Name the game that had the most impact on you.

Well, since no one else wants to play, I'll tell you mine.  I could list other games for other reasons, but playing by my rules the one game that had the most impact on my would be the very first video game I saw and played, Gran Trak 10 by Atari (Arcade).  I could barely reach the steering wheel controller, and did not play for very long, but it is what got me hooked.

The most influential game would obviously be the one that got you into gaming in the first place. Saddly I don't remember which game that was, but there are photographs of me (as a baby) sitting on my Uncle's lap playing SeaQuest on the Atari 2600, so that probably influenced a few things.

Breath of Fire II was the game that got me into RPGs. I had gotten a number of old Nintendo Power magazines from a friend that I liked to flip through. I must have flipped through the issue that had BoFII a lot, perhaps because it also had Mega Man X3. I think it was the art that really got me intrigued. But yeah, an emulator and a download later, I had taken my first step into the genre that now dominates my collection. On a side note, I remember almost breaking down doors to get a copy of GBA remake. Finally, I could own the game that so dramatically changed my gaming habits.

The most influential game would obviously be the one that got you into gaming in the first place.

venus577

For me it would probably be LoZ: Wind Waker. While many may argue that it wasn't the greatest game ever, it is important to me for what it did. It brought me back into gaming. Not only did it bring me back into gaming, but it brought me back in when I had a real job and time to really get into games.

I had primarily stopped playing games after the SNES due to lack of funds, lack of time, lack of interest, and the fact that most 1st gen 3d games (PS1/N64 or before) tended to make me very motion sick, which is interesting because I ususally dont get motion sick. I did own a PS1, and played a few games on it, but that was primarily during extended college breaks (ie summer and winter) and even then it tended to be either 2d games or 3d fixed camera games (Resident Evils).

After I graduated from college, I figured I would have some free time while I looked for a job, so I used some graduation money to pick up a GC which came with Wind Waker. I originally was put off by the sailing and the idea of the cartoon graphics; however once I got into the game I was hooked. Shortly after I ended up landing a job much quicker than I had anticipated (hoped for), but being the "upstanding" person I am, I started shortly thereafter. At the time I was living with my parents to save money for a house and had a lot of free time while my then-girlfriend, now-wife finished school. The ultimate result of this was a love of gaming that had been renewed to levels above what it used to be, a decent amount of disposable income, and enough free time to waste away in front of the TV.

-- I think this all worked to my disadvantage though. Now I am completely hooked on games, but have a mortgage that eats up most of my money, and a wife that eats up most of my time. Oh well, such is life...

I've always liked gaming because I've always been a solitary person; I don't need other people to keep myself sane.  Gaming was just an extension of my GI Joes, Transformers and books. 

The game that was the most influential to me, I think, really didn't come around until I was well into gaming.  The only game that really changed my perspective, I think was Daggerfall.  I didn't need a perspective change with stuff like Syndicate because it had doses of everything I like - especially cheer brutality.  But Daggerfall opened me up to something far more.  It was, at the time (and, I think, still is) the biggest game I've ever played.  It's also the buggiest, but when a game's playable and the gameplay's good, crashes don't bug me too much, especially when I save every 5 minutes (because in Daggerfall, you were still pretty mortal with a suit of Daedric armour, unlike, say, Morrowind).

What Daggerfall changed, though, was my whole point of view regarding a single genre - the RPG.  At the time (I was 17) I got Daggerfall, the deepest RPG that I'd probably played was Final Fantasy.  Well...no, DnD second ed. tabletop was probably just a wee bit moreso.

Daggerfall took the "Role" part to whole new level because of the way you could build your characters.  Depending on strengths and weaknesses, you might have very steep level up curves, or very shallow ones , and you could specialise right down to not only elemental weaknesses, but weapon and armour restrictions not only based on equipment class, but also equipment materials.  So, if you were building, say, a Paladin, there's no way he'd be using Daedric because it's an unholy material.  At least if you were a real RP'er.

Levelling up was based on skills, just like Morrowind and Oblivion which came after it, so it took teh "You Are What You Do" concept to the next level.  At least for WRPG's; Final Fantasy 2 had a similar concept.  If the game hadn't sucked, it might have been a bit more influential. 

I also very much liked the combat system; you hold the left mouse key and then slash by moving your mouse in teh direction you want to strike in.  It made things much more immersive and some of the skills were very cool, like the ability to climb walls.

I've neevr played a game like Daggerfall, and unfortunately, I don't think I ever will.  Which is why I'm trying to get my brother to part with the old PMMX 233 so I can play it again.

I've always liked gaming because I've always been a solitary person; I don't need other people to keep myself sane. Gaming was just an extension of my GI Joes, Transformers and books.

Apathetic_Prick

[QUOTE="Apathetic_Prick"]

I've always liked gaming because I've always been a solitary person; I don't need other people to keep myself sane. Gaming was just an extension of my GI Joes, Transformers and books.

waflerevolution

Other than Thundercats, I had all that stuff, too :p  I still have all my old GI Joes at my dad's place.

[QUOTE="Apathetic_Prick"]

I've always liked gaming because I've always been a solitary person; I don't need other people to keep myself sane. Gaming was just an extension of my GI Joes, Transformers and books.

waflerevolution

Hey can you explain why it was neccesary for them to add "The Real" to Ghostbusters? (This is a serious question that I have thought about often).

Hey can you explain why it was neccesary for them to add "The Real" to Ghostbusters? (This is a serious question that I have thought about often).

aspro73

Wikipedia to the rescue!

History

After the success of the film, a TV series based on the Ghostbusters began production. At the same time The Real Ghostbusters was being created, Filmation was making a cartoon known as The Original Ghostbusters, which was a revamp of an old 1970s show, which itself was based on a 1970's movie titled Ghost Busters (note that this movie is written as two words and the 1984 movie is written as one word). Despite rumors to the contrary, Columbia was allowed to use the name Ghostbusters for its cartoon but added "The Real" to snub Filmation.

Check out the Real Ghostbusters wiki page for more info.

[QUOTE="aspro73"]

Hey can you explain why it was neccesary for them to add "The Real" to Ghostbusters? (This is a serious question that I have thought about often).

inkwolf

Wikipedia to the rescue!

History

After the success of the film, a TV series based on the Ghostbusters began production. At the same time The Real Ghostbusters was being created, Filmation was making a cartoon known as The Original Ghostbusters, which was a revamp of an old 1970s show, which itself was based on a 1970's movie titled Ghost Busters (note that this movie is written as two words and the 1984 movie is written as one word). Despite rumors to the contrary, Columbia was allowed to use the name Ghostbusters for its cartoon but added "The Real" to snub Filmation.

Check out the Real Ghostbusters wiki page for more info.

Thanks man.  You know, even as a kid I suspected something like that.

gamesduncanr2n

Monster Rancher 2 for the PS1, I must have sunk over 300 hours into that game (and still have no finished it).  I might explain later why it had such an impact on me.  Super Mario world is a close second.