Games have affected us in many ways. Made us laugh, made us cry, made us rage quit and made us jump on our feet yelling “yes!” But we never get to appreciate those games long after they’re put down for the final. Yes, there are games that affect the industry as but I wanna talk about the games that affected the individual, mainly myself. That’s why for this first article is dedicated to games that made me love this industry.
Pokémon Pinball (2000)
A 5-year-old kid who liked Pokémon, what else is there to add? But for real this game holds great significance towards me because this is where it all started. This was the first game I ever remembered playing. It wasn’t on a Nintendo 64 or PlayStation 1, it was on my brother’s Gameboy Color. I couldn’t even have the original game because my parents didn’t want me to be exposed to the fallacies of evolution (still love them). Pokémon Pinball was a big step in my gaming life. Outside of watching the show, this was the closest I got to Pokémon until…
Pokémon Sapphire (2004)
A funny thing about Pokémon Sapphire, when I first played it, I technically didn’t own it (not yet at least). Out of all the games that I had on my second Gameboy Advance SP (because of course, I lost my first one). This game was my favorite because it was the first game that introduced me to RPGs (role-playing games) and open-world games. Now that I think about it, No other game up to that point taught me things I use in life. Things like how the direct-approach is not always the right way, and to always be nice to the unpopular kids in middle school because they could end up being your most powerful allies. Overall, I liked this game a lot. So much so, that I bought and played the Ruby and Emerald versions, Leafgreen and Firered versions, and eventually rebought Sapphire just for keepsake. Side note: I just wanna say, F*ck Winona, F*ck her Pokémon especially that Dragon-Dancing, Magnitude-Shaking Altaria, and all of her descendants.
Mario Kart Wii (2006-2009)
Now we’re getting to the good stuff. As soon as I got Mario Kart, I reached my golden age of gaming. Mario Kart brought out a competitive nature that I didn’t know I had. I wasn’t even as competitive in school sports. I played that game so much, I almost failed 6th grade because of it. The keyword there is ‘almost’ meaning I still passed, and I still went to a decent college. Therefore, there are no regrets. Side note: My competitiveness eventually transferred to Xbox with Halo 4 but it’s more or less the same.
Destiny (2015-2017)
How did it curb my enthusiasm: College was an eye-opener for me. When I played MK and Halo, I didn’t care about who was on the other end. All I cared about is beating the person that was in the other kart or that red armor. Once I got my own Xbox and my copy of Destiny (man, I had a very common pattern), it was clear as day that I can’t do it by myself. To accomplish what I wanted, I needed a team that not only exist as “cannon fodder” but as a team who I can communicate, organize, and strategize with.
I joined clubs and made friends with other players. We had incredible and hilarious stories and obtained all the rare loot I can imagine. Destiny was my greatest exposure to a community, and everything was an experience to enjoy. Also, shout-out to Xbox clubs for being the best fireteam finder than before 2018.
Titanfall 2 (2016-2019)
I can easily make an article about this game alone (who knows, maybe I will). But for now, I will cover the bare minimum, so this doesn’t feel too long. TitanFall 2 painted the perfect picture of how gaming is to me. Long story short; this is the greatest FPS game of this generation in my opinion. In most online games I play, I just feel completely frustrated. It’s not a stapled together, last-minute project like Call of Duty’s Advance and Infinite Warfare, and it doesn’t treat you as the small and insignificant gnat you are in Battlefield 1 and V.
It has a solid gameplay mechanics, a short and straight forward campaign, and gives a concept that I wish more developers would try: “If everyone is overpowered, no one is.” And to this day not a single game has given me that same feeling. I could leave this game for a month, come back, and it still puts a smile on my face. Leave the movie title in the comments if you get the reference.
Games hold a special place in the hearts of millions of people. Their influence stretches across decades, and as we say hello to a new generation of games, it’s always important to recognize those who came prior. Some games were trash, others were overshadowed, but every game has its place. Always have pride in your beloved games and who knows, you might find somebody who loves it just as much as you.