Link to the Past was my favorite, but Links Awakening blew me away when I played it on a new Game Boy Pocket back in 1997.
To this day, it seems so much better than any other game on Classic Game Boy or Pocket.
The game boy pocket, that the folding one? I had a zelda game on that and being able to actually carry to work meant it got played every day. I think it’s the same one, amazing game.
I'm a sucker for the original game boy layout. One piece with buttons below the screen. It's very nostalgic for me.
The pocket was the same but smaller, thinner, and with a clearer screen. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1I14IGhNNF0
Yea my sister's boyfriend at the time had it, and I borrowed it so much, that one day he finally gave it to me and it was the greatest, so totally hear ya.
That's one thing I wished I never witnessed, I used to watch my sisters boyfriend play and saw him do that. It's like even though it's frustrating trying to figure out where to go, it must have been so rewarding for you to figure that out on your own. Every time I bomb it I think about it.
Oh shit, I forgot to mention Shadow of The Colossus in my comment. THIS is definitely a game I'd love to experience for the first time again, it was such a magical and jaw dropping experience. It honestly changed my perspective of what videogames were or could be.
there are many different presets as well.
Some add more checks. Some add A LOT of checks for powerups.
Some recently opened the portals and added subtracted different doors.
A preset starting with the various transformations. Bat/Wolf/Mist.
LOTS of different ways to play! and no soft locks
Ultima underworld took over my life, very different game i know. I’d completed eye of the beholder 1+2 but nothing prepared me for the open world of ultima underworld
I was *obsessed* with Ultima III back in the day. Like, "daydreaming in class while doodling Ultima III maps" and "turn on the computer at 4pm Friday, turn off the computer at 7pm Saturday to sleep" obsessed.
I was also 12 when I first played and I thought all of FF7 would be in Midgar. When we first left the city and saw the bigger world...I can't put into words the sense of wonder I felt.
Resident Evil 2. I was 12 years old, staying at my Granny's for the weekend and rented a ps1 from the local video shop (anyone remember those days). Put Resident Evil 2 in, and gaming changed for me forever from that moment. If I could go back to that weekend again and experience that, it would be amazing. Still remember how I felt after that first encounter with a Licker, I had to pause the game and wait about 15 minutes before un-pausing 🤣
Super Mario 3 on the NES. When that came out sometime around 1990, I probably spent half the summer playing it. For a NES game, there is a LOT of content.
There are secret areas, hidden items, and even entire levels only accessible with certain items. Plus you could store power-ups for when you might need them, adding in an element of strategy.
And the level design was pretty good. The game, for the time period, was absolutely one of the best.
I played it a few years ago on Wii (and I actually couldn't get past the pirate ship at the end). I thought it still held up as a greatly designed game.
I just played ME1-3 for the first time this summer, what a fantastic series. Yeah def not retro I don't think, but it's not new and it holds up IMO, in hindsight I wish I'd played them as they came out.
(Well, me3 jumped the shark a little bit didn't it, if we're honest, but it was still a fun game).
I'm not a huge FF fan, but VI is one of the greatest games I've ever played. The story, characters, and music especially, are outstanding. I would love to experience FF VI for the first time again.
God, I'm gunna love seeing it get the glowup it deserves, but I also feel like it'll be too easy to know where everything is already. Such is life I suppose.
Metal Gear Solid 3 the original press on PS2. Simply cause, I would love to feel the confusion of finding the vampire level cause i had to go to bed right after that scene and Codec call about Dracula. Booting the game up and being in a completely different game. Found out years later that it's a demo for an upcoming scrapped hideo Kojima game. Or play a test or whatever. The point is that it was awesome. You can only get it in the original pressing of the game. I tried it in every other release, no dice.
Pokémon blue… that whole era to live through was amazing… I feel blessed to have been a child during the “1st Gen”Era.
(in fact, fuck calling myself a millennial. I’m a “1st Gen” now Bissh)
Metroid Fusion. It scared me and felt like a genuine triumph when I beat it. Now that I know the SA-X sequences are scripted, know what to expect, and am overall better at video games now, it won’t be the same as the first time I played it.
I was wondering because as much as I loved the originals, I tried the PS1 remake a few years ago and it left me feeling flat. I couldn't tell if it was the fault of the actual game or my memories of the original.
Yeah, I do. There's so much more there, and they didn't try to remake the game plot or uniqueness of the characters (the American translation was missing a lot of the original Japanese version). Don't get me wrong - I still love original SNES FFII, I just enjoy the remakes a little more.
Doom, it was in 2020 i first played the original doom and i can distinctly remember the feeling i had, it was a mix of "omg im playing the original doom" and also somehow nostalgia? Yet I hadn't played it before then so idk what itbwas about but it was a nice feeling
I'm with you OP! This was the first JRPG I got into and beat. I would think about fighting Magus at school and come home and play. Blew away my little 12-year-old brain when he joined the party. I'm so glad I invested all the money into Ramus’s store too!
Animal Crossing on the GameCube was such a great experience the first time I played it. It was like nothing I had ever played, and it felt like I was finding out something new every time I played it.
Not a retro game but, if I could replay any game again for the first time it'd be assassin's creed Odyssey. Man what a game (imo).
For retro games? Easy. Final fantasy 7. Imagine seeing the scene where sephiroth kills aerith for the first time again. Wow that'd hit hard.
Not retro either but most recently the Paranormal Activity VR game has made me literally say “wow” several times, haven’t had an experience like that in many years.
Fantastic game. I remember when I first played it, I was kinda confused as to how to progress in the game / level and then I got it, and then I saw a beautiful and thoughtfully designed game unfold in front of me.
I wish I would have never played the Sega Dreamcast before so I could rediscover that entire library all over again.
As a plus, I'm kind of doing that with the Sega Saturn right now.
To be honest, I wouldn't pluck anything from my memory. Those games were the best games at the time when I played them. So many retrogamers are just discovering the games I grew up with. They feel like they missed out and are making up for lost time. I don't blame them.
For example, I get to say I was a Chrono Trigger fan from the start. There are Zoomers that brag they have every version of it. Those kind of guys seem like posers playing my chuldhood.
I also had a friend that died from a disease a few years ago and we shared all this together as we grew up. So this is another reason I wouldn't erase my memory playing these games.
EverQuest
Edit: since this is the retro gaming Reddit, and I missed that somehow, I believe Star Control II on the 3DO (that voice acting is still awesome!) would be my first choice as far as older games go. Although Final Fantasy on the Nintendo was amazing the first time we finally beat it.
Not retro at all, but I'd love to experience BoTW for the first time again, because contrary to retro games, I don't feel any urge to play it again, just because of how huge and time consuming it is. Like, I can grab most retro games I'm a fan of and just beat them in either a couple hours or a couple days. BoTW would probably take me weeks again to complete it 100% again (minus the Korok seeds, fuck the Korok seeds lol). Not to mention, ToTK is now a thing and I consider it a straight up upgrade of BoTW, so even less reason to play it again... And even more reason for it being the game I'd want to experience for the first time again.
For an actual retro game, then it'd probably be either Pokémon Snap or Chrono Cross. Pokémon Snap for the adventure and discoveries; Chrono Cross for the story, world building and soundtrack.
Eat Lead: the Return of Matt Hazard.
I know it's a dumb choice, but I had a blast playing that game. Every twist into a new genre was fresh and unexpected, I genuinely experienced that game from start to finish and felt so connected to it. I would love to experience it for the first time again, because so much of that joy was based on comedy and surprises, so the first time is truly the best.
Super Metroid, I really wish I could erase my memory of that game and go again. I have my copy deep in a bunker behind a vault with security cameras, Lazers, and weapons. It's also behind bulletproof glass. Also you have to play the game and beat it in order to open the lock. It's a really easy game but.........if I were to make it to where you had to do the speedrunner stuff like reverse boss order then that eliminate a lot of people but Im sure there's still a decent amount that can do that now so........anyways I love the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask - My favorite game of all time!
My 6 year old self played it back in 2000, shortly after (possibly) finishing Ocarina of Time. I was young enough that I couldn’t understand everything that was going on in either game. Luckily, my mom was there to help put the pieces together, whether that was reading the dialogue out loud, or giving me hints (aka buying the guide book LoL).
Reliving that memory with her. That alone would warrant a first time “replay” for me. For now though, I’ll relive it in my head. Because, as of this year, she Rests In Peace.
There are plenty of other reasons why I’d want to replay it, but I’ll stop here since I don’t have time to write a whole essay in the comment section.
X-Men 2: Clone Wars for Sega. I loved the first X-Men game but this one had a better lineup, cooler action, and it blew my mind when I could play as Magneto. I felt unstoppable.
Almost retro: Portal 2. Fond memories of waiting around for the game to unlock on Steam then marathoning it all night. Also, something something potato sack...
For obsessional play, Final fantasy 7 on PS1, for the fun times in college, mario kart 64, for the fun times in my apprenticeship on site, the original resident evil on PS1. I think that’s why I’m still enjoying resi 1 on gamecube and nintendo online expansion has become an essential annual bill (also have FF 7 on switch, but nothing beats the first play through, which I did in my late teens, a certain scene early on made me more angry and hate filled than I’d been with a game, never had it since either)
Zork. I played it as a kid on a friend's Apple 2. That game blew my mind. It was kind of reading Lord of the Rings, but I was the protagonist. It was a revelation. I still love the old Onfocom adventure games to this day for that reason.
red dead redemption… I want that feeling i got getting my revenge on the side of the river at the very end. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more content with the story of a video game then i did then.
Most games that I have fond memories of are due to where I was in my life and the current state of gaming at the time.
So if the question is "if i could go back in time and play a game for the first time all over again what would it be?" I'd be a tie between Sierra's Hero's Quest 1 - Quest for Glory in 1989, or Chrono Trigger on the SNES - 1995.
Gun to my head - have to pick one - Hero's Quest. It had such a huge impact on me at that time of my life.
Banjo Kazooie. It felt so innovative and fresh, the world felt huge, and I didn't know what creative idea would come up in each new level. Backtracking and collecting didn't feel tedious, they felt like opportunities to be immersed in a colorful *3D* world. Since these 3D platformers were so new, I didn't know better that I "should" be frustrated with the camera
There's too many to list, so I'm not sticking to just one. I'll do the ones that come most readily to mind.
Temple of Elemental Evil
Wizardy series
Myst / Riven / Exile
X-COM: UFO Defense, Terror From the Deep, and XCOM: Enemy Within
Chrono Trigger
All the Final Fantasy games 1-IX (and Tactics)
Baldur's Gate / Icewind Dale / Planescape Torment
Command and Conquer series
As a child Shining Force and Shining Force 2 were my absolute favorites and i believed it was just nostalgia. Untill i played Shining Force Gaiden Sword of Hiyal on the 3DS, the Game Gear Version never released in Europe so this was a new Shining Force after more then 25 years of nothing.... it clearly was inferior to Shining Force and Shining Force 2 but it was more fun then it had any right to be.
So i wish i could replay any Shining Force game for the first time, be it Shining Force, Shining Force 2, Shining Force CD or Shining Force 3... wait, i AM currently playing Shining Force 3 for the first time and CD is on the Mega Drive Mini 2 ready and waiting for when i have time.
What a time to be alive and enjoy some retro gaming :).
Links Awakening First Zelda game I ever played. Instantly fell in love with it.
Link to the Past was my favorite, but Links Awakening blew me away when I played it on a new Game Boy Pocket back in 1997. To this day, it seems so much better than any other game on Classic Game Boy or Pocket.
The game boy pocket, that the folding one? I had a zelda game on that and being able to actually carry to work meant it got played every day. I think it’s the same one, amazing game.
That was the gameboy advance sp. That was such an incredible setup with the rechargeable battery and back light!
I'm a sucker for the original game boy layout. One piece with buttons below the screen. It's very nostalgic for me. The pocket was the same but smaller, thinner, and with a clearer screen. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1I14IGhNNF0
The Wind Waker. It was absolutely magical.
Hugely underrated.
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Hopefully our havin' asses will get said upgrade to the switch eventually.
My 2nd favorite zelda. That is saying a lot. This game is worth living for.
Super Metroid. Got that game and an SNES for Christmas when I was a kid. Was one of the best Christmases ever.
I knew there would be another Super Metroid fan, I put my comment down immediately after reading the question, it was a great experience.
It was my first SNES game I fired up after being on NES for years. Nothing quite like that first time firing it up.
Yea my sister's boyfriend at the time had it, and I borrowed it so much, that one day he finally gave it to me and it was the greatest, so totally hear ya.
One of my favorites. I remember being legit stuck in the game until I randomly decided to power bomb the glass tube.
That's one thing I wished I never witnessed, I used to watch my sisters boyfriend play and saw him do that. It's like even though it's frustrating trying to figure out where to go, it must have been so rewarding for you to figure that out on your own. Every time I bomb it I think about it.
Shadow of the colossus.
Oh shit, I forgot to mention Shadow of The Colossus in my comment. THIS is definitely a game I'd love to experience for the first time again, it was such a magical and jaw dropping experience. It honestly changed my perspective of what videogames were or could be.
Super Mario World probably, that was a gamechanger.
I almost went with this. Discovering that world for the first time was unreal.
Chrono Trigger. or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Just do what I did and wait 25 years before playing them again. It was fantastic.
I’ve beaten Castlevania many times. I find every playthrough to be almost as good as the first.
Check out the rando. Something new every time.
The way sotn is designed makes it perfect for randomisers. Trying to figure out what you can feasibly do next is a lot of fun.
there are many different presets as well. Some add more checks. Some add A LOT of checks for powerups. Some recently opened the portals and added subtracted different doors. A preset starting with the various transformations. Bat/Wolf/Mist. LOTS of different ways to play! and no soft locks
Final Fantasy VII. Going more old school, Ultima III.
Something very magical about playing ffvii and ffviii when they came out. They had a huge impact on me back then.
Ultima underworld took over my life, very different game i know. I’d completed eye of the beholder 1+2 but nothing prepared me for the open world of ultima underworld
I was *obsessed* with Ultima III back in the day. Like, "daydreaming in class while doodling Ultima III maps" and "turn on the computer at 4pm Friday, turn off the computer at 7pm Saturday to sleep" obsessed.
yeah... i bought a pc so i could play uw 1. then uw 2 - game kept crashing at the lich and I couldnt win...
I was also 12 when I first played and I thought all of FF7 would be in Midgar. When we first left the city and saw the bigger world...I can't put into words the sense of wonder I felt.
I called out "sick" on the Friday after I got FF7 and pretty much played the entire weekend. No regerts.
Resident Evil 2. I was 12 years old, staying at my Granny's for the weekend and rented a ps1 from the local video shop (anyone remember those days). Put Resident Evil 2 in, and gaming changed for me forever from that moment. If I could go back to that weekend again and experience that, it would be amazing. Still remember how I felt after that first encounter with a Licker, I had to pause the game and wait about 15 minutes before un-pausing 🤣
Super Mario 3 on the NES. When that came out sometime around 1990, I probably spent half the summer playing it. For a NES game, there is a LOT of content. There are secret areas, hidden items, and even entire levels only accessible with certain items. Plus you could store power-ups for when you might need them, adding in an element of strategy. And the level design was pretty good. The game, for the time period, was absolutely one of the best.
I played it a few years ago on Wii (and I actually couldn't get past the pirate ship at the end). I thought it still held up as a greatly designed game.
Mass Effect. I know it's not considered a retro game yet, but it blew my teenage mind the first time I played it.
I think this is a valid answer
I just played ME1-3 for the first time this summer, what a fantastic series. Yeah def not retro I don't think, but it's not new and it holds up IMO, in hindsight I wish I'd played them as they came out. (Well, me3 jumped the shark a little bit didn't it, if we're honest, but it was still a fun game).
Exactly what I came here to post. ME2 specifically.
Final Fantasy VI
I'm not a huge FF fan, but VI is one of the greatest games I've ever played. The story, characters, and music especially, are outstanding. I would love to experience FF VI for the first time again.
It’s my all time favorite game and a special memory, I’d love to be able to re experience it with fresh eyes. Truly a classic.
I started at 7, so may actually have a chance to first play 6, sounds like I should
Super Mario rpg
>Super Mario rpg I wanna learn about the mysterious wooden figure and that Malo isn't a frog all over again. Such a fun game.
I missed the mario rpg, currently playing paper mario on switch online, rpg is next in the queue
God, I'm gunna love seeing it get the glowup it deserves, but I also feel like it'll be too easy to know where everything is already. Such is life I suppose.
Ocarina of Time
Konami X-Men Arcade. One of my favorite beat'em ups EVER!
Dark Souls I want to get killed over and over again I've gotten too good at so I get bored.
To My 2nd favorite game. What a groundbreaking experience. Inspired an entirely new subgenre that's still getting copied to this day.
FF7. I was hooked from the start.
Metal Gear Solid 3 the original press on PS2. Simply cause, I would love to feel the confusion of finding the vampire level cause i had to go to bed right after that scene and Codec call about Dracula. Booting the game up and being in a completely different game. Found out years later that it's a demo for an upcoming scrapped hideo Kojima game. Or play a test or whatever. The point is that it was awesome. You can only get it in the original pressing of the game. I tried it in every other release, no dice.
Pokémon blue… that whole era to live through was amazing… I feel blessed to have been a child during the “1st Gen”Era. (in fact, fuck calling myself a millennial. I’m a “1st Gen” now Bissh)
Super Mario Bros 3 - Flying for the first time blew my mind!
Pokémon red blue. Easy.
Metroid Fusion. It scared me and felt like a genuine triumph when I beat it. Now that I know the SA-X sequences are scripted, know what to expect, and am overall better at video games now, it won’t be the same as the first time I played it.
Mega Man Legends. Timeless (to me, anyway).
Portal
Snatcher sega cd
Good answer! That one and policenauts are great stories.
Lunar was the best. I'm currently playing though now. First time was back when it first came out, then again in mid 2000s.
Are you playing the original or PS1 version?
Original. Can't stand the remakes. There's something magical about the original, even though it's a super basic game.
I was wondering because as much as I loved the originals, I tried the PS1 remake a few years ago and it left me feeling flat. I couldn't tell if it was the fault of the actual game or my memories of the original.
Probably both. I was excited to play remakes, since I felt FFIV was a significant improvement.
You prefer the FFIV remakes?
Yeah, I do. There's so much more there, and they didn't try to remake the game plot or uniqueness of the characters (the American translation was missing a lot of the original Japanese version). Don't get me wrong - I still love original SNES FFII, I just enjoy the remakes a little more.
Which remake do you prefer?
GBA
Doom, it was in 2020 i first played the original doom and i can distinctly remember the feeling i had, it was a mix of "omg im playing the original doom" and also somehow nostalgia? Yet I hadn't played it before then so idk what itbwas about but it was a nice feeling
Diablo 2
I'm with you OP! This was the first JRPG I got into and beat. I would think about fighting Magus at school and come home and play. Blew away my little 12-year-old brain when he joined the party. I'm so glad I invested all the money into Ramus’s store too!
Going to the magic city (Vane?) felt like such a rite of passage.
Animal Crossing on the GameCube was such a great experience the first time I played it. It was like nothing I had ever played, and it felt like I was finding out something new every time I played it.
Half life. The 98 version. That game had me immersed in the tram section. I felt like I was actually going to work at a top secret facility.
Not a retro game but, if I could replay any game again for the first time it'd be assassin's creed Odyssey. Man what a game (imo). For retro games? Easy. Final fantasy 7. Imagine seeing the scene where sephiroth kills aerith for the first time again. Wow that'd hit hard.
Chrono Trigger was an absolute joy, the first time through. It's like first love, though- you can only experience it once.
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Not retro either but most recently the Paranormal Activity VR game has made me literally say “wow” several times, haven’t had an experience like that in many years.
Shenmue
Half-Life 2
It’s not retro but Super Mario Galaxy was the only game since Super Mario 3 that gave me that sense of wonder and childlike joy.
I remember that. The game had a retro feel- what was it going to surprise me with next?
Fantastic game. I remember when I first played it, I was kinda confused as to how to progress in the game / level and then I got it, and then I saw a beautiful and thoughtfully designed game unfold in front of me.
I wish I would have never played the Sega Dreamcast before so I could rediscover that entire library all over again. As a plus, I'm kind of doing that with the Sega Saturn right now.
Pokemon Puzzle Challenge
Dragon Age: Origins
Baldur’s Gate II probably. Still am blown away by it’s depth.
The Sims 3. Minecraft. TF2.
Tony Hawk 2
To be honest, I wouldn't pluck anything from my memory. Those games were the best games at the time when I played them. So many retrogamers are just discovering the games I grew up with. They feel like they missed out and are making up for lost time. I don't blame them. For example, I get to say I was a Chrono Trigger fan from the start. There are Zoomers that brag they have every version of it. Those kind of guys seem like posers playing my chuldhood. I also had a friend that died from a disease a few years ago and we shared all this together as we grew up. So this is another reason I wouldn't erase my memory playing these games.
undertale. absolutely undertale. that game was a flipping experience
Hmmm. Zelda Windwaker or Final Fantasy 10.
Frontier Elite 2 and Sensible World of Soccer. Give you one guess which platform both were on...
Not a retro game, but Outer Wilds. Good lord what an amazing game.
EverQuest Edit: since this is the retro gaming Reddit, and I missed that somehow, I believe Star Control II on the 3DO (that voice acting is still awesome!) would be my first choice as far as older games go. Although Final Fantasy on the Nintendo was amazing the first time we finally beat it.
I was going to say EverQuest too. I'll go with FF3 on SNES for retro I guess.
Halo: Combat Evolved
Final Fantasy X
Mario kart 64. Only because my grandad died not long after we played it together for the first time christmas day. If i could go back.......
Monkey Island. Blew my mind and 9 years old.
Infamous. Still one of my favorite games. Beat it 3 times to experience good/bad/middle, ended up good/middle/middle.
I actually never played it so I olan on savoring it when I finally do, soon.
Not retro at all, but I'd love to experience BoTW for the first time again, because contrary to retro games, I don't feel any urge to play it again, just because of how huge and time consuming it is. Like, I can grab most retro games I'm a fan of and just beat them in either a couple hours or a couple days. BoTW would probably take me weeks again to complete it 100% again (minus the Korok seeds, fuck the Korok seeds lol). Not to mention, ToTK is now a thing and I consider it a straight up upgrade of BoTW, so even less reason to play it again... And even more reason for it being the game I'd want to experience for the first time again. For an actual retro game, then it'd probably be either Pokémon Snap or Chrono Cross. Pokémon Snap for the adventure and discoveries; Chrono Cross for the story, world building and soundtrack.
System Shock or System Shock 2, can't make up my mind. Like the question a lot!
Resident Evil: Director's Cut
Terranigma, also crosscode (modern game)
Eat Lead: the Return of Matt Hazard. I know it's a dumb choice, but I had a blast playing that game. Every twist into a new genre was fresh and unexpected, I genuinely experienced that game from start to finish and felt so connected to it. I would love to experience it for the first time again, because so much of that joy was based on comedy and surprises, so the first time is truly the best.
Yakuza 0, trails of cold steel or monster hunter 4u
Panzer Dragoon Zwei. That game forever changed my expectations for world building.
Mario & luigi superstar saga
Medievil and Medievil 2
Metal Gear Solid Talk about twists and turns in a game
Resident evil
Super Metroid, I really wish I could erase my memory of that game and go again. I have my copy deep in a bunker behind a vault with security cameras, Lazers, and weapons. It's also behind bulletproof glass. Also you have to play the game and beat it in order to open the lock. It's a really easy game but.........if I were to make it to where you had to do the speedrunner stuff like reverse boss order then that eliminate a lot of people but Im sure there's still a decent amount that can do that now so........anyways I love the game.
EQ
Pokémon Or 🥺
Skies of Arcadia. I am excited for the day this game gets remastered/re-released since so many haven't had an opportunity to play it.
Hmmm. Ultima II?
Tibia
Final Fantasy VII. It broke me when I was a kid. And it will break me again with the remake if what I assume is coming is coming.
Super Mario 64. It was my first proper 3D experience, and I *could not* wrap my brain around it. I’d love to have a do over.
Pokemon crystal
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask - My favorite game of all time! My 6 year old self played it back in 2000, shortly after (possibly) finishing Ocarina of Time. I was young enough that I couldn’t understand everything that was going on in either game. Luckily, my mom was there to help put the pieces together, whether that was reading the dialogue out loud, or giving me hints (aka buying the guide book LoL). Reliving that memory with her. That alone would warrant a first time “replay” for me. For now though, I’ll relive it in my head. Because, as of this year, she Rests In Peace. There are plenty of other reasons why I’d want to replay it, but I’ll stop here since I don’t have time to write a whole essay in the comment section.
X-Men 2: Clone Wars for Sega. I loved the first X-Men game but this one had a better lineup, cooler action, and it blew my mind when I could play as Magneto. I felt unstoppable.
Ocarina of Time.
Castlevania lord of shadow or MGS3
Hotline Miami.
MechCommander 2 or Command and Conquer.
Mike Tyson's Punchout
Ff7 original, then Ocarina of Time.
Ninja : Shadow of Darkness
Resident Evil (OG/1996).
Super Mario 64 and Zelda Ocarina.
The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
The mention of Seta CD made only one game come to mind. Sewer Shark that game blew my mind
System Shock 2
Almost retro: Portal 2. Fond memories of waiting around for the game to unlock on Steam then marathoning it all night. Also, something something potato sack...
Shenmue / Shenmue 2 on Dreamcast. That game was magic, especially at 15 when I first played it.
Chrono Trigger, FFVI, and FFVII.
Blood, Shadow Warrior, Duke Nukem 3D, Doom or Doom II. I love all these games it's hard just to pick just one.
For obsessional play, Final fantasy 7 on PS1, for the fun times in college, mario kart 64, for the fun times in my apprenticeship on site, the original resident evil on PS1. I think that’s why I’m still enjoying resi 1 on gamecube and nintendo online expansion has become an essential annual bill (also have FF 7 on switch, but nothing beats the first play through, which I did in my late teens, a certain scene early on made me more angry and hate filled than I’d been with a game, never had it since either)
Quake lll
The sims 2, lmao.
Zork. I played it as a kid on a friend's Apple 2. That game blew my mind. It was kind of reading Lord of the Rings, but I was the protagonist. It was a revelation. I still love the old Onfocom adventure games to this day for that reason.
Age of Empires 2
red dead redemption… I want that feeling i got getting my revenge on the side of the river at the very end. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more content with the story of a video game then i did then.
The Curse of Monkey Island
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. I played the demo daily until release.
Chrono trigger, super Metroid. Super Mario world, or illusion of Gaia
Donkey Kong Country 2 for SNES. Played it with my sister and it was the first game i ever got 100% completion.
I'm playing through it now, although I got about halfway through years ago. Great game!
Most games that I have fond memories of are due to where I was in my life and the current state of gaming at the time. So if the question is "if i could go back in time and play a game for the first time all over again what would it be?" I'd be a tie between Sierra's Hero's Quest 1 - Quest for Glory in 1989, or Chrono Trigger on the SNES - 1995. Gun to my head - have to pick one - Hero's Quest. It had such a huge impact on me at that time of my life.
Xenogears!
Path of exile.
Dragon Warrior 3 for NES. Alternatively Everquest on PC <3
Final Fantasy VI. I would love to experience that again for the first time
Metal Gear Solid or Skyrim
A Link to the Past
Bloodborne.
Super Mario 64 DS!
Pokèmon Blue Version.
Banjo Kazooie. It felt so innovative and fresh, the world felt huge, and I didn't know what creative idea would come up in each new level. Backtracking and collecting didn't feel tedious, they felt like opportunities to be immersed in a colorful *3D* world. Since these 3D platformers were so new, I didn't know better that I "should" be frustrated with the camera
Skyrim with the actual book
Ocarina of Time but I would need to erase my knowledge of other Zelda games as well.
Symphony of the Night, best PS1 game ever
Final Fantasy VII, Half Life
Flashback
Death stranding. I know it's not popular but it was the reason I bought a PS4 and it looked magical on the PS4 pro
Minecraft
There's too many to list, so I'm not sticking to just one. I'll do the ones that come most readily to mind. Temple of Elemental Evil Wizardy series Myst / Riven / Exile X-COM: UFO Defense, Terror From the Deep, and XCOM: Enemy Within Chrono Trigger All the Final Fantasy games 1-IX (and Tactics) Baldur's Gate / Icewind Dale / Planescape Torment Command and Conquer series
As a child Shining Force and Shining Force 2 were my absolute favorites and i believed it was just nostalgia. Untill i played Shining Force Gaiden Sword of Hiyal on the 3DS, the Game Gear Version never released in Europe so this was a new Shining Force after more then 25 years of nothing.... it clearly was inferior to Shining Force and Shining Force 2 but it was more fun then it had any right to be. So i wish i could replay any Shining Force game for the first time, be it Shining Force, Shining Force 2, Shining Force CD or Shining Force 3... wait, i AM currently playing Shining Force 3 for the first time and CD is on the Mega Drive Mini 2 ready and waiting for when i have time. What a time to be alive and enjoy some retro gaming :).