Your favorite video game(s)?

Sorry if this has been done before, searching for simular threads has brought up nothing. Question is simple: what are your favorite games (say up to 10 games if you have more than one favorite), be it at the moment or a definite answer? And when did you first encounter them? On which system, etc.? Let's go and enjoy the thread
Here are mine:

1.) Deadly Premonition (Xbox 360): I read about this game when it came out and as a curious 11-year old who loved The X Files, I became fascinated. Fast forward five years, I found this rare game at a local flea and HAD to pick it up - my expectations were overwhelmed, I've never played such a deep, detailed, fascinating video game. Gets better every time you play through.

2.) Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360): Again, I witnessed the hype for this one and again, it took me some years to get the game (thankfully so, the dynamite shotgun is nothing for an 11-year old!). I love westerns and as such, this game has grabbed me ever since first running it. The music, the lone desert, the rough characters with their gritty backstories move me deeply and I know this game by heart.

3.) Burnout 3 - Takedown (PlayStation 2): When I got my PlayStation 2 at age seven, I was lucky enough to get it right after the launch of the PS3, so the games were dirt cheap - nothing over 15 euros, if even! One of the games I found in the bin was this - at first glance a rather mediocre arcade racer, anyone here who has played it will agree with me it's one of the all-time greats. The fast gameplay, explosive damage effects, thrilling races through the traffic all over the world (even Vienna, which is especially pleasant for me!) and hard rocking soundtrack make this the greatest racing game of all time in my book.

4.) GTA: Vice City (PlayStation 2): Saw this at a friend's house and had it for myself soon afterwards. At first I didn't get what I was supposed to do and angrily put it away. A few years later, GTA V hit the shelves already and a copy had already found its way into my Xbox drive, I started this all over again and instantly fell in love with it. Where V tried too hard to be satiric and slapstick at the same time, Vice City's grittiness and darkness felt, truly, revolutionary for me. Graphics aside, it felt and still feels very modern a game, the 80s soundtrack is terrific and the storyline - heavily borrowing from the likes of Scarface and even some Miami Vice - makes for a solid thriller right there. Amazing and my favorite GTA by far.

5.) Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (PC): I'm no big strategist, but this game never lets go of me whenever I turn it on. The sheer feature richness for a nearly 20-year old game is truly outstanding and the variety of civilizations to play, technologies to discover and wars to win are so addictive, it's a shame this wasn't the smash it should've been and never found a true sequel (btw: Beyond Earth sucked big time!). If you have GOG, buy it! Get one for your best friend, too!

 

Tomb Raider--PC version, still one of my faves
Halo--Xbox 360
Batman Arkham Asylum Xbox 360

 

I don’t play games by myself all that much, with the big exception of the Legend of Zelda series and a few others. Among my favorite Zelda games are Twilight Princess, Ocarnia of Time, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Wild. Some other solo games I’ve enjoyed in the past are the Portal series and Super Mario Galaxy.

As for online games, I was very much a part of the whole Minecraft craze back when that was huge, but I never play it anymore. I play a lot of Fortnite with my friends now that that’s the current big thing in gaming. At various points in time, I’ve been into TF2 and GTA V, but I can only take those in small doses now.

 

I’m not much of a gamer these days, but Galaga is and will always be my all time favorite. It’s a classic.

 

I also mostly like 80s games... Arcade,coleco and atari 2600 (And a couple Nintendo games but not many (Pacmania and super mario brothers))

 

Other than NHL and Madden (and NOT NCAA College Football thanks Ed OBannon) I do not really play any other present day games.

However, I typically find the time to play the two best classic sports games ever:

• NHL ‘94 (Sega Genesis)
• Super Tecmo Bowl (NES)

 

"Wizard of Wor" by Midway (Acade game) 1980's. I could play this game for a long, long, long time on one quarter because I was good at it.
"Qix" by Taito (Arcade game) 1980's. This simple game was a great puzzle that got harder and harder the longer you played.
"Tempest" by Atari (Arcade game) 1980's. Fast paced, frenetic, loud and challenging to get far into the different levels. Also only really fun when played with a trac-ball. You just can not move correctly with a joystick or button. You need the trac-ball for the full flavor of the game.
"Q*Bert" by Gottlieb (Arcade game) 1980's. This game was odd and quirky with weird characters, weird movements, funny quips and sounds, and a good puzzle to figure out.
"Battlezone" by Atari (Arcade game) 1980's. Simple green line graphics. Simple electronic noise effects. Simple movements. Simple targets. Simple strategy. Fun.
"Vanguard" by TOSE (Arcade game) 1980's. This spaceship shooter game was different in that the screen scrolled in different directions.
"Odd World" (Playstation) "Abe's Oddysee" and "Abe's Exoddus" and two very fun seek and find rescue games.
"Guitar Hero" (Playstation 2) There are five or so versions and they are all fun when screwing around.
"Candy Crush" (Various platforms) A really fun puzzle game that I seem to be very good at playing. My wife began this game years ago. One time she got stuck and asked me for help. I cleared her stuck screen the first time I tried. She was "mad" and I decided to give the game a try for myself. I found the game fun to play but it became quickly apparent the game was more about a psychological algorithm to get you to purchase things than the game itself. They wanted you to buy extra stuff in order to play longer, or play better, or get upgrades. I played until I reached level 1250 or so. I decided there was nothing new to do so I quit and have not played in at least 4 or 5 years. While the game puzzles were fun to beat as quickly as possible with as few moves as possible, I found it more fun to anticipate the "addiction" algorithm. I could predict when a game would be too hard to beat, how long it would take to be allowed to win, how far I could get on one life, how far I could get with the three free lives, and how long I could go in one sitting before the algorithm simply caused me to lose.

 

Generally the whole GTA series is amazing. Love Grand Theft Auto V. But Grand Theft Auto IV probably is the video game I played the most over the years.
Have it for Xbox360 (it became 'backwards compatible' for XboxOne months ago) and Windows PC. This game must be one of my favorites.
I also love both Mirror's Edge games, L.A. Noire, the Forza Horizon series, Burnout Paradise, the Tekken and Dead Or Alive series. Red Dead Redemption was great as well. Excited for the prequel (RDRII) which is coming soon!
The Mafia series is nice. Think I enjoyed Mafia 2 more than the recent one though. Sometimes I also play FIFA and both Watch Dogs games but they're probably not in my Top 10.

 

What an exquisite taste! L.A. Noire was undeservedly held down imo, it's probably the closest games ever got to cinema. Mirror's Edge is still a blast, some of the views you catch while running and jumping through the corridors and over countless roofs are absolutely breathtaking - can't believe that thing is ten years old already

Mafia is also SO great - only played the first two, though, and absolutely sunk into them. Some of the most memorable moments in my gaming history can be found in Part II.

 

I'll list my top 5. Most of them are old now, but they're still my favorites:

1. Pong: Very simple, yet challenging - my favorite combination
   
2. Super Breakout: Same as Pong
   
3. Slingo: I started playing this back when it was on America Online, and I still play it today, almost nightly.
   
4. Super Mario Bros: The first game I played on the original NES.
   
5. 3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet: I know, I know.

 

@cleandan You reminded me of my dire need to explore more arcade gaming history - the oldest arcade game I know by heart would be Daytona USA which is from '93.

 

My gaming started with my sister's NES and the Super Mario Bros. series, Ice Climbers, the early Simpsons games... she also has a Sega Game Gear which unfortunately won't work anymore.

 

That's because almost all the gaming threads are in the Off Topic forum. If you do a search for "video game" there, you'll get tons of threads.

 

I hate the bloody things.
My son plays Fortnite a lot on his XBox One X.

 

Really? Games are visual art as well, I'd say

 

So hoping for a sequel of L.A Noire. Chicago would be a nice setting. Or New York. All in that nice film noir style...
I love Mirror's Edge: Catalyst slightly more than the first one. Incredibly great looking game world. Unfortunately there's no access to the actual ground/streets.^^Hoping for another sequel of this as well.

 

Tetris
Pac Man
Super Mario 3
Wii Sports resort (Frisbee Golf)

As you might imagine, it's been awhile since I've played.

 

Really? I actually did an 'All Things GTA' thread on the Visual Arts forum long time ago. It's video games, no?

 

Chicago during Al Capone era, like old 30s gangster flicks... that'd be terrific!

What's the closest you get to the ground in ME? Subway tracks, right? Would've been so amazing to run through the crowds, Assason's Creed style.

 

That was exactly why I posted this in here too.

 

Another old-timer here. I used to get into stand-up arcade games. My favorite was Stargate which was an upgrade from Defender.

The last home video game I played was Intellevision back in the early eighties. I had twenty or thirty cartridges.

 

Ah right, yes. There are subway scenes in the game! Think there's also a getaway scene in the first game where you should run through a shopping mall near the ground.
Also, I remember a mission (in Catalyst) where you have to find a fuse box somewhere in an alley and in the near you can see people walking by.
But the connection between that alley and the streets are blocked by high fences. Would've been great if the world there was more open. Like GTA, walking through streets and stuff. Nonethelss both Mirror's Edge games are great!

 

Yes, I remember that center as well! It's cool how the cloneness to the ground and other people is often hinted at, but always blocked. Gives you a feeling of being on your own - but still, some scenes on the ground are a must for a potential next game.

 

1) Lunar Silver Star Story Complete for the original PlayStation. Its an old school jrpg with incredible characters I couldn't stop thinking about long after I finished it. I actually missed them. Its a bit formulaic but very enjoyable.

The game became so nostalgic for me that at one point, after a break up, I watched the opening cinematic on YouTube and it actually brought tears to my eyes. Though I think that had more to do with the breakup than anything else.

The nostalgia remains, however. I recently played through a portable version of Lunar a couple years ago and the charm of the game remained, though that version wasn't nearly as well written.

Its also odd this should be my favorite game as I'm mostly a racing game fan. Of that genre, my favorites are Ridge Racer and WaveRace 64.

 

Never been much of gamer but I do have my favorites from the PS3 era

Assassin's Creed 2 (and Brotherhood)
Fall Out New Vegas
Red Dead Redemption
Skyrim

honorable mentions: BioShock 2 & GTA IV