Digital worlds, real emotions: You & Videogames

[deleted] From there, the memories jump to “Re-Volt”, the game, my game. It is not comparable to the newest car racing titles, but it has and will always have a special place in my gaming tales. So much so that years after I played it for the first time, I found it and installed it in my MacBook Pro. Sweet old memories.

I never played Re-Volt but the name is iconic - Acclaim did have some interesting Intellectual Properties in their catalogue before going bankrupt.

I don’t know if it plays like it, but I see a little bit of Re-Volt in Rocket League. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone tried to recreate it using Dreams, hehe.

Louis My own consoles follow a road of SNES,Sega Megadrive, PS1-5, GameCube (lol) and PC gaming for a bit. Never touched an Xbox.

I love how eclectic your console history is and I have tried a few of the games you mentioned, including the awesome Crazy Taxi. I remember getting a Gamecube when it was launched with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and Luigi’s Mansion. And later I bought Eternal Darkness - they should indeed do a sequel.

The PlayStation 5 is starting to get some interesting titles, if you can find one in stock. Returnal and Ratchet & Clank were really well-reviewed. The case with the Xbox Series is that, even without an “obligatory” title so far, it does benefit from the Xbox Game Pass.

To those who want something new for the weekend, tomorrow, June 24th, the Epic Games Store will start offering the excellent Sonic Mania. It’s the PC version, naturally, but you have one week to add it to your digital library.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.