15 Video Games That Changed My Perspective

Before I even begin SPOILER WARNING!!!! and Language Warning. These games you may not have played or know the ending to, and since I am passionate about them, I am not holding back language. 

Growing up I was privileged enough to be able to enjoy many video games and because of many that I have played, it started to shape how I gamed. Today, while driving I started to list in my head which games influenced me the most or wowed me the most. 

Keeping this is mind, I decided to exclude moments that can't easily be duplicated or were a one of a kind experience. All of the games that I am going to discuss can easily be done again or the feelings are still there each time I play that game or series. So in no particular order, here are 15 games that influenced how I view video games.

1. Black (Xbox)-Destruction system

Black was a military shooting game, very much like Call of Duty and Battlefield. At the time, it boasted to be the only game to have destructible environments that would stay destroyed for the entirety of the level. (*sidenote: Battlefield later used their physics to perfect this mechanic.) When I say I played each level meticulously for hours...HOURS just to see how badly I could mess up the levels in different ways; changing from bullets to explosives to melee weapons. Every shooter after that one, I was looking for that same sort of fun and freedom. COD you let me down, but Battlefield Bad Company 2 you held up that gold standard.

2. Ninja Gaiden Black- Fiend Ryu



This entry still gives me the same sense of fear and excitement as it did the very first time playing it. This was also the first game where I actually broke a controller out of rage quitting (and later Ninja Gaiden 2). Walking into an area and unsuspectingly running into your fiend doppelganger who is A) not only better and faster than you, but B) just way more of an intimidating foe than you are. Other games such as Legend of Zelda or Metroid, where you fight your evil self did not prepare me for this moment. Now every time I see this foe, I gear up for a life or death battle with myself. Many games since, have yet to live up to this worthy doppelganger battle. How did he get exploding shuriken in the first level anyway???




3. GTA San Andreas- Custom radio

San Andreas  is still my favorite GTA game to date, and everything about that game was just about perfect to me. Including being able to drive around to songs of my choice committing senseless crimes. I'm not going to lie, I had Eminem's "Murder Murder" on hand as well as a few light classical pieces to top of my psychopathic kill sprees. Not having access to my own music in certain games (including later GTA entries) without having to go through flaming hoops is a big let down to me nowadays.

4. Mass Effect 2/3- Legion and Tali


My two favorite characters in the gaming, hands down. Their dynamic and relationship for each other taught me a lot about race relations, friendships, respect, and that people can change. I never went on a mission without these two, unless I absolutely had to leave them for story or completion. Legion and Tali's relationship really spoke to me, and their character depth was very compelling.  To this day it pains me that I chose Tali over Legion and I still feel like I lost a real world friend, though I can hear all the Geth greet me as Shepherd Commander....

5. Monster Hunter Series- Dragonator/ Hero's Theme


This moment started for me in Monster Hunter Freedom for the PSP, hunting the Lao Shan Lung. A monstrous elder dragon, the size of a mountain, marching towards a defense blockade, and I'm the only one to stop it. The first stage of music is a really militant march feel, while the second area moves to a more desperate final chance movement. His slow march towards the tower wall he's ready to destroy, and after 30 mins of fruitless attacking it's Cankle, it comes into reach of the Dragonator. You hit the button, releasing a massive attack that causes the monster to flinch, and the the music...it changed. The sense of dread is lifted almost immediately. It sounds like I have a chance. I can do this, I can win!   *Dies for the 3rd time because his foot landed on me*

6.The World Ends With You- Justin


All I can really say is fuck this guy. Throughout the game, you are given glimpses of how you died, and while teaming up with Justin, you realize he was there at your death. So you hate him. Then you get more memory back and you find out that he saved you. Then you get all your memory back and you find out this asshole is the reason you died. And lied and altered your memory this whole time so he could keep you in the game because he was the true game master the whole time. I've never been so furious in my life and desperately trying to kill this kid in my life.

7. Mario RPG- Playing as Bowser MotherFucking Koopa (I'm assuming that's his middle name)

All the Mario games up until this one, I was taught Bowser was a bad guy. Mario RPG starts up the same way: princess gets kidnapped, you very easily slip passed all the defenses to save her and then BAM! Smithy. Throughout the rest of the game you see Bowser as an actual leader of the Koppa Troops trying to reclaim his castle. Even after he joins, he's just a regular cool guy. Even after he reclaims his castle he shows more badassery  by not leaving your party, but sticking around to kill the bastard that  decided his castle was the proper place for an inter-dimensional factory. *Sidenote: When he got Chained Chomp was another fine testament to his badassness.*

8. F-Zero GX- Black Shadow


F-Zero is already a tough racing game as is, but GX amped up the speed and the action 1000%. The engaging story mode also put all your skills to the test culminating with you racing against the Black Shadow himself. Though I've only beaten this once, every time I race him, I'm trying every trick in the book and trying to be as perfect as possible. My dog killed the memory card that I actually won on so.....

9. Killer Instinct Gold- Ultra Breaker


KIG is definitely one of the top tier fighting games. One that perfected the High, Mid, Low system and had very unique characters and combo systems. Nothing was better than pulling off the Ultimate combo, the ULTRA, and hearing the announcer going crazy screaming "ULTRAAAAA ULTRAAAAA!!!" Except, of course, for pulling off the Ultra Breaker. Playing against any opponent, the Ultra is usually a "drop your controller and walk away because I won" move; but. if you could pull off an Ultra Breaker you killed your opponent. They were obligated to give up that fight. It was literally the hardest thing to do in that game besides beat Gargos, that fucking cheating Son of....

10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time (SNES)-Screen Throws



When I was a kid, my brothers and me used to play this game all the time. When it came time to fight Shredder in the screen room it was a full blown panic trying to avoid attacks and figure out how to throw enemies at the screen. It comes second nature now, but each time you do it, it's so satisfying, Now I see why they do that in Smash Brother's now.




11. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis- Lighter


The game starts you off with a lighter. A fucking lighter. What the hell am I supposed to do with this, burn Zombie thumbs? Resident Evil 3 really set the pace with this, because not only was I clueless; but, now I am super defenseless and having a horde of flaming zombies coming towards me is not on my to do list. So, giving me the lighter makes me frantically search for an actual weapon. To this day, I refuse to play this game out of terror, and the terror started with a lighter.

12. Legend of Zelda:Wind Waker- Ganon and Link


It's no surprise that I am a fan of Zelda, and wind waker was such a beautiful game I couldn't not consider this for my list. Listening to Ganon's speeches and hearing so much truth despite his evil was eye opening for me. Up until this point, Ganon was very one dimensional and didn't have a good motive besides I'm mad and I want to spite the gods. This was truly out for vengeance for his people who Hyrule just forsook and killed. Not to mention playing as a Hero who was not supposed to be the hero. Once I found out that this "Link" was not supposed to even be the hero of the wind, but just a kid in pajamas who got lucky, my mind was blown. The Zelda series forever changed to me at that point, not to mention that dope final battle scene.

13. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes-Dark World


All the 3-D metroid games have a special place in my heart, including Other M and all it's brokeness. However, Prime was very memorable for me because of Dark World. Knowing that I had to go to that God forsaken place really put a sense of fear into me. Not knowing which enemies I'd have to encounter, getting trapped in the poison ether, and just the dark desolate background left an impression on me. It really made me feel alone on two planets instead of 1 like in Metroid Prime 1. This game proved that you can be scary and eerie, without having to be in a horror game.

14. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask- 3 Day System


3 days to find a million masks. 3 days to do all the side quests. 3 days to forget to deposit your rupees and accidentally messing up and having to reset the 3 days early. This system worked and added a challenge to games that hasn't really been duplicated again.




15. Dead or Alive 4- Aerosmith


This one is a little weird, but using the Aerosmith song "Amazing" as the end credit scene for all the main characters, particularly Helena's was just such a golden choice. Watching the entire story unfold before my eyes to such a majestic song felt so satisfying. Most games use their own music or don't have such a grandiose ending. Putting both together was a cinematic masterpiece that I still vividly remember to this day.

Thank you for reading all of my rambling. Let me know what some of your Game Changing moments were. And as always, Don't Forget to be Awesome!

~Bang