Louis ☕️ One of the main reasons for me to get it was Luigi’s Mansion

I had a blast playing that game - the mechanics with the vacuum had such a heft, it was really hard not enjoy your time exploring the levels. The charming graphics didn’t hurt at all.

Recently, I’ve played the third one that was released for the Switch and it still is an outstanding experience. They added some new mechanics and it takes place in a hotel, but the charm and the fun are all there.

Louis ☕️ Did you ever experience Crazy Taxi in the arcades? Man that’s a whole experience in itself.

Here in Portugal we had arcades inside shopping malls, and during the 90’s I did play a few classics. Not only Crazy Taxi, but Manx TT and House of the Dead - probably House of the Dead 2.

However, my best memories from arcades are with a game called Rad Mobile. It was a racing game developed by SEGA and I clearly remember the graphics, particularly Sonic hanging on the rear-view mirror.

Oh, and a little game called Daytona USA. 🤓

iambhuvan Unfortunately not much of a gaming guy but loving the responses coming along and the emotions attached to those memories.

I am so glad you are enjoying reading the thread - and I completely agree with you, amazing replies so far.

But you can start making memories too. If you start playing a game, any game, now, please do mention it here. This thread is about the past, present and future of videogames, so I would love to read about your experiences too. 😀

          Related discussions

          Cheetosdust

          As a massive Star Wars fan, one of my favourite arcade experiences was the Star Wars Pod Racer, when they had the full on pod that you could climb in. What a game. Much better than The Phantom Menace itself (although having endured the sequels, I am a prequel apologist) 😅

              Matt

              Hah, it seems that you and @Louis ☕️ had identical experiences with your trips to the arcades.

              Speaking of Star Wars and videogames, KOTOR is still one of the most immersive experiences you can get with the series. BioWare truly created something special. Cannot wait to see what Ubisoft Massive will do with the franchise.

              More recently, I did like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Hopefully, the rumors are true and Respawn can announce a sequel. Next month we’ll have the EA Play Live, so perhaps a hint will be given.

              But the most solid rumor for next month is the “re-imagining” of Dead Space being announced. I loved the first two games. And even if EA “killed” Visceral, the rumors point to EA’s Motive studio leading the project.

                  6 days later

                  Cheetosdust

                  Oh man, KOTOR is easily one of my fave games of all time. BioWare under the two doctors was a god-tier studio. I sincerely wish Microsoft had bought them after publishing the first Mass Effect rather than the studio going to EA. It’s been interesting seeing the evolution of the devs who made the RPGs I grew up on. Obsidian and the games they make are faves for that reason too: fantastic, immersive world-building, with choice-driven gameplay that really delivers a sense of agency.

                      Matt

                      I completely agree with you about BioWare - I think they are still recovering from Anthem and losing two leads.

                      It’s interesting to see how developers are working under Microsoft’s umbrella. Take Rare for example. I mean, the amount of time they are - and will be - taking to put Everwild in the market is, I think, possible by having a reliable source of income.

                      Not only that, but Sea of Thieves was a game that, a little bit like No Man’s Sky, only grew and got better with time.

                      Or even the case of Playground Games. The Forza Horizon series is one of my favorites, gradually becoming more important than the Forza Motorsport saga. And now they are also going to give Fable a go. I don’t think the problem with the Xbox Game Studios is their future, but more its present.

                      But if you want a pure narrative-driven experience, I cannot suggest What Remains of Edith Finch enough. Love that game dearly. Or Dontnod Entertainment with Life is Strange and Tell Me Why.

                      Speaking about games and growing up, part of my teen years was dedicated to Monkey Island and LucasArts’ excellence - I still remember the chewing gum and the gold tooth. 😄

                        Video Games have gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life. Lonely times. Scared times. I have a strong connection with them from when I was a kid, to now as an adult trying to navigate myself though the pandemic.

                        As a kid, I had a Nintendo…but I wasn’t in love with it. It wasn’t until I had gotten a Sega Genesis with Sonic the Hedgehog 2, that I fell in love with games. The graphics, the music, the adventure, the creativity.

                        As I got older and I discovered emulators and roms, I started playing SNES games. So many games on that console are timeless and genius. I never had an SNES as a kid. I didn’t know what I was missing. But I’m glad it wasn’t until I was older because I was a little more mature and I was able to appreciate how amazing they were. I think if I was a young kid playing those games, I’d have taken them all for granted. Final Fantasy III (6) and Chrono Trigger 🥰 are still amongst my all time favorite games.

                        The PlayStation 1 housed a ton of memories for me that helped me through my adolescence. Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 7 and 9, Final Fantasy Tactics, Chrono Cross, Grand Turismo, NFL GameDay. So many memories. All those games are attached to key points in my life that I will never forget.

                        My favorite system of all time is the Gameboy Advanced. I could take it with me anywhere. Have fun any time, any place, and there were so many games to enjoy and delve deep into. Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced, Advanced Wars, Fire Emblem, all the Castlevania games, all the Zelda games (the Minish Cap), all the Metroid games (Metroid Fusion), all the classic SNES ports. I can go on and on. That system helped get me through college. The GBA was my clutch when I was alone.

                        Currently, I play many games on my phone and PS4. I hadn’t played many games from 2014-2019. Then the pandemic hit and I was out of a job. Final Fantasy 7 remake was released for the PS4 and that got me back into gaming. I played the new God of War after that. Then I discovered Horizon Zero Dawn 😍.

                        The game I’ve been playing most lately is Axiom Verge on the PS4 and PSvita. Its a “Metroidvania” type of game. I discovered it from a feature story on IGN about the developer. Its a touching story. So I looking into the game and it’s exactly the type of game I love to play.

                          Antonio_Luis Metal Gear Solid

                          Man this game for me was everything! Especially remember the use of the cardboard box, the ‘magazines’ to distract enemies and the famous ‘cheat’ when fighting Psycho Mantis blew my mind (Controller into P2 slot). This was such an epic game for so many reasons, would love to see a next gen remake.

                              Cameron

                              “A Resident Evil game in disguise” is a great way to describe Luigi’s Mansion. 😄

                              I don’t know if you enjoy horror games, but Bloober Team has done some interesting productions. I have played Layers of Fear, Blair Witch and a little bit of The Medium, and they are not bad. Observer is another solid game from them.

                              There are rumors circulating they are going to tackle Silent Hill. That, plus the rumors about a new Dead Space, can be incredible news. I mean, now we just need a new Forbidden Siren and a proper Project Zero, and horror fans will be in seventh heaven.

                              You moving from the gaming industry to Nothing makes me believe even more in what’s about to come. If you saw something that was worthy, I am pretty sure we are in for a treat. 😎

                              Antonio_Luis

                              In a single post you mentioned: Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy Tactics, Chrono Cross, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy Tactics, Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, Metroid. You managed to encapsulate like 70% of videogames’ pantheon in a lovely message.

                              Add EarthBound to that list and it’s a solid 10/10, hehe. 🤓

                              Louis ☕️

                              Yes, so much this. I remember playing the game and when he started to mention the games I had been playing, I had to make a double or a triple take.

                              Metal Gear Solid is full of those moments, but another example I just remembered is the section with the long stairs in Snake Eater. And I mean, looooooooong stairs, hah. I truly enjoyed that game.

                                    RUTHVIKi first time I played the game was on a demo from the official PlayStation magazine. The second the bad guys noticed my footprints in the snow, I was hooked. Then when I got the actual game….🤯. It was an interactive movie.

                                        Antonio_Luis

                                        Oh man, I still have some Official PlayStation Magazines lying around (and Xbox ones too). In their heyday, it was a monthly highlight. Since games were way more unattainable and the digital stores were still in the making, demos truly were a great way to play something new.

                                        For example, I remember playing the demo for a game called Overboard over and over (and over). Never bought the full release, but I knew the demo by heart.

                                        These days, however, to me the best magazine is EDGE. The combination of design with brilliant writing still makes it the reference. A new publication that caught my attention is “A Profound Waste of Time” - just take a look if you have a second. 🤓

                                            Rob ⚡️

                                            What a trip down memory lane. Ape Escape really should make a comeback on the PlayStation 5.

                                            Inspired by your message, I was checking the shelves and found two magazines that caught my attention.

                                            The first one is a good example of EDGE aesthetics and the second one is an OPM from 2002. It’s always a warm feeling seeing such a classic highlighted on a cover. I am obviously talking about Sesame Street Sports, hehe. 😆

                                              Rob ⚡️ Demos were everything when I was younger

                                              Absolutely! I remember also getting some gaming magazines that would feature demo discs and just remember the excitement of only being able to play 2 levels of a game 😁

                                              Also, the furious occasions where I would be playing a game, i.e. Crash Bandicoot, and I didn’t actually have a memory card so would have to leave it all on overnight (poor energy bills).

                                                  Archive (bot)

                                                  Hah, the sentiment is reciprocal, I went back to the shelves and found another one.

                                                  This is the first edition of the Official Nintendo Magazine - Portugal. It was a short-lived version of the magazine, but I managed to get the first few editions. As you can see, it’s from 2003, the year Advance Wars 2 was released - super curious to check how Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp will turn out.

                                                  So many classic names on the covers you shot, Metroid Prime being one of them. I love that, just like Advance Wars, is also one of the series poised to make a return in 2021 with Metroid Dread.

                                                  Louis ☕️ Also, the furious occasions where I would be playing a game, i.e. Crash Bandicoot, and I didn’t actually have a memory card so would have to leave it all on overnight (poor energy bills).

                                                  Oh man, I still remember those days of playing PlayStation without a Memory Card. The game that finally made me invest money in one was Gran Turismo. It was a little bit tricky to progress in the game without saving it.

                                                  And now we have incredibly fast SSD disks on the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series. It feels like a millennium has passed since then. 🤓

                                                        Louis ☕️

                                                        Heheh, imagine if Call of Duty was released for the PlayStation - I remember reading that at one point Modern Warfare was more than 200GB.

                                                        Your post also reminded me about the icons we could see on the PlayStation 2 memory menu. These days people rave about the Switch menu icons (some of them are beautiful), but we had a glimpse of them with that console - or with the GameCube, for example.

                                                          Cheetosdust What are your memories of playing while growing up? What are you playing right now? And what titles and/or hardware made your wishlist grow recently?

                                                          Aye @Cheetosdust great to see you here with your writing skills. I see @[deleted] is here too 😄

                                                          I was born in the year when the last concorde flew…but talking about video games, I remember playing Road Rash on my Intel Pentium 4 PC. The game had some amazing sound effects, I loved playing it 😁

                                                              Yash Road Rash is a classic - I believe I played it on the SEGA Mega Drive at the time. If I am remembering correctly, a “spiritual successor”, Road Redemption, was released but it didn’t resonate as well as the original launch.

                                                              I just remembered another “classic” I used to play in my Pentium days: driving - simulation or arcade - is one of my favorite genres, and it all started with a title named RAC Rally on PC.

                                                              Look at this beauty go.