Games We've Loved...

[Mandrake42]

@ Zaratus: The World of Xeen game was the last M & M game that really gripped me, I played the later ones but at the time they were released there were just so many better RPG's out there that Id been kind of spoiled. Besides they kinda lost their whacky humour and silly, almost cute, monsters.

The Heroes of Might and Magic games were good though.

[Zaratus]

Yeah, M&M 6+ just didnt' have the same feel.  Especially when they went and moved to 360 degree movement.  It just lost something after that...   I played through VI, but was getting rather bored with it.  Never bothered getting very far in VII, never tried the rest.  I remember there's a fan-made Might and Magic game made with the Xeen engine - New World Computing granted them the use of the engine to make it.  It was called Swords of Xeen, it would never run on my computer for some reason, even though the other games did.  I ought to try it on Dosbox sometime. 

Heroes of Might and Magic - I remember playing the demo of the second game quite a lot, had a lot of fun with it.  So, I ended up buying the fourth game when it was coming out.  And it ended up being rather disappointing - it just seemed... slower and not as fun. I dunno. 

[Mandrake42]

Oh man, its a shame you bought IV, it was the true low point of the series. Number one set up the basic premise, 2 improved upon it, 3 was the peak of the series with the best unit selection and strategic options..................IV basically tried a bunch od new things, most of which didn't work.

[Zaratus]

Yeah...  I was thinking about looking around for it, I remember seeing quite a few years back, a collection that combined the first three Heroes of Might and Magic games into one package.  And I think one expansion.  Though that might be a little TOO much gaming goodness right there, considering I'd probably never manage to get through all three. 

I'm pretty sure I spend more time on that demo of HoMM2 than I did some full games. 

[Quemaqua]

YES! I played that one. Its okay, kinda so-so. Quite unique though as it tries to be a fighting game with a 3rd person camera view...

I even recorded the main theme once. That song is so kickass. The whole soundtrack basically rules.

I really have to A - find a copy of the original, and B - find the new one just to try it.

[Battlerager]

YES! I played that one. Its okay, kinda so-so. Quite unique though as it tries to be a fighting game with a 3rd person camera view...

I even recorded the main theme once. That song is so kickass. The whole soundtrack basically rules.

I really have to A - find a copy of the original, and B - find the new one just to try it.

Also, get the new one in order to hear an updated version of the main theme

[Capn_Danger]

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay was freakin' amazing. Amazing voice acting and dialogue, a plot and game challenges that keep you guessing, great graphics, the whole thing just sucks you in. I replayed it three times.



Worms Armageddon! WOOOO! I've never had so much fun, or laughed so hard, as playing this game on hotseat with friends.



Dr. Mario tournaments with same friends were also intense.



Homeworld 1 and 2. These games had me on edge the entire time,  the game was so dramatic, moody and epic you always felt like you were just on the brink of complete destruction.



Dune II got me (and the rest of the world) started on RTS games.



X-Com: Ufo Defense.



Jagged Alliance 2: Deadly Games. So much turn-based fun, and so much character (and characters...)



Ah yes, TEH GOLDENEYE. Mmmmmmm, mmmm good.



I'm a sucker for film noir. And Max Payne 2.



Ok, I could keep tossing them out, but I'll cut myself off right there before I get carried away 

[Mandrake42]

Escape from Butchers Bay is the only game I can think of where the inclusion of a Hollywood celebrity in development actually helped the game

[Capn_Danger]

Escape from Butchers Bay is the only game I can think of where the inclusion of a Hollywood celebrity in development actually helped the game

This game actually got me to sincerely enjoy Vin Diesel. The dude with the club is voiced by Xzibit. I can probably count the number of movie-franchise games that weren't pure marketing tripe one hand.

[Zaratus]

Escape from Butchers Bay is the only game I can think of where the inclusion of a Hollywood celebrity in development actually helped the game

This game actually got me to sincerely enjoy Vin Diesel. The dude with the club is voiced by Xzibit. I can probably count the number of movie-franchise games that weren't pure marketing tripe one hand.

Ooh, I can add a decent one, if you don't mind old NES games - Willow!  Actually a pretty decent action-RPG.  Doesn't follow the plot of the movie very close at all, but it's still fun, and I enjoyed it a LOT when I was younger.  The various caverns are complete mazes however.  Seriously, make a map. 

And while I'm talking about NES games, play Magic of Scheherazade.  Mixes Zelda-like gameplay with RPG-gameplay - seriously, two different battle modes.  Typically you wander around stabbing things with your sword, but randomly when moving to a new screen, you'll get into RPG combat - you can pick two other companions (Out of 11 party members in total by the end) to help in those battles.  Certain enemy groups are weak to certain combinations of party members, who get a powerful group attack they can perform.  Throw in a dash of time travel, five chapters, kidnapped princesses, and you have a classic.  Note, it's generally best to fight normally as a Fighter, except switch to a Magician right before a chapter boss (not always necessary, but makes it much easier, and it is a necessity for the fourth chapter boss, I forget exactly what Saint does, I think it's weak all around but immune to damage floors or something like that.) 

[great]

baldur's gate 2, despite its weak main plot and completely broken magic system, is my favorite game of all time

[StephenAnthony]

Hi everyone! This is my first post here... and...

ZOMG HALO.

I think a LOT of people sort of dislike this game out of spite. Any time something gets too popular, some people who aren't active fans of it start hating it out of principle (See: Titanic and Independence Day)

I'm speaking specifically about the first Halo game, not 2 and 3 (though both were really good, in my opinion).

Halo did a lot of things that a lot people don't give it credit for. The story for that game wasn't terribly gripping, but it was a perfect method for moving everything along. The setting was awesome, though. I remember just stopping at a cliff to look at the ring for a while and marveling over how cool it was.



Then all the other things they did right... introducing grenades in the way they did, the 2 weapons only system, integrating vehicle combat and control the way they did and the shield recharging system (allowing you to duck for cover until they recharged, which totally changed the way an FPS was played)... The enemy AI was the best for any FPS ever made at the time too (and it stayed that way for a good, long while too)... every weapon had its own strength and weaknesses.

Maybe I sound like a ranting fanboy right now, but aside from just being a really good game, it changed how First Person Shooters would be designed forever and was the most fun I've ever had with a video game.

However, despite this, I don't think it'll ever take my #1 favorite game's spot..

Secret of Mana

SoM was one of the first games I -really- got into. The graphics were really bright and pretty and the story, though it was tragically distorted because of the lack of variable width font, was awesome if you could get past the dialog.

I don't know that any one part of this game stands out as better than every other game (except for, perhaps, the soundtrack, my favorite of all time... but that's a harder thing to judge than something like graphics or gameplay), but this was the first time I really felt part of a video game. I remember what it felt like to FINALLY get to the Imperial towns for the first time, or what it was like to see the bigger story events unfold near the end of the game.



Ahh, that felt good to finally rant about these games again!

[IceD]

Zamzara



This was one of the most great and fantastic games on C64. As for the year 1988 it was really a sensational title - Great graphics, wonderful character animation, neat gameplay and sound  plus wonderful music from Jeroen Tel had put me into a stance of total absence for many days after I got this for my birthday. This game had an unique atmosphere and was darn hard to finish, but for some reason it didn't repeled from playing again and again. In my opinion this game really showed what's important in side-scrolling platformers. I played it few months ago, when I found my C'64 hidden somewhere deep in the wardrobe. And after I played it I could say that in reality, nothing's changed since those years. And after so many years the ending tune still plays in my mind...

[Toom]

I just dug out an old Jagged Alliance 2 install disc, and it is a really good game! It's a pity I suck so badly at it, really.

I am firmly in the "Halo is an extravagantly average game" camp, but this is not the place for that argument.

[Phatz]

Ah... My earliest gaming memories were with Mario and Duckhunt (They were on a single cartridge!) for the NES and Discworld on PC. I can't find it's CD though...    Thanks to the Discworld games, I forever ascociate the wizzard [sic] Rincewind with Eric Idle whenever I read a Rincewind novel.

Halo was an  extravagantly average game, but it had atangiable storyline which is rare in shooters.