Which 2D and 3D games from yesteryear made you go "WOOOOOOWWWW!!!!"

[khph_re]

I missed out on Duke and Doom. Was still fully in Amigaland at that point.

3D game that made me go Wow? Hmmmm..... Starglider I think. I remember how amazed i was at the fact that I could properly move in 3 dimensions and the game was pretty good. 2D... well as stupid as it may sound, a game called Wizball had me hooked for weeks. I missed meals, I forgot I was supposed to sleep and actually missed beer for it. Sensible Software at their best.

[AB Positive]

My entries may be skewed since...

1) I'm American - Northeastern corner too so it was almost totally consoles or x86 machines up here. My first look at an atari/commodore computer was 5 years ago...

2) I've played way too many of these things...

3) I have extremely odd tastes.




So just off the top of my head, in no particular order:


1) Yoomp! (Atari 8-bit):

The reason SIO2PC was invented.

... not really but it seems it. I'm seriously considering a DualPokey mod to my 600xl just to hear the dual-channel audio!



2) Alternate Reality: The City (Atari 8-bit):

3D explorable RPG made in 1986 - deeper than possibly anyone knows and one of the first games where literally you can have your choices come back and bit you in the ass. I love this game, and yet still can't get to a tavern for one full night's sleep. This was made when I was 4?


3) Veil of Darkness (PC/DOS):

OK, so I have a thing for vampires - especially in gaming. I've read "I, Strahd" a good 6 times and played more Ravenloft campaigns than I can remember. So when I saw this game in 1994 (although it probably came out earlier) I was floored. To me I saw a dark, intense point and click much like "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Atlantis" but with vampires and horror. I still love this game - and the intro is just too badass.


4) Final Fantasy VII (PSX/PC)

Oh come on. Your jaw dropped when you played the demo too. 3D summon spells??? When I first summoned Leviathan and blasted my enemies away with a literal 3D Tidal wave... I was lost. Sure, the plot has holes you can drive an 18-wheeler through but it sure was ground breaking. I wish I had kept my 3 preorder shirts though... they seem to have the trade value of wood from the true cross now.


5) Final Fantasy III (SNES)

I cried at the opera scene. Still - I didn't think too much of this right off the bat. I kinda liked FFII... tried FFIII and was first blown away by the opening intro. It seemed to take everything good from it's prequel and add more to it.

THEN - you got Sabin in your party. Then I used a street fighter-like fireball motion to make him do an atomic suplex. I knew I was done there.


6) Culdcept (PS2... unless you can read Japanese. Then Saturn :P )

This was more the concept than the graphics. Monopoly plus Magic the Gathering. Win.


7) Mortal Kombat

I HATE this series. But when I was 12 I was still at the arcade being wowed that Sub Zero could pull the guy's spine out. That was nuts.


8) Jet Set Willy (pick one - I play the 2007 A8 Remix):

I'll admit it - I'm a masochist gamer. There aren't a lot of platformers around that stay challenging after a while. I can hit World 8 in Super Mario 3 without thinking about it. I've been able to one-life Mario 2 for a while now as well.

Jet Set Willy destroys me every game, and I love it.

I've made it past the Banyon Tree only twice in maybe 200 or so runs. I've maybe gotten 21 items in a go. I will beat this someday. Maybe.



that's it for now, I could probably go for days though.

[gimbal]

for me it was both Final Fantasy 7 and FF9. Part 7 for the awesome story, music and the materia system which is just brilliant. FF9 for the gorgeous graphics (best on the PS1 in my opinion), the cute characters and story and fun minigames.

[Adropac2]

Hmm on the Amiga it would also have to be Starglider for me though F18 was a very jealous time when i had only my ST back then

Sword of Sodan had stupendous visuals and sound that you just couldn't ignore at the time

Stunt Car of course was immense as too was Carrier Command

It goes without saying that Turrican2 felt like having an arcade in the home and that was just all round impressive

It's probably fair to say that i didn't have too many shocks after these though but the Amiga's graphics were always sumptuous

Snes just about straight away amazed me with Super Mario, F-Zero, Super Tennis, then Zelda, Actraiser, Parodius, Castlevania4 and Super Contra(i had to have the import), Streetfighter2, Starfox, Axelay.The Snes kept on impressing to be honest

Playstation Wipeout was the next wow moment followed by N64 Super Mario and then Ocarina

Since then not a lot has really had the same impact

[Adropac2]

Forgot N64 Goldeneye, Pefect Dark and the king of FPS, Halo

Oh and yes Jet Set Willy is superb still to this day

[john4p]

both lists in chronological order of me being impressed:

2D:
Pitfall (Atari VCS 2600)
Shadow of the Beast I-III (Amiga)
Turrican II (Amiga)
Battle Squadron (Amiga)
James Pond II (Amiga)
Pinball Dreams (Amiga)
Apidya (Amiga)
Agony (Amiga)
Lionheart (Amiga)
Super Probotector (Super NES)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)
Thunderforce IV (Mega Drive)
Castlevania - Symphony of the Night (Playstation)
Alundra (Playstation)
Metal Slug (Neo Geo) <-- this impresses me the 2nd most
Art of Fighting 3 (Neo Geo)
Street Fighter III - Third Strike (Dreamcast) <-- this impresses me the most (Arcade version nowadays through MAME)
Castlevania - Aria of Sorrow (Gameboy Advance)
Castlevania - Rondo of Blood (PSP, 2.5D-remake)

3D:
Starglider 2 (Amiga)
Hunter (Amiga)
Sega Rally (Arcade)
Comanche (PC)
Terminal Velocity (PC)
Wipeout (Playstation) <-- this impressed me the most (at the time)
Golden Eye (Nintendo 64)
Gran Turismo (Playstation)
Shenmue (Dreamcast)
Silent Hill 2 (Playstation 2)
Resident Evil (Gamecube)
Far Cry (PC)
Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube)
Super Stardust HD (Playstation 3)