The Games of Our Lives #2

Let’s continue with our section “The Games of Our Lives“. This time, we’ll bring new Sons of a Bit members who want to share with us the most important games for them. Will you join us in this stroll by nostalgia?

Alex
Lead Programmer

Choosing only 5 games is really difficult, since lots of them have been somehow influential in my life and have contributed to make me the way I am at present. Of course, we all grew up playing video games, and most of us are still playing them now. However, things have changed and my favorite games have changed too. There are games that I used to play when I was younger that I still enjoy now. I’m sure some gamers will understand me when I say that I used to have a lot of trouble with lagging when I was younger and using my parent’s wifi. Since I’ve moved out, I now have my own satellite internet service that is much better for gaming. I’ve found I experience lagging a lot less, and more time actually playing the game instead of waiting. Anyway, some of my favorite games currently are listed below. These are the chosen ones (although I’m leaving dozens of amazing games out).

Super Mario World for SNES was one of the first games I played. In fact, the game was part of the bundle I was given away when I was a kid, being SNES my first game console. This fact made me love platform games so much.

The Legend of Zelda – Oracle of Seasons may be the game I’ve completed more times in my life. Those long hours saving the Oracle of Seasons from Onox only armed with my Game Boy while the rest was napping in summer were truly memorable.

As most kids born in the mid-90s, I grew up surrounded by Pokemon. For this reason, I want to include in this list the best game of the saga for me: Pokémon Gold. I remember defeating the Elite Four and the Champion in the Johto League and then having to opportunity to travel to Kanto. It was like having 2 games in the same cartridge!

At present, Kingdom Hearts is my favorite game saga. It combines the love I feel for Disney movies and Final Fantasy universe, so it’s a perfect mix.

Regarding RPGs, The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim is the game I’ve spent more time on, wandering through those frozen lands, admiring the landscape from the heights and being constantly amused by everything the game had to offer. I lost count of the number of leather wrist band I created to improve the forge!

As I said, I’m leaving other impressive games out, such as Elite Dangerous, Don ́t Starve, Crash Team Racing or Final Fantasy IX, but I think that those in the list are the most significant for me.

Gin
Concept Artist

Even though video games have been a constant for me since I was a child, the possibility of working for the industry came up about a year ago, and it was thanks to Journey, which explores the idea that the real story happens to the player. It’s a form of experimentation which roots in contemporary art ambition since the second hand of the previous century, an ambition focused on going beyond the material limits and letting stories be lived, instead of only told.

Also, a game offers the complete construction of a whole universe which can be experienced and discovered. That certainty came with Horizon Zero Dawn, a world which puts together literature, art, cinema and personal experiences, unifying, entwining, creating new and old parameters.

It’s this idea idea of having a whole story set in a world players can explore what made Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and adventure that always continues to offer more and more findings, even when I have started and completed more than once.

That possibility of growing up together with the characters is, maybe, one of the most beautiful characteristics of video games. This is the case of Kingdom Hearts saga. I’m sure it has stayed with many players throughout their childhood/adolescence.

Another game which is less known, but really special, is Sly Racoon. With that aesthetic inspired by film noir mixed with a light and fun adventure, it gets to touch the strings of the heart.

Albano
Programmer

There are many games that I recall with both nostalgia and gratitude, games which really meant a turning point in my life. So, making a great effort to be concise, I’ve chosen only five.

Let’s start with Nintendo and Super Metroid for Super Nintendo, the first game of the sage I played. This combination of exploration, shooter and 2D side-scroller platform provided me with endless hours full of fun. I remember the feeling of improving my suit and the enthusiasm to know that, thanks to this upgrade, I was going to be able to reach that place I couldn’t go before. A game which named a genre, “metroidvania”.

The next one is Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core for PSP, the best game of the saga for me. Its story really hooked me from the very first minute, since it’s a greek tragedy in which its main character (one of the best ones ever created) suffers a sudden change which makes him doubt of everything I thought it was right and challenge the stablished order to, at the end, achieve his dreams; even though he has to sacrifice it all, but his honor.

I’m going to continue with Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate for Nintendo 3DS. It wasn’t the first game I played from this saga, but it has certain je ne sais quoi which made it my favorite game. A game made with care and love, with a difficulty curve that, sometimes, makes you do your best and that teach you that a good preparation guarantees half of the success in a hunt. A superb game which has provided with hundreds of hours full of fun.

Now it’s Blizzard time. Diablo II and, more specifically, the Necromancer, have stayed with me a considerable part of my life. I love everything of this game, from the story to the music, the art, the atmosphere and above all… The Loot! The feeling of defeating a Megademon and seeing how all types of purple, green and oranges objects fall is something I can’t describe with words. Awesome!

Finally, I’m talking about Blood Bowl 2 Legendary Edition by Cyannide. This video game is a little bit more “strange”, since it’s the adaptation of a board game. This is, by far, the game I’ve spent more time on in my life. Its strategic component is really entertaining, but its random aspects make it insanely fun and extremely frustrating.

Natalia
Lead UI Designer y Filmmaker

Thanks to my father, who’s a real old-school gamer, I’ve been able to play all types of computer games since I can remember.

One of the first games I played was Doom. I was really frightened and stressed, since it was a really intense and dark game and I was only a child. I didn’t have the courage to play it alone, so I asked my little brother to play with me pressing the fire weapon button while I controlled the moves of the main character.

Graphics in video games became better and better, while I continued playing my father’s old games. One day, I found my cousin playing Half Life 2. I was absolutely impressed by the realism of characters, who followed your moves with their eyes and whose voices sounded louder as you came closer.

One year I decided to buy PSP 2000 and the game LocoRoco. It’s a game I would play again and again. It’s full of secretes, beautiful art and a simple and excellent playability.

There are a lot of people who don’t think Garry’s Mod is a video game, although it can be enjoyed as one. Since it doesn’t have a specific purpose, I started modifying the stage and then invited my friends to join the game. We used to compete to see who built the most functional ship with all the scrap we were provided and then we raced.

At present, I’m totally in love with Hyper Light Drifter. This game is remarkable for its range of color, its pixel art, the type of narration which leads to introspective and empathetic states towards the main character and its OST, which is one of the ones that have inspired me most. In my opinion, realizing that the story of the hero is closely connected to the real story of the creator is an added value.

In the next post, we’ll continue with our review the most memorable experiences with video games of Sons of a Bit members.

Read you soon!