcraft witch tower, across a river where your could see a Buildcraft quarry running next to someone’s industrial complex… Good times!
Tried playing Cobblemon with the idea to make our own themed towns but just like you there doesn’t seem to be time for it anymore :(
For me, Baldurs Gate 2. So much story to immerse yourself in, companions to learn about. And on top of that really fun fighting; a good amount of tactical thinking needed, but not too much.
After dragging my long suffering mum around every shop that might possibly still have a copy of The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and finally getting what must have been the last one anywhere.
We then have to go and do a whole load of other things all afternoon while I read the manual from back to front about a dozen times in the back of the car, getting more and more excited.
Then we finally got home but I had to help with dinner first and then eat all the while jabbering incessantly about how amazing it was going to be while I’m sure she just rolled her eyes and said “yes dear” and then I was finally allowed to put the N64 on and I then sat glued to it for hours in a state of wonder and amazement.
Truly the best experience I’ve ever had gaming.
Not the greatest of all time I don’t think, but the greatest in recent memory
At the end of Chapter 12 of the Entropy Centre I really felt like I was saving the world against all odds. And Chapter 13 immediately after was a trip in a good way. If you’re curious, having a good setup (TV, speakers) helps a lot.
Reaching the top of the mountain in Celeste was pretty awesome too now that I’m thinking about it
THE Brad Boimler?
Yeah the Celeste finale is amazing
THE Brad Boimler?
Sup
