31-Day Mage Challenge: Day Thirty-One – “Favorite Video Game of All Time”
5 min read
Ladies and gentlemen, we are on our final challenge! Thanks so much to everyone for joining us along this month-long ride, reading and commenting, and a special shout out to my magely crew for being so responsive and determined to see this project, our 31-Day Mage Challenge, through.
Let’s end on a high note with the ultimate video gaming question, the only one there could be…
“What is your Favorite Video Game of All Time?“
The Timely Mage
I know you’re probably expecting me to say Final Fantasy VIII in which case you are correct. I know it’s not the best game but it’s my favorite and it would take quite a paradigm shift for something to dethrone it. The reason this game is my favorite is because it introduced me to a depth and profundity in gaming that I hadn’t experienced before. I didn’t have an SNES growing up and missed the FFVII boat so this was my first Final Fantasy and RPG I had played. I had so much hype building up to the launch (cutting out pictures from other people’s magazines, writing “Final Fantasy VIII” like a hundred times on my notebook, dropping everything I was doing whenever I heard the intro sound to a PlayStation commercial hoping to see more of the game) and yet with all of these expectations I was still blown away by the quality of the game. Up until then I had never heard such a moving soundtrack, seen such exciting cutscenes, or had so much fun building up my characters. It unlocked a whole new level of interest and expectations for me when it came to video games and really helped broaden my creativity (which up until then was only limited to tracing the Mortal Kombat logo and creating stories with Goldeneye 007 characters).
The Black Humor Mage
I honestly can’t say. I love all the Metal Gear Solid games for different reasons, so it’s even hard to choose from that. Chrono Trigger is definitely up there. Kirby’s Adventure holds a special place in my heart. Pokémon Fire Red is up there for very personal reasons. I also have the feeling that when I finish Earthbound it’ll be on the list too. This is like picking you favorite kid, except with less emotional distress.
The Rage Mage
There’s been so much rage over the course of this stupid set of challenges, but today I can say that I love Broforce and right now it’s my favorite game. What could be better than “libterating” countries that aren’t America by going in there and blowing crap up like real Americans do? It’s a hyper-macho, masochistic, sadistic game I can identify with.
The Green Screen Mage
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! My favorite video game of all time has got to be one of the most difficult decisions. That’s like asking who my favorite student is. I definitely have one, but I’m not going to admit it. Three games are vying for the top spot in my heart. Halo, Undertale, and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Halo is my nostalgic favorite. Undertale is my storyline favorite. Wind Waker is my gameplay favorite. I took this whole month to debate between the 3 of them and it came down to what game gets me into the mood that I need. i.e. What do I go to when I need a laugh, to get out frustration, when I need a fun puzzle. And the winner came down to Wind Waker. Not to mention I can identify with Link in that one. The constant annoyance on his face when dealing with all this save the world BS. Poor kid just wanted a nap. I feel you Link. I feel you.
The White Out Mage
My favorite game of all time is Kirby’s Adventure. I’ve replayed a handful of games and this is one that I’ve returned to many time over. Although it’s been several years since I last played Kirby’s Adventure, I feel I could easily pick it up and play it again today. Kirby games are cutesy, easy to play, and very enjoyable, and Kirby’s Adventure is no exception! I love the jovial 9-bit melodies, the sounds that little pink puff makes, and the lack of hyper-frustrating gameplay.
I have enough stress in my life, and it’s nice to go to this Dreamland, where yes, they’ve got their own problems, but it’s ok, because the pink puff is on it, and you get to sit back and relax as he rights the wrongs that have gone down.
The Well-Red Mage
You could say that I’m a strongly opinionated guy, ‘least once you get to know me. From day one of this challenge series I already knew my answer for this final day. My favorite game has always been Chrono Trigger and it likely will always be Chrono Trigger. Since the first day it awed me with its opening title sequence with those amazing graphics, its cinematic-ness, and its swelling score, I became engrossed in its complex but not overly morose world and its endearing characters. Chrono Trigger was the first game that I ever wanted to own the soundtrack to. It exists as something beautiful more than serving the needs of its own existence as a video game. It’s the definitive traditional 16-bit RPG alongside FFVI, and it set a precedent for gameplay and storytelling for generations to come. It also stands out as a more unique JRPG with its theme of time travel and time paradoxes. I’ve played through it more times than I can count and I cannot wait for the day when my son is old enough for me to introduce it to him, pass down my favorite game to the next generation and meet Crono, Marle, Lucca, Frog, Robo, Ayla, and Magus all over again. It is a singular tragedy that the Chrono franchise petered away into nothing… but this Well-Red Mage is looking forward to I Am Setsuna, that’s for sure.
Thank you for reading!
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I agree with The Shameful Narcissist.
Firstly:
FF7 IS THE GREATEST GAME IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE MULTIVERSE(S) OF VIDEOGAMES!!!!!!!!!
End Of!
Seriously!
But Lord C also agrees above the game love thing.
If you only follow trends then you’re doing yourself out of stuff by default, & that’s just sad.
& while I’ll just point out that obvs, not every game has to have meaning (I’m currently playin Patapon cos I love the tree guy, but It’s jus fun!!!) the important 1’s do…
Case in point: I’ll always love FF7 cos Mum bought it for us, We shared joy in it together (her at my being happy, me at her seeing me do good at something for a change!)
& finally & most importantly:
While I did upgrade to PS2 later, & She did watch me play other stuff (I never forced her, I only asked!)
The ‘FF7’ yrs are the last happy memories I have in my life where I felt loved, wanted & safe, before the dementia came n Fethin Wrecked Everything!!!!!!!
*Struggles not to Cry*
Well, Well Red Sir! This July 2016 was fun to read & comment on, but with these last few, Lord C is emotionally struggling, so He’s calling time at 4:20 (Blaze it! *Grins*) GMT 23/1/18
Bonsoir! Well Red Sir! & I’ll see ya in Aug16! *Smiles Sadly, Bows Politely & Walks Quietly Away*
My favourite game is Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This was one of the first games I played with such a prominent story, consisting of an ordinary kid defeating a powerful, evil king and saving the land, along with side stories about how the villain has threatened the different societies. The characters were interesting and actually had characteristics (rather than hero, villain, lesser hero, character who provides supplies, etc). The dungeons used themes and used interesting designs. The gameplay was enjoyable and had good graphics (for the time). It was also interesting how this game was present in the outside world, friends would discuss their progress and kids, who did not seem to have any interest in computer games, also played the game.
Really couldn’t have mentioned much of a better game! OoT deserves to be remembered.
hey there I nominated you for this award https://20somethingrants.wordpress.com/2016/08/02/blogger-recognition-award/
Wow! Thanks! I haven’t seen this one yet!
Lots of great picks 🙂 Mine would have to be Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic–my first RPG. I’ve played it soo many times, and I named my cats after its characters haha
Lucky cats!
So it’s come to this: Favorite Video Game of All Time. All of these choices are pretty good, especially Chrono Trigger, which I also love. I can even understand FFVIII being a favorite game, and understand its appeal. I’m a little more confused about Broforce, but to each their own.
It’s not an easy thing to choose for me, but in general. I usually say The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This was my first Zelda game and one of my first experiences getting into a game that wasn’t a platformer, racing, or fighting game. Even from the Kokiri Forest, I fell in love with the style, the characters, the music, and the action. After getting stuck in one of the earliest puzzles, I have since pulled through and learned the art of Zelda dungeons. I spent months with this game when I was younger, trying to explore every inch and otherwise trying to get through that pesky Water Temple. There’s so much to love about this game, but I think the fact that it’s been a big contributor to keeping me a lifelong gamer is one of the most important. I love this game and still replay it every few years, even today.
Thanks for keeping us all entertained with this 31-Day Challenge, and congratulations for sticking through with it! Props to all you good mages!
I think Broforce just fits the Rage Mage’s psychotic personality… Thanks for sharing so often here, Mr. Panda! OoT is an exquisite choice!
Need for Speed: Most Wanted. While Need for Speed: Underground and Need for Speed: Underground 2 are almost comparable, Need for Speed: Most Wanted is the first time cops are featured; which makes sense for a game series based on street racing. And once cop chases were introduced, EA went as far as they could with it. All the cool elements of the Need for Speed are still present, but amplified to take the car customising further and more powerful, though no less realistic. This continued the spirit of Need for Speed, while combining it with the style of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, or Grand Theft Auto. Plus, the fifteen bosses can only be challenged once the player acquires enough bounty, which means becoming more wanted over the course of the story, making the cops more extreme and chases longer-lasting. It’s an elevation of concept in how far the stakes can be pushed. There’s even “speedbreaker”, which slows the action to give you more time to make decisions during tight turns or when confronted with oncoming opponents. And the cut-scenes are fantastic: live-action actors against green-screens processed to look like the CGI around them. And there’s this sun-drenched feel that really brings the city of Rockport to life. The police radios respond uniquely to what’s happening rather than just being generic and scripted. If you get busted, you can see a World’s Scariest Police Chases-style cut-scene as the cops arrest you. Plus, the music is the perfect fit to tone. I’ve never heard a more well-suited soundtrack.
https://gaming.youtube.com/watch?v=pWDtl6CzlY4
This question popped up on my inbox this morning, and the answer is difficult. Not because of the what, which is obviously FFVII, but because of the why.
No one who appreciates a deep story along with (one of) the best RPG(s) ever created will deny that FFVII breaks all expectations for a gaming experience and transcends its medium. It was the first game and one of the first stories that showed me you could lie to your players/readers in narrative, forcing you to dig deeper to find that hidden truth that people are still arguing about. It was the first game that shocked me with death, the first where I found the “villain” wholly sympathetic and forced me to realize that humans aren’t always the good guys even if this wasn’t explicitly stated. It inspired me to write more fanfiction, which includes the best thing I’ve written to date, and ponder other what ifs. This led to not only fanfictions but original works, but more than that FFVII was the first thing I cared about after a personal but not individual tragedy, and years later I discovered the creator had suffered one similar at the time, and this explained a great deal of why VII so spoke to me. I know that deep seated emotions are tied into my love of this game so I can’t give an unbiased opinion or understand when people deride it for what it may lack (proper translation, finer graphics though at the time the latter is a moot point) since its atributes far outweigh its foibles, its themes and deeper meaning are timeless (there are things death can’t conquer among many others), and it awakened and inspired a generation of gamers.
While I have some trepidation and disappointment (already yeah I know) in what I’ve seen of the remake, I’m at least content to know that a new generation of gamers will have access to what is not only my favorite game, but my favorite story of all time. .
It’s wonderful to learn that your connection to FFVII is so personal, though of course I’m very sorry for the tragedy you experienced that led to your identification with it in the first place. I’ve known a lot of people who simply chose FFVII as their favorite because of its popularity so it’s nice to see a very elaborate and clear reason for it being your top choice.
Really?? Ugh no no I might know about or get into something because it’s popular e.g. Frozen, Harry Potter, etc., but (at the risk of sounding like a hipster) I don’t just like things for their popularity’s sake. Your favorites should mean something to you for you not just mean something to the masses.
This is a toss up for me between FFVI and Super Metroid. both of them are incredibly awesome games but in completely different ways. FFVI for its epic story, SM for its creepy setting and fun gameplay. I don’t think I can pick either one, so I will have to say both of them! I can sit and play either one at any time and not be bored!
Some great choices on here 🙂 FF7 for me! ^_^
Hurray! Nice job, you guys. I could never do a 31-day anything, much less a consistent writing project. Phew.
It’s highly subject to change, but just at this moment, I’m going to have to agree with WRM. Chrono Trigger is hard–maybe impossible–to beat.
Other days the horror fan in me takes control and I say Fatal Frame II is my favorite. Or the JRPG nut comes out and Chrono Trigger battles with FFVI & VII for dominance. But right now, thinking about the first time I heard the medieval world theme, yeah, it’s Chrono Trigger.
Oh man, and I beat Yakra at like 6 am on a school day and was so excited to use Cross Slash. I woke up extra early so I could play before I went to school. Then I did all my homework at recess so I could come home and play some more. I was the coolest kid in school.
God, yeah, right now it’s Chrono Trigger.
Yes! So many good memories with Chrono Trigger. It was always such a hard game to put down.