In 1991 i recieved my first gaming console as a christmas gift, little did i know this would become one of my favourite past times. Gaming has excited me, frustrated me and helped me through the bad times. Looking back i decided to write this blog and highlight my favourite title for each console i have owned.
NES: Terminator 2
I know what your gonna say, really? when there's the likes of Super Mario and Zelda to pick? but at the time i was obsessed with the Terminator franchise. It was 91/92 i think so i was 8/9 years old but we all watched adult movies didn't we? I loved the game even though i never completed it due to its difficulty and lack of a save feature. I actually made it to the final level once but i can't begin to describe the anger i felt when T-1000 made short work of me lol.
Gameboy: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
I can't quite remember the year/s i owned a Gameboy but i remember owning this incredible game. It was SO different to the console varients with different animations, enemies and level structure and it was fresh and exciting. I managed to get all the coins back then but beating the final level and taking down Wario was nearly impossible, i can't remember if i ever beat him then. I recently picked this up for the 3DS and completed it, it doesn't get old.
Sega Mega Drive: Robocop vs Terminator
Again with the Terminator franchise but this had Robocop in it too! i was in my element. It's a really good game that holds up well today. I loved the gore and the action, probably the best game either franchise has been a part of.
Super Nintendo: Super Mario World
Got this with the console at the time, completed it dozens of times. Such a great platformer especially for its time with a great soundtrack and bright, colourful and detailed graphics. This time Mario had a new pal in Yoshi, a great addition to the series. I enjoyed this thoroughly and it just pips The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past.
Sega Saturn: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
I didn't own a Saturn for too long the Playstation wet my appetite and i couldn't resist. Through my brief time with it i remember Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 being released i must of been 13 at the time? i remember clearly going into my local Woolworths to purchase it and being questioned if i was old enough (it was a 15) i literally shat a brick and quickly thought up my birthday to make me 15! luckily even though they noticed i was nervous they let me have it. I mastered this game and it's the best version still today. Along with it being the best port, the Saturn d-pad and 2-d fighters went hand in hand, no one i played could beat me, Scorpion being my player of choice.
Playstation: Metal Gear Solid
Without question it had to be MGS. Yes it was short but my oh my it was EPIC! I think this was the first game i played that was so cinematic and absorbing plot-wise. A game with action, excitement and feelings plus i loved it's soundtrack. There were other great titles on Playstation but this for me was the pinnacle for me.
Nintendo 64: Goldeneye
Did anyone expect anything else? I remember seeing the empty boxes in my local game store for this months before release and being intrigued. The N64 had some great titles and if i had to pick the best console for games it would have to be the '64. I was going through some hard times when this was released. I had found a friend in some guy i met at my local game store and i was kinda hiding out there while skipping school (he thought i was older). We had countless matches together with me winning 95% of them. Occasionally the store would hold events/knockout tournaments for a choice of a free game from the store, obviously i won a few of these but there was one time when it was doubles and this couple came in and gave us all a run for our money. A truly brilliant game with an awesome multiplayer experience.
Dreamcast: Shenmue
Ah the Dreamcast, none of my mates liked it but it was Sega, come on! The one game that stood out to me was the EPIC Shenmue. Such interaction and detail was unheard of for me, here was a great game where you could explore, buy things, play arcade games, fight people with a decent fight mechanic. Wow is all i can say oh and Sega where is 3!?
Playstation 2: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Yeah i know, San Andreas... but that was over-done for me with way too much going on. Vice City, it was the perfect package and featured, well the best soundtrack ever! I used to take my PS2 round my mates where we would kick back with a few beers and load this up, awesome times.
Xbox: Halo: Combat Evolved
It's what i bought the console for and i wasn't disappointed well apart from the fact it wasn't on PC (thanks for that Microsoft). The game rocked with it's awesome enemies and vehicular combat and the split-screen multiplayer was a lot of fun.
Gamecube: Resident Evil 4
Again no surprises here. You couldn't avoid this title everyone was talking about it. It was the game to own at the time and no wonder it was an awesome game. At the time though i didn't really consider what it was doing to the franchise.
Written by: Oliver Ebbinghaus