Favorite Moments in Video Games

[Nathander]

I tend to play video games a lot, as they've been a part of my life since childhood. That being the case, there have been moments from games that have always stuck with me. I'm wondering if this has been the case with others, and, if so, what those moments have been. Needless to say, there will be spoilers.

System Shock 2:

Excellent, excellent first person shooter. Like its predecessor, a lot of the tension built by the game isn't from the actual gunfights, but from the tension and atmosphere of the game and its dialogue. One of the best scenes in the game is where you find that the character who's been helping you has actually been a pawn/guise for Spoiler Below

SHODAN, the insane AI villain from the original game.

Video Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOFZ5fv_pb8
Note: There is a brief moment of PG level violence. Just a warning.

Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseit Von Gut und Bose

The Xenosaga series is one of my favorite game series ever made, RPG or otherwise. The best moment in the second game, however, is a brief interlude that occurs right after the credits. One of the reasons its so remarkable is simply the sense of dread it fills you with if you've played through the first and second games.

Video Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COvhIJn0UeY

Xenosaga Episode III: Also Spracht Zarathustra

The third and final entry in the series, and my favorite. It has several great scenes, as do all the games. For the one I'm about to show in particular, however, I have to give some explanation.

Spoiler Below

Throughout the series, there's a party member in your group named Ziggy. Ziggy is a cyborg of over a hundred years old. Initially, he was a human being named Jan Sauer and a member of a special police force to investigate and apprehend a serial killer nicknamed Voyager. His investigation squad was made up of four people other than himself: a female officer whose name I unfortunate forget, a robot whose name I forget, a Realian (a type of specialized android) named Lactis, and a researcher named Erich Webber.

Ultimately, Voyager would come to be found out to be Erich Webber, who was killing people in the hopes of appeasing a god-like being named U-DO, in the belief that U-DO would grant him the ability to live forever. The final two sacrifices Voyager made were Jan's wife and son. Jan and the rest of the party confront Voyager, and kill him.

Unfortunately, Voyager is chosen by the main villain of the series, Wilhelm, to be one of his specialized servants, a type of being called a Testament. Voyager comes back shortly after being killed and confronts Jan again. Despite all their effort, the party is unable to beat Voyager, and Voayger gives Jan an ultimatum: either join him and Wilhelm and become a Testament, or die by his hands. Jan instead chooses neither, deciding to take his own life in order to deprive Voyager of victory. Jan's body is eventually taken up by an act called the Life Recycling ACt and made into a cyborg named Ziggaurat 8. This is how we meet him at the beginning of the first game, a hundred years later.

The scene(s) here are near the end of the game, during the final confrontation with Voyager. The scene before the battle, and the scene after which final leads to Voyager's true death, are some of the most memorable moments in the game.

Video Clip (Before Battle): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cISUybKuL68
Video Clip (Battle): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJG2WEvrqiA
Video Clip (After Battle):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MNmnNeA210

Final Fantasy VI:

Really, any sequence with Kefka, arguably one of the best video game villains ever created. There's too many to really find and post here. Just play the game. You won't regret it.

I'll probably post more when I have the time and chance, but this is all I can do right now.

[Medikor]

I don't really have it in me to list all my fave gaming moments but I'll try and list the ones off the top of my head.

Chrono Trigger - The battle on Zenin bridge and the rest of the events in 600 AD is always the most magical and epic feeling portion of the game to me. And it helps that Frog is my favorite character.

Final Fantasy III(VI) - I would say the entire game but that would be cheating. In particular, I love Spoiler Below

the battle of Narshe (when you're trying to keep Kefka away from the frozen esper), Sabin's scenario, the floating continent, the opera, the world of darkness

...oh I'll just say the whole game!

Final Fantasy VII - I always loved the part early on when Spoiler Below

you attack the Shinra building and finally make your way out of Midgar.

It has everything from stealth, action, drama, horror, mystery, and suspense. It really builds up the story with so many different events beginning to unfold.

LOTR TTT and ROTK - Two great movie games that really got my adrenaline pumping like never before by really making me feel like I was right there in Helms Deep and Minas Tirath, fending off a seemingly endless army of blood-thirsty orcs and uruk-hai!

Faxanadu - Simply being the nameless hero who comes and travels through the very atmospheric and other-worldly areas of this neglected gem is an unforgettable experience!

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - The rain at the beginning of the game. 'Nuff said.

Super Metroid - The creepy atmosphere of this masterpiece is something that every gamer must experience. My favorite part is landing on Zebes at the beginning. Spoiler Below

After a while of wandering the seemingly deserted planet, you soon realize that you're not alone.

That's all that I can think of for now. I'll try and list more as they come to me.

[Partymember]

i have to say a really good double kill in Halo 2, something you really feel good about.

for instance: killing somebody by bouncing a grenade off a ramp, it pops up into the air and you can score a kill if somebody's coming down the other side. Also gotta love the no-scope headshots with the battle rifle

[jekylljuice]

I suppose my favourite video game moment would have to be the conclusion to The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, on the old school Game Boy. It took me around six years of intermittent gameplay to complete it, so the sensation of simply getting that far felt hugely gratifiying within itself, but I also found it to be a surprisingly moving, poignant and beautiful way to end the game - I remember there being a lump in my throat as I watched the credits roll. There was, however, a vague kind of loose end, which a friend tells me they do address as a sort of Easter Egg if you can complete the game without ever dying. Sadly, I doubt I'll really find the time to be trying that any time soon.

[taranchula]

Final Fantasy 6: Yeah I too could just cheat and say "The whole game" but instead I'll touch on a section of the game no one else has mentioned yet.

Spoiler Below

The Opera House scene, you know what I am talking about.

Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies.

Spoiler Below

The Final battle against The Megalith.
The final mission of the game has you leading your squad of fighter jets in all out assault against a giant laser cannon while an awesome orchestral score blares in the background.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Spoiler Below

The final fight against The Boss. This one on one classic confrontation between student and teacher, is one of the most emotionally charged fights in all of video gamedom as you and her duke it out in a visually stunning field of white flowers engaged in a winner take all duel to the death.

Shadow of the Colossus

The rush you get when you take down your very first Colossus....which is quickly dashed when you realize that there are several more of those bad boys left to kill.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Spoiler Below

All of case number four where you have to defend your rival "Miles Edgeworth" who is on trial for murder and the man who is prosecuting him is the demonic "Manfred Von Karma" who was Miles' mentor/father figure.

Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations

Spoiler Below

Case number five, where you actually get to play as Miles Edgeworth as he fills in for an injured Phoenix as the defense attorney.

[Ridureyu]

The cut scenes and boss battles in King of Fighters '97. Even with the engrish, they're still incredibly effective.

And even though Orochi is the easiest KOF boss (if you know what to exploit), he's amazing.