Game that defines the console?
- duskvstweak
- Member
- Posts: 1123
- Joined: August 23rd, 2017, 6:40 pm
- Location: North Carolina
- Contact:
Game that defines the console?
I've been wondering this to myself over the past week...
Can you pick one game per console that defines that system for you? I don't mean the best game on the system, I mean the one that defines how you view the console in your mind?
So, for the NES, I tend think of Ninja Gaiden as how I view that console as a whole. It's not my favorite game for the NES, but it's aesthetics exemplify my mind's memory of of the system as a whole.
NES - Ninja Gaiden
SNES - F-Zero
N64 - Banjo-Kazooie
Gameboy - Pokemon Red
PS1 - Crash Bandicoot
PS2 - Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
I have too much time in my head while walking my dogs...
Can you pick one game per console that defines that system for you? I don't mean the best game on the system, I mean the one that defines how you view the console in your mind?
So, for the NES, I tend think of Ninja Gaiden as how I view that console as a whole. It's not my favorite game for the NES, but it's aesthetics exemplify my mind's memory of of the system as a whole.
NES - Ninja Gaiden
SNES - F-Zero
N64 - Banjo-Kazooie
Gameboy - Pokemon Red
PS1 - Crash Bandicoot
PS2 - Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
I have too much time in my head while walking my dogs...
- KSubzero1000
- Member
- Posts: 3365
- Joined: August 26th, 2015, 9:56 pm
- Location: Germany
Re: Game that defines the console?
That's an interesting premise. I tried to adhere to it as best as possible so here are my picks, and none of them (except MGS4 and Bloodborne) are my top favorite on their respective platform:duskvstweak wrote: ↑July 7th, 2019, 7:45 pm Can you pick one game per console that defines that system for you? I don't mean the best game on the system, I mean the one that defines how you view the console in your mind?
Game Boy: Tetris (for its cultural footprint alone)
Game Boy Color: Pokémon Gold and Silver (same as the above)
Game Boy Advance: Golden Sun (showed the world how the GBA could compete with SNES level JRPGs)
NDS: Brain Age / Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (not my thing whatsoever, but made extensive use of the NDS' unique features and sold like hotcakes)
3DS: Fire Emblem Awakening (as much as I despise it)
NES: The Legend of Zelda (probably, not my area of expertise)
Super Nintendo: Super Mario World (same as the above)
Nintendo 64: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (easily)
GameCube: Super Smash Bros. Melee (I never got on with it and I really want to say either Metroid Prime or Resident Evil 4, but Melee is undoubtedly the more emblematic game of the three)
Wii: Wii Sports (same as Brain Age and I don't make the rules)
WiiU: The Wonderful 101 (quirky, completely un-portable, sales failure, brilliant in some ways but deeply flawed in others)
Nintendo Switch: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (easily)
Dreamcast: Shenmue (easily)
PlayStation: Metal Gear Solid (It's that or Final Fantasy 7, I let my inner fanboy have the last word in this case)
PlayStation 2: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (set a new technological standard, pre-release misdirection tour de force, incomparable to anything before or since)
PlayStation 3: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (absolutely irreplaceable, hard to imagine on any other platform)
PlayStation 4: Bloodborne (system seller extraordinaire, one of the most prominent platform exclusives in recent times)
PlayStation Portable: God of War: Chains of Olympus (a curious choice, perhaps)
PlayStation Vita: Persona 4 Golden (have never played it, but seems to have been a very important title)
Xbox: Halo 2 (massive cultural impact, ushered in the age of console online multiplayer as we know it today)
Xbox 360: Halo 3 (same as the above)
Xbox One: 2015-06-15 backward compatibility update ( )
Give Sophie a hug from me, will you?duskvstweak wrote: ↑July 7th, 2019, 7:45 pm I have too much time in my head while walking my dogs...
- ColinAlonso
- Member
- Posts: 585
- Joined: September 6th, 2016, 9:13 pm
- Location: Dublin
Re: Game that defines the console?
I may have taken this as a more personal question than intended. The games represent my general experience of the consoles.duskvstweak wrote: ↑July 7th, 2019, 7:45 pm Can you pick one game per console that defines that system for you? I don't mean the best game on the system, I mean the one that defines how you view the console in your mind?
MD - Sonic 1-3
There were plenty of other genres but platformers ruled the roost and Sonic was the icon. He was everywhere when I was 6.
PS1 - Gran Turismo 2
It should be Final Fantasy VII but I've seen and played it on other consoles and I didn't play JRPGs outside the main FFs until later. GT2 was the pinnacle of all those racers I played and that's when I played racing games most.
GBC - Pokémon Red
I know its an original GB game but its why I asked for a GBC for a Christmas. My favorite game on the GBC is Zelda: Oracle of Ages which has a similar perspective and feel of adventuring/exploring despite the tech limitations so it ties back to Pokémon Red in my mind.
PS2 - Grand Theft Auto 3
Consoles got more comfortable with 3D and GTA 3 was a good example in 2001. It fits in nicely with my teenage years too.
GBA - The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
I didn't play my GBA as much at the time. Nice console, just wasn't in as much of a mood for it. Minish Cap was actually very good and I think highly of it but compared to previous Zelda games it didn't grab me as much either.
PSP - Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
This thing eventually became a JRPG beast. In my room in college, play some JRPG. On a bus, play some JRPG. In a waiting room, play some JRPG. FFT was the one I played most, its battle length seemed perfect for these situations and it came out early enough (2007) to define my PSP.
PSVita - Everybody's Golf
Niche and dismissed by most but I really got into the game and console.
3DS- Ace Attorney 1-6
Got a 3DS to catch up on a few things and there's no better games to show that than a 6 game series.
Nothing specific came to mind for PS3/4 and Switch.
- Simonsloth
- Member
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: November 22nd, 2017, 7:17 am
- Location: London
- Contact:
Re: Game that defines the console?
I’m not copying you KSub I promise!
Game Boy: Tetris
Game Boy Color: Metal Gear Solid
NDS: Warioware Touched
NES: Zelda 2
Super Nintendo: Pilotwings
Nintendo 64: Goldeneye
GameCube: Metal Gear Solid
Wii: Wii Sports
WiiU: Bayonetta 2
Nintendo Switch: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
PlayStation: Metal Gear Solid
PlayStation 2: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
PlayStation 3: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
PlayStation 4: tricky. Personally it’s Soma or Hellblade. Not really console defining pieces of work though.
Xbox: Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
Xbox 360: Mass Effect
Xbox One: Rare Replay
Vita Virtue’s Last Reward
PSP Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Game Boy: Tetris
Game Boy Color: Metal Gear Solid
NDS: Warioware Touched
NES: Zelda 2
Super Nintendo: Pilotwings
Nintendo 64: Goldeneye
GameCube: Metal Gear Solid
Wii: Wii Sports
WiiU: Bayonetta 2
Nintendo Switch: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
PlayStation: Metal Gear Solid
PlayStation 2: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
PlayStation 3: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
PlayStation 4: tricky. Personally it’s Soma or Hellblade. Not really console defining pieces of work though.
Xbox: Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
Xbox 360: Mass Effect
Xbox One: Rare Replay
Vita Virtue’s Last Reward
PSP Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
- KSubzero1000
- Member
- Posts: 3365
- Joined: August 26th, 2015, 9:56 pm
- Location: Germany
Re: Game that defines the console?
Really?! The Twin Snakes is a more emblematic game of the GC library than Melee or Prime or Sunshine or Wind Waker or any of the REs for you? ...I am shook by this choice, but you do you, my friend!
- Simonsloth
- Member
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: November 22nd, 2017, 7:17 am
- Location: London
- Contact:
Re: Game that defines the console?
Yeah but that’s me. I missed the N64 and GameCube entirely only playing a bit of multiplayer with friends on occasion. When I got my Wii the only GameCube game I bought was Twin Snakes. So, for me it’s console defining.KSubzero1000 wrote: ↑July 7th, 2019, 8:55 pmReally?! The Twin Snakes is a more emblematic game of the GC library than Melee or Prime or Sunshine or Wind Waker or any of the REs for you? ...I am shook by this choice, but you do you, my friend!
I only played my second ever GameCube game last year and bought an N64 a few months ago. I’m a little behind.
- Simonsloth
- Member
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: November 22nd, 2017, 7:17 am
- Location: London
- Contact:
Re: Game that defines the console?
Now I’ve thought about it my PSP game would be Peace Walker for sure!
- KSubzero1000
- Member
- Posts: 3365
- Joined: August 26th, 2015, 9:56 pm
- Location: Germany
Re: Game that defines the console?
Fair enough!Simonsloth wrote: ↑July 7th, 2019, 9:03 pm When I got my Wii the only GameCube game I bought was Twin Snakes. So, for me it’s console defining.
Good call on the Sony handhelds, btw. Added mine as well.
- stvnorman
- Member
- Posts: 911
- Joined: March 19th, 2013, 8:09 pm
- Location: Keysoe, Bedfordshire, UK
- Contact:
Re: Game that defines the console?
I love a list! Based on games I’ve played, in the order I’ve owned the console (or thereabouts)... Hope I’m allowed games on computers too!
VIC-20: The Perils of Willy
Spectrum: Manic Miner
Atari ST: Defender of the Crown
Game Boy: Tetris
PS1: Doom
Game Boy Colour: Pokemon Gold
PS2: SSX
Game Boy Advance: Mario Kart Super Circuit
GameCube: Wave Race
PS3: Red Dead Redemption
PSP: God of War - Ghost of Sparta
PS4:The Witcher 3
3DS: Pokemon Ultra Sun
Switch: Zelda Breath of the Wild
Systems I haven’t owned but have extensive experience of:
C64: Ghostbusters
NES: Mega Man 2
SNES: Super Mario Kart
MegaDrive: Virtua Racer
Lynx: California Games
VIC-20: The Perils of Willy
Spectrum: Manic Miner
Atari ST: Defender of the Crown
Game Boy: Tetris
PS1: Doom
Game Boy Colour: Pokemon Gold
PS2: SSX
Game Boy Advance: Mario Kart Super Circuit
GameCube: Wave Race
PS3: Red Dead Redemption
PSP: God of War - Ghost of Sparta
PS4:The Witcher 3
3DS: Pokemon Ultra Sun
Switch: Zelda Breath of the Wild
Systems I haven’t owned but have extensive experience of:
C64: Ghostbusters
NES: Mega Man 2
SNES: Super Mario Kart
MegaDrive: Virtua Racer
Lynx: California Games
Re: Game that defines the console?
Game Boy: Tetris
NDS: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
3DS: Monster Hunter Generations
NES: Super Mario Bros 3
Super Nintendo: Super Mario Kart
Nintendo 64: Ocarina of Time
GameCube: Resident Evil 4
Wii: Super Mario Galaxy
Wii U: Super Mario Maker
Nintendo Switch: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
PlayStation: Final Fantasy VII
PlayStation 3: Dark Souls
PlayStation 4: Bloodborne
Xbox: OutRun 2
Xbox 360: Street Fighter IV
Xbox One: Forza Horizon 4
NDS: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
3DS: Monster Hunter Generations
NES: Super Mario Bros 3
Super Nintendo: Super Mario Kart
Nintendo 64: Ocarina of Time
GameCube: Resident Evil 4
Wii: Super Mario Galaxy
Wii U: Super Mario Maker
Nintendo Switch: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
PlayStation: Final Fantasy VII
PlayStation 3: Dark Souls
PlayStation 4: Bloodborne
Xbox: OutRun 2
Xbox 360: Street Fighter IV
Xbox One: Forza Horizon 4
Re: Game that defines the console?
Too easy.
NES: Super Mario Bros 3
Gameboy: Tetris
Master System: Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Megadrive: Sonic The Hedgehog
SNES: Super Mario World
N64: Mario 64. Strong case for Goldeneye.
PS1: Final Fantasy VII
PS2: GTA 3
Dreamcast: Shenmue
Gamecube: LOZ: Wind Waker.
Xbox: Halo
It gets a little more muddy after that, but if anyone is after the correct answers see above.
NES: Super Mario Bros 3
Gameboy: Tetris
Master System: Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Megadrive: Sonic The Hedgehog
SNES: Super Mario World
N64: Mario 64. Strong case for Goldeneye.
PS1: Final Fantasy VII
PS2: GTA 3
Dreamcast: Shenmue
Gamecube: LOZ: Wind Waker.
Xbox: Halo
It gets a little more muddy after that, but if anyone is after the correct answers see above.
- hazeredmist
- Member
- Posts: 1709
- Joined: June 25th, 2013, 12:45 pm
- Location: The DMZ
- Contact:
Re: Game that defines the console?
Several people picking Breath of the Wild for Switch - I link that very much with the Wii U personally, as a game initially developed for it and it's the platform I completed it on (I also own it on Switch), but it clearly had some features other Zelda games the Wii U had removed, such as second screen benefits (map, items etc). I pretty much therefore don't consider it to define either platform.
Very personal this one.
DS - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. All of them. I'd love to calculate the amount of hours devoted to those games on DS for me.
PSP - Lumines 2
Vita - Persona 4 Golden
Game Boy - Super Mario Land
Game Cube - Super Mario Sunshine
Master System - Alex Kidd in Miracle World
NES - Super Mario Brothers 3
Megadrive - Streets of Rage 2
SNES - Street Fighter 2
PS1 - Gran Turismo
PS2 - GTA: Vice City
N64 - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Xbox 360 - Halo 3
PS4 - Destiny
Wii - Wii Sports (obviously)
Wii U - Super Mario 3D World (this is one of the most underrated consoles there is...)
Switch - Binding of Isaac
Great thread!
Very personal this one.
DS - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. All of them. I'd love to calculate the amount of hours devoted to those games on DS for me.
PSP - Lumines 2
Vita - Persona 4 Golden
Game Boy - Super Mario Land
Game Cube - Super Mario Sunshine
Master System - Alex Kidd in Miracle World
NES - Super Mario Brothers 3
Megadrive - Streets of Rage 2
SNES - Street Fighter 2
PS1 - Gran Turismo
PS2 - GTA: Vice City
N64 - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Xbox 360 - Halo 3
PS4 - Destiny
Wii - Wii Sports (obviously)
Wii U - Super Mario 3D World (this is one of the most underrated consoles there is...)
Switch - Binding of Isaac
Great thread!
Re: Game that defines the console?
Vectrex Web Warp
C64 The Last Ninja
NES Super Mario Bros.
Master System Wonder Boy
PC Engine Soldier Blade
Game Boy Super Mario Land
Mega Drive The Revenge of Shinobi
NEO-GEO Fatal Fury Special
SNES Super Mario World
Saturn Panzer Dragoon
PS1 WipEout
N64 Super Mario 64
Game Boy Color Wario Land 3
Dreamcast Jet Set Radio
PS2 Grand Theft Auto 3
Game Boy Advance Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga
Xbox Ninja Gaiden Black
Gamecube F-Zero GX
Nintendo DS Mario Kart DS
Xbox 360 Street Fighter IV
Wii Wii Sports
PS3 Demon's Souls
Nintendo 3DS Luigi's Mansion 2
Wii U The Wonderful 101
PS4 Bloodborne
Switch The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
C64 The Last Ninja
NES Super Mario Bros.
Master System Wonder Boy
PC Engine Soldier Blade
Game Boy Super Mario Land
Mega Drive The Revenge of Shinobi
NEO-GEO Fatal Fury Special
SNES Super Mario World
Saturn Panzer Dragoon
PS1 WipEout
N64 Super Mario 64
Game Boy Color Wario Land 3
Dreamcast Jet Set Radio
PS2 Grand Theft Auto 3
Game Boy Advance Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga
Xbox Ninja Gaiden Black
Gamecube F-Zero GX
Nintendo DS Mario Kart DS
Xbox 360 Street Fighter IV
Wii Wii Sports
PS3 Demon's Souls
Nintendo 3DS Luigi's Mansion 2
Wii U The Wonderful 101
PS4 Bloodborne
Switch The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Re: Game that defines the console?
I have a feeling while some of these will be easy to pick, others might be surprisingly tricky. Already some interesting choices in this thread. In order of when I first got them, as far as I remember anyway.
GBC: Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal
My first ever console. Started off with Yellow, which was good, but the second gen is when it really solidified in my mind how much I enjoyed the games. At the time anyway. I've long since moved on from the series. But back then being able to explore a world at your own leisure and interact with everything was really impressive.
N64: Zelda: Majora's Mask
I started off the N64 with more Pokemon, but this was the first time I started moving out on to other games, and this blew me away as a kid, and it still a big favourite. It took that ability to explore a world and ramped it up so much more. Making it 3D made it feel so much more believable, and having fleshed out characters and areas to explore really got me hooked on games as a medium.
GC: Zelda: Wind Waker
A strong continuation of the series that still left a big impression, especially thanks to the change in art style. Although this seemed like the obvious choice at first, now I'm thinking Burnout 2 might be a close second place as well. The first Burnout was the first time I really fell in love with a racing game, and 2 was a big step up that I still think stands up today.
PS2: Shadow of the Colossus
Perhaps the first actually hard choice, with how varied the PS2 library is, but I picked this one for opening my eyes to the possibilities of what games could be. Another mind-blowing moment that shaped my tastes in games after. And it influenced a whole load of games, yet it's still very rare to see games like it in its sector. There may be loads of similar indie games these days, but it's very "PS2" in that it was a weird minimalist experiment of a game, that was also big budget and expansive, standing alongside the other biggest blockbusters of the generation.
Close contenders would be Okami and NFS: Underground 2. The former is a game I love with such fantastic art, but it misses out because it's also somewhat derivative of Zelda, and having been ported to everything it has somewhat lost its association with being a PS2 game. The latter was another of my favourite racing games of all time that was that series firing on all cylinders in a way that it hadn't done before or since. Also it existed in something of a heyday or similar racing games, so it represents them all to a degree. But it gets beaten out because I first played this and the previous game on the GC before PS2, so it's more associated with that era than the console itself for me.
Xbox: Fable
This console wasn't around for long enough to make a huge impact, but what it did do was bring me the first RPG outside of Pokemon that I really got in to. Although at this point I was over Pokemon already. Fable had a really strong personality and art style, and managed to balance an experience that had all the things that made RPGs interesting, but in a way that was very easy to get in to for newcomers. Led me on to stuff like Elder Scrolls and all the RPGs I've played up to today.
Halo 2 is probably a close second. This was back when Halo was on fire, basically being the reason for the console's success, so it can't be ignored. I liked them too, but I missed the boat on the first game and didn't pick it up myself until after this one. This was "my" Halo game, and still probably my favourite for what they did with the story. But I was never the biggest Halo fan, and never played multiplayer. Forza Motorsport probably deserves a nod too, for being the start of a series that has dominated so much of my time over the years. Even though I played and liked Gran Turismo 4 before, this was when I felt like I found the racing sim for me. But the sequels had such a bigger impact that this one is kind of overshadowed by them.
Xbox 360: Forza Motorsport 3
The period spanning from Forza Motorsport 3 to Forza Horizon 1 was the real golden age for the franchise, so this represents all of them in a sense, but this is when things really started kicking in to high gear, starting off an incredible streak of getting better and better, seemingly unable to do any wrong. It was also a time when I was really active in the online aspects, so it's not just the games themselves that make this representative of the console. It's also how playing games changed to being a more connected thing, even if I still primarily focus on solo stuff. But with these games I was very much involved in the online sphere that was a big part of the generation.
This console is hard to pick a single game for like for the PS2, the library is so big and broad. Out of everything else Oblivion is probably the one that comes a close second. That was another big revelation and shift in what games could be to me. Even though I had played Morrowind before, here is where I really got in to the immersive open world style of things. It felt like a real world that I could get lost in more than anything else that came before. Nothing else after has ever really been able to quite capture that same feeling too, even if others came close.
But aside from that, there's so many to pick. Halo 3, Burnout Paradise, Darksiders 1&2, the Bioshock games, Nier, etc. Although more than any game, perhaps the console is more characterised by this being the point when games truly went mainstream.
Wii: No More Heroes
Another hard one to pick, but not because the library is so big. In terms of what the console meant to me anyway, the amount of games was pretty small, but it had quite a range to it. But I went with this one because it was the first time I played a Grasshopper game, introducing me to another new style of weird quirky game. One that also made good use of the consoles selling point of motion controls. But it also represents a type of game that you only saw on this console. Strange little action games that didn't get much traction for being so unsuited for the audience the Wii was marketed towards, yet they felt right at home. So this is stuff like NMH, MadWorld, Muramasa, etc.
The only other thing that stands out is perhaps the Zelda games, but they were in an awkward place on the Wii, so they don't really feel like they completely represent it. Twilight Princess was always obviously a GC game ported over. An excellent game that I really like, but which didn't feel like it needed to be a Wii game. Skyward Sword on the other hand did make extensive, and in my opinion very good use of the motion controls. In a way it was finally the realisation of what the Wii could be. The perfect swan song, but that's also the problem. The Wii was already on the way out when it came out. It's not a game that feels like it goes hand-in-hand with the Wii, but more that it's a final goodbye to it.
PS3: Yakuza 4
Like with the Forza games, it's more that the span of Yakuza 3-5 is what should be the real answer, but this game in particular is the one that feels the most well rounded. A great execution of what it's doing, without the problems of 3's slow start and limited content, or 5's bloat and pacing problems. It's a game that has that Japanese flair, but also high production values too. So it's just what you would hope for from a Japanese console that's pushing technology of the time. Or trying to at least, as the PS3 wasn't exactly the supercomputing marvel that it was trying to present itself as after all.
Although much like the 360, this has such a wide library and is of a time when games got seriously big. But I got on the PS3 train very late, so I don't have much of a collection for it. It's not the multiplatform workhorse like the 360 was for me. So there aren't really any runners up. The God of War series maybe? I played the first on PS2, but didn't get around to the others until the HD collections on this console. But only one of them was a PS3 game, and they don't mean anywhere near as much to me as Yakuza. I guess maybe Folklore could be a good representative of those B-tier quirky games that the console got early in its life. That's the only one I really liked though, and it only really stands for a short period in the console's life, not the whole thing.
Wii U: Splatoon
This game was the start of a new obsession of mine, and quickly became one of my favourites of all time. It was also the first time I really got in to any online shooter. I dabbled a bit in Halo 3 around launch, but the Splatoon games are the only time I've ever put serious time in. It's also a really good showcase for what the Wii U itself can do, with really well implemented motion controls and such. It was also really surprising as the first new IP Nintendo had made in a very long time, and the first one that left such a big impression on me since Zelda. It's also really impressive that this game was such a success, despite being on a failure of a console. It somehow managed to rise from the ashes, and against all odds become a sensation.
Bayonetta 2 is a close second. An excellent action game that stands out as one of the greatest games of all time, and is just pure bliss. Also how Nintendo helped it happen when it seemed like it might never get made, and how it started a partnership between Platinum and Nintendo that was very fruitful, allowing P* to put out some very cool stuff, and leading Nintendo to go in the more adult-oriented and hands-off approach they have now. But on the other hand, it is a very derivative sequel to a game that was already on other consoles, and this one has been ported to others since.
Xbox One: Forza Horizon 3
As with the 360, this more represents all the Horizon games on the console than just this one, but this is the one that stands out most. A very sorry era for Xbox in general. I don't think anyone would deny this console doesn't have much going for it. Yet through all the failures and false starts, the Horizon games continued to be fantastic and go from strength to strength, even while the Motorsport games faltered. These games were so good they managed to carry not only a whole console, but a whole genre more or less, as racing games in general have been in a slump for such a long time now outside of these games. I picked this one over FH4 because, as with all of MS's games now, it's not really just an Xbox game anymore. I play it on PC. 3 had a PC port as well, but it was so poorly optimised it was still much better played on the console. No real reason to pick it over FH2 though, just that it's more recent and a technical improvement in some ways. Both games hold similar significance.
PS4: Nier: Automata
Can't remember if I got the PS4 or the Switch first, but this one came out first, so it'll go first. It took me a while to get around to getting a PS4, despite not being all that thrilled with the XB1 having got it day one. There wasn't enough exclusives to make it worth it, until around this point when they hit a critical mass. This game was kind of a dream come true that I didn't even know I wanted. Platinum were already one of my favourite devs at the time, and Nier had become an all-time favourite too. But I never expected it to get a sequel at all, let alone one made by Platinum. And yet it happened. It ended up being a very worthy successor to the first game, that showed both collaborators at the top of their game, even if there were some minor polish issues due to a lack of budget I assume. But in a way, that added to the charm. And since, the PS4 has been a great place for games like this. High quality Japanese games that have a lot of style and are really confident in themselves, in a way that hasn't been seen since the PS2 days. So this game also represents stuff like Gravity Rush 2, the Yakuza games on this console, Monster Hunter World, and DMC5.
Switch: Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Switch might be a bit too young to talk about in terms of its whole impact, but this still seems like a pretty safe choice. Even though it's also on Wii U, it still feels like it represents this console very well. It's a big shift in how the series plays, trying a lot of new ideas and expanding scope in a way that makes sense with more capable hardware. It's also really impressive for not compromising on design for technically being a portable game, even if that's not how I played it myself most of the time. Not only is it the biggest and most technologically ambitious Zelda game yet, it's also one you can play in the palm of your hands if you want. The opposite of compromise.
Splatoon 2 comes in such a close second that I'm more inclined to call it a tie. A great follow-up to the first game that improved things in some smart ways, and helped bring the game to a wider audience, solidifying this series its place among Nintendo's mainstays. But it is extremely similar to the first game, so that it feels like an extension of that, rather than something uniquely for the Switch. Yet at the same time, BotW is arguably more guilty of that being a port of a Wii U game, and I've actually put far more time in to Splat 2 than BotW, even if Zelda is still my favoured series overall.
---
I almost forgot the other handheld consoles I've owned. When I think about my history with games, these haven't really left much of an impact on me, so I tend to forget about them. I've also forgotten exactly when I first picked them up, so I don't know when they slot in to my timeline. So I'll just throw them in quickly here at the end.
GBA: Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
Probably the last time I really cared about Pokemon. At this point my appreciation for games had moved on from just being part of the early Pokemon craze, yet there wasn't much else on the GBA that appealed to me at all, so it was still mostly a Pokemon-playing device.
NDS: Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
I played a bit of Pokemon here, but this was when I realised I was tried of it. So the DS was kind of at a loose end, despite me really liking the hardware. My white DS Lite in particular has always been something I've appreciated a lot from an aesthetic and construction point of view. So I tried the Zelda games on this console. I tend to not be a fan of the top-down and portable Zeldas, but I liked this one a fair amount. The 3D world and stylus controls meant the problems I usually have with this side of the series weren't an issue here, even if they were sometimes a bit clunky. It used the hardware's unique features well too, but it's far from my favourite in the series.
Maybe Okamiden is tied for this spot as well. The closest thing to a real sequel to Okami that exists, and is actually pretty impressive in how they managed to translate that feel and character over to this little machine without much horsepower, and without Team Clover handling things either. But Zelda is more closely associated with Nintendo, and there were several in that style on the DS, so I guess it wins.
GBC: Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal
My first ever console. Started off with Yellow, which was good, but the second gen is when it really solidified in my mind how much I enjoyed the games. At the time anyway. I've long since moved on from the series. But back then being able to explore a world at your own leisure and interact with everything was really impressive.
N64: Zelda: Majora's Mask
I started off the N64 with more Pokemon, but this was the first time I started moving out on to other games, and this blew me away as a kid, and it still a big favourite. It took that ability to explore a world and ramped it up so much more. Making it 3D made it feel so much more believable, and having fleshed out characters and areas to explore really got me hooked on games as a medium.
GC: Zelda: Wind Waker
A strong continuation of the series that still left a big impression, especially thanks to the change in art style. Although this seemed like the obvious choice at first, now I'm thinking Burnout 2 might be a close second place as well. The first Burnout was the first time I really fell in love with a racing game, and 2 was a big step up that I still think stands up today.
PS2: Shadow of the Colossus
Perhaps the first actually hard choice, with how varied the PS2 library is, but I picked this one for opening my eyes to the possibilities of what games could be. Another mind-blowing moment that shaped my tastes in games after. And it influenced a whole load of games, yet it's still very rare to see games like it in its sector. There may be loads of similar indie games these days, but it's very "PS2" in that it was a weird minimalist experiment of a game, that was also big budget and expansive, standing alongside the other biggest blockbusters of the generation.
Close contenders would be Okami and NFS: Underground 2. The former is a game I love with such fantastic art, but it misses out because it's also somewhat derivative of Zelda, and having been ported to everything it has somewhat lost its association with being a PS2 game. The latter was another of my favourite racing games of all time that was that series firing on all cylinders in a way that it hadn't done before or since. Also it existed in something of a heyday or similar racing games, so it represents them all to a degree. But it gets beaten out because I first played this and the previous game on the GC before PS2, so it's more associated with that era than the console itself for me.
Xbox: Fable
This console wasn't around for long enough to make a huge impact, but what it did do was bring me the first RPG outside of Pokemon that I really got in to. Although at this point I was over Pokemon already. Fable had a really strong personality and art style, and managed to balance an experience that had all the things that made RPGs interesting, but in a way that was very easy to get in to for newcomers. Led me on to stuff like Elder Scrolls and all the RPGs I've played up to today.
Halo 2 is probably a close second. This was back when Halo was on fire, basically being the reason for the console's success, so it can't be ignored. I liked them too, but I missed the boat on the first game and didn't pick it up myself until after this one. This was "my" Halo game, and still probably my favourite for what they did with the story. But I was never the biggest Halo fan, and never played multiplayer. Forza Motorsport probably deserves a nod too, for being the start of a series that has dominated so much of my time over the years. Even though I played and liked Gran Turismo 4 before, this was when I felt like I found the racing sim for me. But the sequels had such a bigger impact that this one is kind of overshadowed by them.
Xbox 360: Forza Motorsport 3
The period spanning from Forza Motorsport 3 to Forza Horizon 1 was the real golden age for the franchise, so this represents all of them in a sense, but this is when things really started kicking in to high gear, starting off an incredible streak of getting better and better, seemingly unable to do any wrong. It was also a time when I was really active in the online aspects, so it's not just the games themselves that make this representative of the console. It's also how playing games changed to being a more connected thing, even if I still primarily focus on solo stuff. But with these games I was very much involved in the online sphere that was a big part of the generation.
This console is hard to pick a single game for like for the PS2, the library is so big and broad. Out of everything else Oblivion is probably the one that comes a close second. That was another big revelation and shift in what games could be to me. Even though I had played Morrowind before, here is where I really got in to the immersive open world style of things. It felt like a real world that I could get lost in more than anything else that came before. Nothing else after has ever really been able to quite capture that same feeling too, even if others came close.
But aside from that, there's so many to pick. Halo 3, Burnout Paradise, Darksiders 1&2, the Bioshock games, Nier, etc. Although more than any game, perhaps the console is more characterised by this being the point when games truly went mainstream.
Wii: No More Heroes
Another hard one to pick, but not because the library is so big. In terms of what the console meant to me anyway, the amount of games was pretty small, but it had quite a range to it. But I went with this one because it was the first time I played a Grasshopper game, introducing me to another new style of weird quirky game. One that also made good use of the consoles selling point of motion controls. But it also represents a type of game that you only saw on this console. Strange little action games that didn't get much traction for being so unsuited for the audience the Wii was marketed towards, yet they felt right at home. So this is stuff like NMH, MadWorld, Muramasa, etc.
The only other thing that stands out is perhaps the Zelda games, but they were in an awkward place on the Wii, so they don't really feel like they completely represent it. Twilight Princess was always obviously a GC game ported over. An excellent game that I really like, but which didn't feel like it needed to be a Wii game. Skyward Sword on the other hand did make extensive, and in my opinion very good use of the motion controls. In a way it was finally the realisation of what the Wii could be. The perfect swan song, but that's also the problem. The Wii was already on the way out when it came out. It's not a game that feels like it goes hand-in-hand with the Wii, but more that it's a final goodbye to it.
PS3: Yakuza 4
Like with the Forza games, it's more that the span of Yakuza 3-5 is what should be the real answer, but this game in particular is the one that feels the most well rounded. A great execution of what it's doing, without the problems of 3's slow start and limited content, or 5's bloat and pacing problems. It's a game that has that Japanese flair, but also high production values too. So it's just what you would hope for from a Japanese console that's pushing technology of the time. Or trying to at least, as the PS3 wasn't exactly the supercomputing marvel that it was trying to present itself as after all.
Although much like the 360, this has such a wide library and is of a time when games got seriously big. But I got on the PS3 train very late, so I don't have much of a collection for it. It's not the multiplatform workhorse like the 360 was for me. So there aren't really any runners up. The God of War series maybe? I played the first on PS2, but didn't get around to the others until the HD collections on this console. But only one of them was a PS3 game, and they don't mean anywhere near as much to me as Yakuza. I guess maybe Folklore could be a good representative of those B-tier quirky games that the console got early in its life. That's the only one I really liked though, and it only really stands for a short period in the console's life, not the whole thing.
Wii U: Splatoon
This game was the start of a new obsession of mine, and quickly became one of my favourites of all time. It was also the first time I really got in to any online shooter. I dabbled a bit in Halo 3 around launch, but the Splatoon games are the only time I've ever put serious time in. It's also a really good showcase for what the Wii U itself can do, with really well implemented motion controls and such. It was also really surprising as the first new IP Nintendo had made in a very long time, and the first one that left such a big impression on me since Zelda. It's also really impressive that this game was such a success, despite being on a failure of a console. It somehow managed to rise from the ashes, and against all odds become a sensation.
Bayonetta 2 is a close second. An excellent action game that stands out as one of the greatest games of all time, and is just pure bliss. Also how Nintendo helped it happen when it seemed like it might never get made, and how it started a partnership between Platinum and Nintendo that was very fruitful, allowing P* to put out some very cool stuff, and leading Nintendo to go in the more adult-oriented and hands-off approach they have now. But on the other hand, it is a very derivative sequel to a game that was already on other consoles, and this one has been ported to others since.
Xbox One: Forza Horizon 3
As with the 360, this more represents all the Horizon games on the console than just this one, but this is the one that stands out most. A very sorry era for Xbox in general. I don't think anyone would deny this console doesn't have much going for it. Yet through all the failures and false starts, the Horizon games continued to be fantastic and go from strength to strength, even while the Motorsport games faltered. These games were so good they managed to carry not only a whole console, but a whole genre more or less, as racing games in general have been in a slump for such a long time now outside of these games. I picked this one over FH4 because, as with all of MS's games now, it's not really just an Xbox game anymore. I play it on PC. 3 had a PC port as well, but it was so poorly optimised it was still much better played on the console. No real reason to pick it over FH2 though, just that it's more recent and a technical improvement in some ways. Both games hold similar significance.
PS4: Nier: Automata
Can't remember if I got the PS4 or the Switch first, but this one came out first, so it'll go first. It took me a while to get around to getting a PS4, despite not being all that thrilled with the XB1 having got it day one. There wasn't enough exclusives to make it worth it, until around this point when they hit a critical mass. This game was kind of a dream come true that I didn't even know I wanted. Platinum were already one of my favourite devs at the time, and Nier had become an all-time favourite too. But I never expected it to get a sequel at all, let alone one made by Platinum. And yet it happened. It ended up being a very worthy successor to the first game, that showed both collaborators at the top of their game, even if there were some minor polish issues due to a lack of budget I assume. But in a way, that added to the charm. And since, the PS4 has been a great place for games like this. High quality Japanese games that have a lot of style and are really confident in themselves, in a way that hasn't been seen since the PS2 days. So this game also represents stuff like Gravity Rush 2, the Yakuza games on this console, Monster Hunter World, and DMC5.
Switch: Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Switch might be a bit too young to talk about in terms of its whole impact, but this still seems like a pretty safe choice. Even though it's also on Wii U, it still feels like it represents this console very well. It's a big shift in how the series plays, trying a lot of new ideas and expanding scope in a way that makes sense with more capable hardware. It's also really impressive for not compromising on design for technically being a portable game, even if that's not how I played it myself most of the time. Not only is it the biggest and most technologically ambitious Zelda game yet, it's also one you can play in the palm of your hands if you want. The opposite of compromise.
Splatoon 2 comes in such a close second that I'm more inclined to call it a tie. A great follow-up to the first game that improved things in some smart ways, and helped bring the game to a wider audience, solidifying this series its place among Nintendo's mainstays. But it is extremely similar to the first game, so that it feels like an extension of that, rather than something uniquely for the Switch. Yet at the same time, BotW is arguably more guilty of that being a port of a Wii U game, and I've actually put far more time in to Splat 2 than BotW, even if Zelda is still my favoured series overall.
---
I almost forgot the other handheld consoles I've owned. When I think about my history with games, these haven't really left much of an impact on me, so I tend to forget about them. I've also forgotten exactly when I first picked them up, so I don't know when they slot in to my timeline. So I'll just throw them in quickly here at the end.
GBA: Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
Probably the last time I really cared about Pokemon. At this point my appreciation for games had moved on from just being part of the early Pokemon craze, yet there wasn't much else on the GBA that appealed to me at all, so it was still mostly a Pokemon-playing device.
NDS: Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
I played a bit of Pokemon here, but this was when I realised I was tried of it. So the DS was kind of at a loose end, despite me really liking the hardware. My white DS Lite in particular has always been something I've appreciated a lot from an aesthetic and construction point of view. So I tried the Zelda games on this console. I tend to not be a fan of the top-down and portable Zeldas, but I liked this one a fair amount. The 3D world and stylus controls meant the problems I usually have with this side of the series weren't an issue here, even if they were sometimes a bit clunky. It used the hardware's unique features well too, but it's far from my favourite in the series.
Maybe Okamiden is tied for this spot as well. The closest thing to a real sequel to Okami that exists, and is actually pretty impressive in how they managed to translate that feel and character over to this little machine without much horsepower, and without Team Clover handling things either. But Zelda is more closely associated with Nintendo, and there were several in that style on the DS, so I guess it wins.
Re: Game that defines the console?
Hmm..duskvstweak wrote: ↑July 7th, 2019, 7:45 pm Can you pick one game per console that defines that system for you? I don't mean the best game on the system, I mean the one that defines how you view the console in your mind?
Original Xbox: Halo 1
Nintendo 64: Majora's Mask
Gamecube: Smash Melee
(played this at a neighbor's way too much)
Nintendo DS: Nintendogs Dachsund + Friends
Xbox 360: Either COD4 or Halo 3, both games that I feel have impacted online gaming quite a bit.
Playstation 3: MAG (seemed unreal)
Gameboy Color: Zelda Oracle of Ages
(not the greatest game I think, but my introduction to the franchise and also thinking I was playing as Zelda)
Re: Game that defines the console?
I'm very much the same. I got mine a couple of years after the end of its official shelf life, mainly for the exclusives.
- Simonsloth
- Member
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: November 22nd, 2017, 7:17 am
- Location: London
- Contact:
Re: Game that defines the console?
MAG!Dyboyl wrote: ↑July 10th, 2019, 9:12 pmHmm..duskvstweak wrote: ↑July 7th, 2019, 7:45 pm Can you pick one game per console that defines that system for you? I don't mean the best game on the system, I mean the one that defines how you view the console in your mind?
Original Xbox: Halo 1
Nintendo 64: Majora's Mask
Gamecube: Smash Melee
(played this at a neighbor's way too much)
Nintendo DS: Nintendogs Dachsund + Friends
Xbox 360: Either COD4 or Halo 3, both games that I feel have impacted online gaming quite a bit.
Playstation 3: MAG (seemed unreal)
Gameboy Color: Zelda Oracle of Ages
(not the greatest game I think, but my introduction to the franchise and also thinking I was playing as Zelda)
Now there’s a game I haven’t heard about in a while. It was an incredibly ambitious game which my friend and I got into in a big way. I think if they’d released it on the PS4 perhaps as a launch title it would have been a phenomenon.
- KissMammal
- Member
- Posts: 523
- Joined: August 22nd, 2014, 5:52 pm
Re: Game that defines the console?
For me it's Mario 64, no question.Nintendo 64: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (easily)
- Sinclair Gregstrum
- Member
- Posts: 921
- Joined: April 4th, 2013, 4:09 pm
- Location: Dore, Sheffield
- Contact:
Re: Game that defines the console?
Love this topic! This is me shooting from the hip with honest answers - no procrastination. If a console isn't there it's because nothing came to mind instantly....
C64 - California Games
NES - Super Mario Bros. 3
Master System - Alex The Kidd In Miracle World
Game Boy - Tetris
Game Gear – Sonic The Hedgehog
Mega Drive - Aladdin
NEO-GEO - Metal Slug
SNES – Street Fighter 2
Saturn - NiGHTS Into Dreams
PS1 - Final Fantasy 7
N64 - Super Mario 64
Dreamcast - Sonic Adventure
PS2 - Grand Theft Auto 3
Game Boy Advance - Mario Kart Super Circuit
Xbox - Halo: Combat Evolved
Gamecube - The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker
Nintendo DS - Mario Kart DS
Xbox 360 - The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Wii - Wii Sports
PS3 - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Nintendo 3DS - Luigi's Mansion 2
Wii U - Mario Kart 8
Xbox One – Halo: The Master Chief Collection (cheating I know!)
PS4 - Marvel’s Spider-Man
Switch - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
C64 - California Games
NES - Super Mario Bros. 3
Master System - Alex The Kidd In Miracle World
Game Boy - Tetris
Game Gear – Sonic The Hedgehog
Mega Drive - Aladdin
NEO-GEO - Metal Slug
SNES – Street Fighter 2
Saturn - NiGHTS Into Dreams
PS1 - Final Fantasy 7
N64 - Super Mario 64
Dreamcast - Sonic Adventure
PS2 - Grand Theft Auto 3
Game Boy Advance - Mario Kart Super Circuit
Xbox - Halo: Combat Evolved
Gamecube - The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker
Nintendo DS - Mario Kart DS
Xbox 360 - The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Wii - Wii Sports
PS3 - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Nintendo 3DS - Luigi's Mansion 2
Wii U - Mario Kart 8
Xbox One – Halo: The Master Chief Collection (cheating I know!)
PS4 - Marvel’s Spider-Man
Switch - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- KissMammal
- Member
- Posts: 523
- Joined: August 22nd, 2014, 5:52 pm
Re: Game that defines the console?
Can't argue with many of those (I'd say Brain Training for DS though). Weird how some systems are inextricably linked to one particular title, whereas with others - GameCube, Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance for example - there doesn't really seem to be a clear contender.Sinclair Gregstrum wrote: ↑July 11th, 2019, 3:36 pm Love this topic! This is me shooting from the hip with honest answers - no procrastination. If a console isn't there it's because nothing came to mind instantly....
C64 - California Games
NES - Super Mario Bros. 3
Master System - Alex The Kidd In Miracle World
Game Boy - Tetris
Game Gear – Sonic The Hedgehog
Mega Drive - Aladdin
NEO-GEO - Metal Slug
SNES – Street Fighter 2
Saturn - NiGHTS Into Dreams
PS1 - Final Fantasy 7
N64 - Super Mario 64
Dreamcast - Sonic Adventure
PS2 - Grand Theft Auto 3
Game Boy Advance - Mario Kart Super Circuit
Xbox - Halo: Combat Evolved
Gamecube - The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker
Nintendo DS - Mario Kart DS
Xbox 360 - The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Wii - Wii Sports
PS3 - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Nintendo 3DS - Luigi's Mansion 2
Wii U - Mario Kart 8
Xbox One – Halo: The
PS4 - Marvel’s Spider-Man
Switch - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild