What games blew your mind the first time you saw/played them?

[quote name='Hank Hill']NCAA for the super nintendo I tell you what, it was like being INSIDE the game! It was better than selling a million grills in one day, WITH the extended warranty![/QUOTE]
Haha nice reference. Did you see that on last nights episode? OT I had a lot of fun with that game and played it a lot more than I thought I ever would. Great stuff. Looking back now it seems like it was made to showcase mode 7 on SNES. Man mode 7 was the shit.
 
[quote name='mosey73']Oblivion. this was the first game i bought with my 360 and the reason i bought it. it is one of the best games ever[/QUOTE]You should try Morrowind, too, if you haven't already.
 
The Lost World : Jurassic Park : The Arcade Game.

I was like...8 years old when that movie ( and game ) came out. It was the first real arcade game I ever played.

Everything about it blew me away. The dark set-up (It was the big, sit down version). The huge screen. The bad-ass speaker system.

And when you finally take down that final T-rex. Ohhhh, the chills.

I truely felt like I just survived "Site B"
 
Super Mario 64. Back in the 90's this was the biggest game to ever come out. It started what became the standard of 3d games. Still a blast to play today.
 
Top Gun (NES)
Ninja Gaiden (NES) - I could watch the opening cut scene 100x straight
Duke Nuke'em 3D (PC) - My first game with boobies
Mortal Kombat (Arcade)
Shadows of the Empire (N64)
Final Fantasy VII (PS)
Final Fantasy X (PS2)
Fallout 3 (X360)
 
I got a demo of the original, top-down Grand Theft Auto on a CD one time, and I laughed for days about being able to drive up the sidewalks running down people with the cops after you.

The other one that blew me away is the original Civilization game, all the way back in 1993 (it came out in 1991). Doom was a revelation and so was Warcraft 2 and 3.
 
Super Mario RPG on SNES...when i played it i thought it was the best looking game I ever saw at the time.

I was also highly impressed with Super Mario 64, seeing as how it was the first 3D game i ever played and saw at Toys R Us
 
off the top of my head...

ps1- metal gear solid, chrono cross, final fantasy VIII and XI, resident evil 2, mortal kombat 3

ps2 - metal gear solid 2 and 3, final fantasy X (opening was f'in amazing), guitar hero, rock band, tekken tag and 4, gta: san andreas, ssx 1, tricky, and 3, silent hill 2,

snes - legend of zelda a link to the past, e.v.o., secret of mana, f zero, chrono trigger, final fantasy II and III, soulblazer and actraiser

cube - resident evil 4, super mario sunshine, legend of zelda wind waker (the ending was so amazing), fzero gx, resident evil remade, metroid prime 1 and 2

wii - super mario galaxy, legend of zelda twilight princess

genesis - shining force, sonic the hedgehog 1, 2, and 3 and streets of rage 1, 2, and 3

n64 - mario 64 and goldeneye 007 and super smash bros.

nes - legend of zelda, metroid, punchout and super mario bros 1 and 3.

ps3 - metal gear solid 4

sorry, I smoke alot, so my mind isn't what it used to be!
 
NES - DuckHunt

SNES - NBA Jam

​
N64 - StarFox 64, SW: Rogue Squadron, GoldenEye 007, WCW vs. nWo World Tour (I played this game for about a year and a half before I ever became a wrestling fan.)

GameBoy - Tetris, Fire Pro Wrestling 1

DreamCast - Crazy Taxi

PS2 - Dynasty Warriors (forget which one)

X360 - King Kong, Dead Rising

PS3 - MotorStorm, inFamous

Wii Sports
 
The first game that I remember actually being WOWed by was Final Fantasy 7. I rented the game on a whim, and after playing it for a couple hours and making it out of Midgar and into the open world, I was amazed. After I returned it, I immediately started searching for the game to buy. This was before the Greatest Hits version came out, so it was tough. I eventually found a used copy at Electronics Boutique for $34.99 and immediately bought it.

The next time after that was when I played the first NFL 2k game on Dreamcast. My jaw dropped when I saw how realistic the graphics were!

I haven't really had an experience quite like that since then...
 
maybe i'm just not used to seeing current gen games, but i saw ratchet and clank on the ps3 for the first time last weekend and was very impressed.


the only other time i remember being impressed with game visuals was at a computer fair and there was a final fantasy 8 demo being played on a computer with a bunch of the cinematics and my mind was blown.

crysis was mind blowing in concept but in practice, while still great, wasn't as impressive as the hype i had built up for it watching demo videos.
 
Gameboy: Pokemon Blue
Dreamcast: Ready to Rumble Boxing....it was the only game you could play on the system before it was released and I was amazed by it and that alone made me purchase a dreamcast on day 1.
Playstation: Final Fantasy IV
 
NES- there are wayyy too many to name here but have to go with an ageless classic. Super Mario 3
SNES- Super Metroid,StarFox, Street Fighter II, FF III, DKC
PS 1- FF VII,RE II, Gran Turismo
Dreamcast- Soul Calibur,Shenmue,Jet Grind Radio
N64- Super Mario 64(of course),Mario Kart 64
PS 2- FF X, Armored Core II
 
For me it was runescape, it's online game though, but it had blown my mind because i had never thought that there are any online games from which you can really talk, meet with a person who is far away from you.
 
First was Super Mario Bros. 2. Granted, not even a real Mario game, but I remember it being the first time when I said Wow, this looks just like a real cartoon, not just a video game.
Next time was a long way off to FFX. That game made me flip my lid the first time I saw it.
Haven't had one since then, but I'm looking forward to it!
 
In ascending chronological order (of discovery, not release):

Pro Wrestling for NES - pretty much all the NES games blew me away when I got it for XMas in '87 (since I had been sticking with the Atari 5200 for many years), but this is the one that hooked me before I even had the console.

Thunderforce III for Genesis - The first game I fired up other than Altered Beast when I got the Genesis for Xmas in '90. The opening screen graphics and music were my moment of "holy shit, this is a huge step up from the Nintendo."

Castle of Illusion for Genesis - This looked like a cartoon you could control.

Pool of Radiance series for the PC - My first journey into PC gaming on an old 286 my dad got from work when they were getting rid of them. I spent hours just setting up my characters, which for some reason I named after Metallica band members.

Metal Gear Solid for PS1 - This looked like a movie you could control. The original NES Metal Gear was my favorite game on the system, so finally getting a new title was huge for me at the time.

Raw is War for PS1 - Doesn't hold up well at all over time at all as far as gameplay, but the character creation was off the charts. Had never seen anything like it. Managed to make a disturbingly accurate representation of myself. Having entrances like that was also something new.

Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium for Super Famicom - Discovering SNES emulators on the PC meant discovering imports. This is still probably my favorite wrestling game of all time, and probably the game that most "blew my mind" when I first played it. It was a hacked version that had all the characters renamed to their actual selves (Hulk Hogan was named Hulk Hogan, not Bulk Tanner or whatever non-infringing name they gave him), and the sheer size and span of the roster (pretty much every promotion in the world was represented) ensured I would spend countless hours with this game. The Dreamcast follow-up also got a ton of play out of me, but nothing compared to the shock I had first playing the SNES title.

NFL2k for DC - Never owned it, but this was the first time I ever said "that looks real." On a side note, the Dreamcast in general wowed me. It was the first time since the NES-to-Genesis move that I felt that big jump in technology.

Jet Grind Radio for DC - So much holy shit factor. I said Castle of Illusion looked like as cartoon - this WAS a cartoon. Not to mention a fresh concept. The icing on the cake was being able to use your own jpgs/gifs for graffiti - something the XBox follow-up didn't have.

Although I love the 360 - it's arguably my favorite console ever at this point - I haven't been really floored by anything since JGR.
 
[quote name='KaneRobot']In ascending chronological order (of discovery, not release):

Pro Wrestling for NES - pretty much all the NES games blew me away when I got it for XMas in '87 (since I had been sticking with the Atari 5200 for many years), but this is the one that hooked me before I even had the console.

Thunderforce III for Genesis - The first game I fired up other than Altered Beast when I got the Genesis for Xmas in '90. The opening screen graphics and music were my moment of "holy shit, this is a huge step up from the Nintendo."

Castle of Illusion for Genesis - This looked like a cartoon you could control.

Pool of Radiance series for the PC - My first journey into PC gaming on an old 286 my dad got from work when they were getting rid of them. I spent hours just setting up my characters, which for some reason I named after Metallica band members.

Metal Gear Solid for PS1 - This looked like a movie you could control. The original NES Metal Gear was my favorite game on the system, so finally getting a new title was huge for me at the time.

Raw is War for PS1 - Doesn't hold up well at all over time at all as far as gameplay, but the character creation was off the charts. Had never seen anything like it. Managed to make a disturbingly accurate representation of myself. Having entrances like that was also something new.

Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium for Super Famicom - Discovering SNES emulators on the PC meant discovering imports. This is still probably my favorite wrestling game of all time, and probably the game that most "blew my mind" when I first played it. It was a hacked version that had all the characters renamed to their actual selves (Hulk Hogan was named Hulk Hogan, not Bulk Tanner or whatever non-infringing name they gave him), and the sheer size and span of the roster (pretty much every promotion in the world was represented) ensured I would spend countless hours with this game. The Dreamcast follow-up also got a ton of play out of me, but nothing compared to the shock I had first playing the SNES title.

NFL2k for DC - Never owned it, but this was the first time I ever said "that looks real." On a side note, the Dreamcast in general wowed me. It was the first time since the NES-to-Genesis move that I felt that big jump in technology.

Jet Grind Radio for DC - So much holy shit factor. I said Castle of Illusion looked like as cartoon - this WAS a cartoon. Not to mention a fresh concept. The icing on the cake was being able to use your own jpgs/gifs for graffiti - something the XBox follow-up didn't have.

Although I love the 360 - it's arguably my favorite console ever at this point - I haven't been really floored by anything since JGR.[/QUOTE]

shoot how the heck did i miss MGS. I couldn't put that down when i bought it. I still have my original copy of pro wrestling. King Slender's Pile Driver was the shit!
 
I had bought an Xbox at launch but decided to return it and get a PS2--I got MGS2 and Jak and Daxster. I rented GTA3 because my students were talking about it and fell for it big time. I bought a copy and hardly played anything else on the PS2 for some time.

The sandbox aspect was so very cool. I especially like the part where you take control of a police car and then have to take out the bad guys. The game seemed to have a life of its own.
 
The first game that really sticks out as omgwtf wow was Final Fantasy 7 for the PS1. I started gaming all the way back on the Atari 2600 so seeing graphics like that on a home console just floored me.
 
Half Life 2 completely absorbed me with it's physics and storytelling, it was unbelievable.

New Super Mario Bros. captivated me, too, since it balanced old and new so well.

Both Link to the Past and Ocarima of Time were played non-stop from beginning to end. The original Zelda was my 1st, so I got to see the series evolve and appreciate each game as it came out. Can say the same for Metroid and Mario series, too. I remember playing Metroid II and being so amazed by it, only for Super Metroid to improve on it in about every way possible.

Most recently inFamous had this effect on me, I bought it based on the demo and compeltely loved it.
 
everyone here has great picks but I've yet to see anyone mention any sega cd titles. Sonic's intro cartoons was so clear, fast, and ...uh... 'jammin'. Also the picture was grainy but ...sewer shark, night trap (I think, kids in a house; burglars; multiple camera feeds; etc.),and make your own video featuring marky mark or C & C music factory. oh the good times
 
[quote name='shadowkast']everyone here has great picks but I've yet to see anyone mention any sega cd titles. Sonic's intro cartoons was so clear, fast, and ...uh... 'jammin'. Also the picture was grainy but ...sewer shark, night trap (I think, kids in a house; burglars; multiple camera feeds; etc.),and make your own video featuring marky mark or C & C music factory. oh the good times[/QUOTE]

....sega cd...Adventures of Willie Beamish. I played that for HOURS. haha I remember my mom helping me by calling the hint line for $1.99/min or something like that because we could not figure out how to get past the babysitter that turns into a bat. lol good times.
 
Mario 64 (Such an improvement compared to the 8 & 16 bit era)
Star Fox 64 (Same as Mario 64)
GTA 3 (Nearly unlimited freedom)
Resident Evil REmake (They did a great job recreating the original)
Half-Life 2 (Great environment & physics at the time)
Dead Rising (Dawn of the Dead meets a video game)
Fallout 3 (Awesome environment)
 
NES: Final Fantasy. I played Dragon Warrior before it, but the idea of FOUR party members instead of one was just "OMG awesome!"

SNES: TMNT Tournament fighter. I played the crappy NES version, but then I visited a friend's place and we played it together. It was AMAZING in comparison. Being a huge TMNT fan, playing as Michaelangelo just blew my little mind.

PS1: Of course FF7. I bought a PS1 because of that. Also, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. The FMV was awesome back then and I though the story was the epitome of awesome. You're a freakin' scary-looking zombie vampire that sucks out souls. How hardcore was that?

PC: Quake 2. Quake was good, but the FMV of Quake 2 just got me so pumped. That and Hardware-accelerated 3D! Damn, that game was awesome. Still is, IMO. Sonic Mayhem soundtrack FTW!

Now that I think about it, every console I've owned has had a game that just blew my mind, which immediately got me scheming a way to afford buying it. Just gotta think of more.:D
 
Going way far back, probably Test Drive on Commodore 64. The fantasy of being able to drive an exotic car was beyond awesome for a grade-school kid with a passion for automobiles.

Going not as far back, Half-Life, twice. The first time was actually seeing the game. The second was playing it with full hardware-accelerated 3D support courtesy of a Creative 3dfx Voodoo Banshee.
 
[quote name='super_dawn']....sega cd...Adventures of Willie Beamish. I played that for HOURS. haha I remember my mom helping me by calling the hint line for $1.99/min or something like that because we could not figure out how to get past the babysitter that turns into a bat. lol good times.[/QUOTE]

oh my god i for got about that game and i own it. that was a great sega cd game
 
I have been gaming since the Atari 2600 days. The first time I saw & heard Super Mario Bros. NES with its stages, multiple enemies, tunes I was blown away.

Outrun arcade
Altered Beast arcade
Golden Axe arcade
Forgotten Worlds arcade
TMNT arcade
The Simpsons arcade
WWF Wrestlefest arcade

In the late 80s early 90s I used to fantasize about playing arcade games at home. lol Outrun is the only game on the list emulators cannot truly recreate the arcade gameplay because of the steering wheel, stick and foot pedal arcade controls. Thoughts of buying an Outrun arcade cabinet have crossed my mind many times.

Mega Man 2
Mike Tyson's Punch Out
Contra 3
Starfox
Ghouls n Ghosts Genesis
Sonic the Hedgehog
Aladdin Genesis
Contra Hard Corps best Contra game ever made
Donkey Kong Country
Chrono Trigger Snes

Tekken 2 Playstation
Resident Evil 2
Twisted Metal 2
Castlevania SOTN
The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time

Halo Xbox - I never could get into FPS on SNES and Playstation Doom was wildly popular but I could never understand why then I played Halo on XBox. With its gorgeous graphics, terrific audio, vehicles, cinematic style intro this is a genre that needed the technological leap XBox provided to make the genre enjoyable for me I played this game to death.

Metroid Prime Nintendo did it they recreated Metroid in 3d FPS style such a great game.
 
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Doom on the PC
Return to Castle Wolfenstein on PC
Counterstrike on the PC
Resident Evil 2 on the PS1
Goldeneye on the N64
Tie Fighter, Xwing vs. Tie Fighter on PC
Halo for Xbox
BF 1942 for PC
Borderlands for Xbox 360

I'm sure there are a handful more, but I've played each of these games for 100's if not 1000's of hours (with the exception of Borderlands, but that's because I've only had it for a week).
 
Uncharted. The first current gen game I played where my mouth was just floored at times. I remember my eyes straining just fixated on my TV. Really sucks because I got the game with my 160gb bundle and didn't start playing until like a month ago.
 
I remember my brother and I spending 5 minutes looking at the graphics on Halo, crouching to look at all the individual blades of grass, haha.


But seriously:
Shenmue
Eternal Darkness
Dark Age of Camelot (This was the first MMORPG I played)
Beatmania
Drum Freaks
Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2
Grand Theft Auto 3
Counter Strike
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (me and my friend played the 2 minute demo disc non stop for like two weeks, lol)
River City Ransom
Uncharted 2
FFXI on the PS2

Also, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy text adventure
 
Dark Age of Camelot on the PC.

I bought it back in 2002 and it was my first ever mmorpg. Logging on and into a full 3D persistent world full of other people was just amazing to me back then. It felt like I wasn't just playing a simple video game this time, but something much bigger.
 
Perfect Dark 64 - So much lag infested multiplayer!!!
Final Fantasy tactics - Probably spent more time playing this than anything else
Star Ocean 2 - Except this
 Final Fantasy 8 - First "real Final Fantasy"
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest- never played Zelda or anything RPGish until this.
Zelda 64 Ocarina of Time - 'nuff said
Blood- Shit was amazing
Duke Nukem 3D - level design rocked my world
Castlevania SOTN - See Zelda 64 Ocarina of Time

Oh snap, and MGS2 too. First Metal Gear I played and the reason I will forever love Kojima (along with his generally cool personality).
 
For months and months all I had was the Blood shareware. I played the hell out of that episode. I bet I could still go through it without missing a beat. Quake was technically impressive but the Build engine games had so much more character.
 
[quote name='Halo05']For months and months all I had was the Blood shareware. I played the hell out of that episode. I bet I could still go through it without missing a beat. Quake was technically impressive but the Build engine games had so much more character.[/QUOTE]

BLOOD

Oh man, I wasted a good deal of time just kicking undead heads like soccer balls
 
Castlevaina 2: Simon's Quest (NES)
Metal Gear (NES)
Final Fantasy 1 (NES)
Cosmic Fantasy 2 (TurboCD)
Super Mario World (SNES)
Altered Beast (Genesis)
Secret of Mana (SNES)
Chrono Trigger (SNES)
Battle Arena Toshinden (PS1)
Final Fantasy 7 (PS1)
Crazy Taxi (Dreamcast)
Soul Edge (Dreamcast)
God of War (PS2)
Final Fantasy 10 (PS2)

..... and that's in order up to the PS2/Dreamcast generation. Might have a few more in the Dreamcast/PS2 section but I'm drawing a blank.
 
Super Mario Bros 3 - NES
Metal Gear Solid - PSone
Halo - Xbox
MGS2 - Xbox
COD2 - Xbox 360

MGS on PSone was probably the best, followed by Halo
 
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