The Video Game Blog Challenge: Question 30

Phew! I’ve made it to the end! And kudos to you if you’ve actually read all these video game posts!

30. Favorite Game of All Time

Ugggggh. I guess I should not at all be surprised that this is the final question, but I can’t just pick ONE game. I can’t. It’s like picking a favorite child. So I’ll give you a top five list, and bit of an explanation of why it makes the Top 5.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
I first played this game at eleven years old on my brother’s N64. I started out watching him play, and was completely enraptured by the world. An adventuring child tasked with saving the world in a sprawling beautiful landscape?! I wanted this to be my life.
Eventually, I asked my brother if I could start a game, which he obliged, under the condition that I didn’t pass him (he is four years older than I am, making him 15 at the time, and being passed by his little sister in a video game was unacceptable apparently. We laugh about this a lot today!). I fell head over heels in love once I started to play. I loved the story, the world, the characters, the gameplay.  The feeling of accomplishment when I FINALLY solved a tricky puzzle, or beat a level I’d been stuck on (I’m looking at you, Water Temple. . .). Beating this game filled me with such triumph, and some sadness too, simply because it was over!

2. Final Fantasy VII
This was the next game I delved into after Ocarina of Time, and I’m not sure I can quite convey just how much this game meant to me at 12 years old. I loved it for all the reasons I loved OoT, only multiplied by at least fifty. I found the story incredible, and oh, the characters. This was the first game I played where I became truly attached to the characters, to the point of weeping silently onto my controller when my favorite died. I feel in most cases, the first Final Fantasy you play tends to still be your favorite, and that is so true for me. I have yet to feel another FF game compares to VII. It will stay with me forever.

3. Beyond Good and Evil
This game makes the list because (as previously stated in this section of the VGBC) it’s a game I consider near perfect. It has an excellent story. Great characters, with even better dialogue. A fun world to explore. Excellent gameplay. It’s pretty much the full package, and what I consider a shining example of what video games can be.

4. The Last of Us
No shocker that this game is here! I’ve raved about it already, and I still will. I’m sure you already know that it has a great story, gameplay, and all that. But what really makes is so spectacular to me is how invested I was in these characters. No other game has ever caused me so much emotional turmoil. I had to take a few week-long breaks from playing this game becuase I was either A: truly so creeped out I didn’t want to continue, or B: so stressed out at what was going to potentially happen to the characters that I didn’t want to continue and find out. I realize that actually sounds like a bad thing, but I love caring that much. If a game makes me feel so intensely about the characters, or feel that scared about a fictitious world, you have done something right in a BIG way. I can certainly understand that this game doesn’t appeal to everyone, but it is without a doubt a truly phenomenal game.

5. Mass Effect 3
I’m picking Mass Effect 3 because I loved this whole series, and I really thought that ME3 was great as it was. None of this alternate DLC ending mumbo jumbo! 😉 I went into Mass Effect 3 fully preparing myself to be disappointed with the ending because (like anyone else on the internet at that time) all I had heard were bad things. I avoided specific spoilers, I just heard the overall opinion was BOOOOOOOOO. So I played it through, and loved it! I though the ending was great, and actually made a great deal of sense in the series. Overall, the Mass Effect games were wonderful and it was great to get lost in them. Plus, I was really impressed that they offered not only a female character option to customize but also gay/lesbian relationship options. I feel that was a huge step in a gaming series, especially one so popular, and I definitely applaud that!

Well, I hope you enjoyed getting a look into my video game history. Part of me is sad that I can’t game as much as I used to, but I still get some in when I can! It’s definitely something I won’t ever ‘grow out of’ as my mother was so apt to say haha! Gaming helped shape the person I grew into, and it is something I really love!

I’m using the questions from the Video Game Blog Challenge found here. All screenshots/photos you see are found via a basic Google image search. Copyrighted to their respective owners.

The Video Game Blog Challenge: Questions 12 & 13

More of my gaming info! It’s been such a blast answering these questions. . .though now I want to go back and play all these games again!

12. A Game Everyone Should Play

Beyond Good And Evil, an Ubisoft game released in 2003 for all platforms is a game I consider to be damn near perfect. Trust me, I don’t say that lightly. There was nothing about it I didn’t enjoy. It had so many great aspects – adventure, exploration, great combat, side quests, puzzles, stealth, and more. Yet it never felt like it was too much – all those elements blended together seamlessly. As if the amazingly fun gameplay weren’t enough, it also had great writing, characters, story, and a fabulous female protagonist. It’s a game I definitely recommend everyone play at least once. I’ve played it multiple times, and still love it! It’s just such a great example of how great video games can be.

This article from July says that Beyond Good and Evil 2 is supposedly still happening, but I’ve been hearing that since 2008 so I am definitely in the believe-it-when-I-see-it camp. But you’d better believe if it does happen I will play the crap out of it.

13. A Game You’ve Played More Than Five Times

There are a lot of options for this, as I definitely tend to replay games that I love so I’ll just go with the one I’ve played most. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time. I consider this to be one of the two games that made me fall head over heels, hook line and sinker in love with video games. I first played this at eleven years old, and it was mind blowing. Every aspect from graphics, to gameplay, to music. And it is STILL fun to play.

My hubs surprised me with Ocarina of Time 3DS for my birthday this year, and I about died from joy. I hadn’t played it in a few years and it was magical to play through it again. I’m not sure on the exact total, but I think I’ve played this game around 10 -12 times (including the Master Quest version). One of my all time favorites for sure.

I’m using the questions from the Video Game Blog Challenge found here. All screenshots/photos you see are found via a basic Google image search. Copyrighted to their respective owners.

Video Game Blog Challenge: Questions 4 – 6

Back with more gaming questions and anwers!

4. My Guilty Pleasure Game

I’m gonna go with the Little Big Planet games. The ‘guilty’ part doesn’t come from the actual gameplay, but the amount of time I spent customizing my Sackboy (Sackgirl really). Basically every time I unlocked new costume pieces (aka, pretty much every level) I’d have to redesign. There were just so many fun and cute options!! I even bought, as in with REAL MONEY, custom costume packs for my Sackgirl.

As for current guilty pleasure games, I am so addicted to this game on my phone called Meow Meow Star Acres. I originally got it for my little miss to play if we were ever in a situation and my phone were the only entertainment (normally Mummy’s phone is 100% off limits unless she’s talking to someone, in which case I hold it. I don’t quite trust my three year old with it yet). But anywho, I was testing out the game for her, and of course got totally sucked in to all it’s pointlessness. Brief overview: You run an island with little kitties who grow and harvest crops, take care of animals, and make food to sell to other kitties on the island. So addicting. Plus, there is super silly stuff just for fun. As in, I just got my kitties a trampoline so in their spare time they can go bounce and be happy. Oy. But they are just so damn CUTE! Who can resist such little kawaii kitties?!

5. A Game Character I Feel I Am Most Like, or Wish I Was

There really aren’t any game characters I directly relate to in my life. I’d need a female protag who makes art and stays home with her adorable daughter and cats. So some Sims gal maybe??? As for characters I wish I were like? That’s an easy one.

Jade, from Beyond Good and Evil (more on this game later in the challenge). I was so impressed by Jade when I first played. She’s a total badass, who runs an orphanage, loves to take pictures, AND takes on a big government conspiracy. Yes. Sign me up.

Also, FemShep from Mass Effect. My FemShep was obviously modeled on what I’d like to be. But really, even the generic FemShep qualities are pretty nifty – great leadership skills, integrity, her own SHIP. Did I mentions she’s also a badass? I’ll take it. I have a weakness for BAMFy females, as I don’t consider myself to be a physically strong tough chick and would secretly kind of like to be one.

6. Most Annoying Character

Two popped into my head instantly.

Navi, your fairy from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Her bothersome, nagging, cringe-worthy voice (HEY!! LISTEN!!) is still a source of anger when I replay OoT. I KNOW I NEED TO GO TO THE FIRE TEMPLE, BITCH. She is intended to be a helpful reminder in case you get lost, or can’t figure out where to go next. But unfortunately, she chimes in when she wants to, even if you need no help at all. And you can’t turn her off. Resulting in rage that makes me want to table flip.

Equally obnoxious is Ashley from Resident Evil 4. RE4 was a fantastic game. But the mechanic of having to protect Ashley truly made me want to throw my controller at my television. Full out game rage. Oh, there are zombies up ahead? PLEASE, RUN RIGHT TOWARDS THEM. NO, DON’T HELP ME SHOOT THEM OR ANYTHING, JUST COWER IN THE CORNER UNTIL YOU GET EATEN. THAT’S SO HELPFUL. It got to the point where my friend and I, who were each playing the game, no longer referred to her as just Ashley but always Useless Tool Ashley. And still do.

I’m using the questions from the Video Game Blog Challenge found here. All screenshots/photos you see are found via a basic Google image search. Copyrighted to their respective owners.