30 Videogame Answers, No Likes Part 1

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atari 2600, chain letter, fandom, games, gaming, i'm joining the crowd lookit me, meme, MMO, nes, one like one answer, pc, snes

Sometime last week or so, there was a fun little prompt fluttering among those I follow on Twitter. Basically, you answer one videogame-related question for every like the posted picture got, to a maximum of 30.

It looked like a lot of fun, and since I’m always a sucker for cheap easy writing prompts, I decided to take the idea and write about it here.

…I searched for “writing prompt” and got this. So let’s just move on.

Your First Video Game

My very first videogame was Missile Command. I don’t recall if it was something that came along with the Atari 2600 we got or if it came later, but that game holds my earliest memories of playing games. I was completely obsessed by that point, and have been gaming ever since.

Your Favorite Character

Without question, it’s Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI. I’ve adored a lot of characters in gaming, but Terra is always a standout for me. There’s something about her circumstance that really enraptures me even if her overall story might not be the strongest among the game’s cast. I will always adore Terra.

A Game That is Underrated

I feel this way about many titles, but the first one that springs to mind is Illusion of Gaia, an action RPG that was made for the SNES by Enix before Squaresoft ate them. The story itself is pretty mediocre by JRPG standards – a boy is commanded by Gaia to stop a comet from destroying the world – but the way that story played out and the gameplay itself was very arresting.

Your Guilty Pleasure Game

Brave Fencer Musashi. This game was all sorts of stupid, but dammit if it wasn’t fun. It’s anime garbage but I adore it too damn much. I especially loved the voice acting. which entered that “so bad it’s good” realm.

Game Character You Feel You Are Most Like

I don’t identify with many videogame characters very personally. The point of videogames, for me, is to be someone else entirely. But gun to the head, I suppose I’d say The Guy from Out of this World. Only because I’m pretty sure I’d do many of the same things he did.

Most Annoying Character

Tingle from The Wind Waker. Kooloo-limpah this, you horrid piece of obnoxious shit.

Favorite Game Couple

Going back to Final Fantasy VI here for Locke Cole and Celes Chere. The way their relationship bloomed over the course of the game was definitely one of the best parts of the series, and their coupling is too wonderful to me.

Artwork by Sailor Astro, cuteness by design

Best Soundtrack

Once again, way too many to count here, but my mind keeps on going back to the soundtrack from Secret of Mana. That game had some of the single most interesting instrumentation I have ever heard come out of an SNES. From the opening screen to the final battle, it was gorgeous.

Saddest Game Scene

The opening scenes from Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I didn’t really feel a very close connection to Adam Jensen, but seeing his love taken away like that and then witnessing the stuff he physically went through was pretty heart-wrenching.

Best Gameplay

Pretty much every single Kirby game, if you ask me. The formula never really goes off the rails but just does enough new things to make it feel fun and fresh. In my opinion, Kirby out-Marios Mario.

Gaming System of Choice

I don’t really subscribe to the idea of hardware supremacy anymore. I used to be a pretty frothy Nintendo fanboy, but age has shown me the error of my ways. However, a lot of my most poignant and most cherished gaming memories go to the SNES, so that’s my choice.

A slick form factor AND a damn good library? Yes.

A Game Everyone Should Play

Beyond Good and Evil. A lot of people rant and rave about this game, and for once they’re right. This game is probably one of the most drum-tight and delightful action games out there. Practically everything about it is flawless.

A Game You’ve Played More Than Five Times

City of Heroes. Which is kind of cheating, since it was an MMORPG, but I’ve made more alts in that game, have played the missions more often, and have gotten more fun out of that title than nearly every single-player game I have ever owned.

Current or Most Recent Gaming Wallpaper

Artwork by Bo Chen @CHENBOWOW on Twitter

Post a Screenshot from the Game You’re Playing Right Now

…whew, yanno what? This is running on a bit longer than I had expected! So, let’s pick this up in a couple of days, shall we? Thanks for muddling through. I’ll wrap this idea up by this coming Thursday. Until then.