Video Game Moments We Will Never Forget
- Adventure, Arcade, Art, Fighting, Game Modeling, Game Screenshots, Game Trailers, Graphics, MMO, Racing, Retro, RPG, Storyboards,
- October 28, 2018
In the 68 years since the the first video game ever created ( Bertie the Brain, 1950) there have been many epic and unforgettable moments that shaped video game history. Perhaps the opening screen of Bertie the Brain itself should be considered the most unforgettable of all. It was the moment video games became a part of our world. However, most modern gamers may not be familiar with the games of the 1950s-70s. The present day equivalent would be the moment each player first takes the controller in their own hand.
Every player has their personal favorites, the moments that tore their heart out, the triumph and tragedy that make gaming so immersive and compelling. The most well loved moments of video game history could fill a book. Let’s look at some of the most beloved game moments in each decade.
1950-1979
While many gamers will argue that the first true video game was Spacewar! (1962) or Pong (1972), the first known game was indeed Bertie the Brain. Each of these three games will go down in history as the early ancestors of modern gaming. The first three decades of video game history gave rise to video game competitions. Arcades with video games became a common sight in many cities and towns during the 70s.
The first video games were not plot heavy. Simply putting your quarter in the machine and playing games like Pac Man was the reward and most memorable event in this gaming era. Older generations of gamers recall those days nostalgically, but it was the next decade that began to offer the sort of heart stopping, gut wrenching or laughter inducing moments that most of us will never forget.
The 1980s-
As home video game consoles became more popular and the games became more complex, technology seemed to be at the top of it’s game. Companies like Nintendo and Atari were making more money than ever before in history until the great Video Game Crash (1983-1985). In two years the game companies lost 90% of their revenue and it seemed that the reign of the video game would soon come to an end.
In 1985 Nintendo released an unexpected game about two plumbers who found a magical world in the sewer pipes. Super Mario Brothers spawned one of the most successful and long standing game series in history, with new games due to be released this year for the switch and no end in sight.
It was however, another Nintendo classic game of the 1980s that spawned one of the most unforgetable and often used quotes in the genre of video games. The original Legend Of Zelda featured a nameless old man who counsels Link, the protagonist, with these words, “It’s dangerous to go alone. Here, take this.” That quote can be found in songs, videos, internet memes and on shirts to name just a few of the places it has popped up over the years. That moment is the best known example of an unforgettable moment in a video game. That simple yet compelling phrase has echoed down the years, repeated over and over until it is canon in the world of gaming.
The 80s also saw the rise of Lynx and Gameboy (1989), the first handheld portable video games. Gamers could now take their quests everywhere they went. It was another new frontier for gaming. Fortunately for us all, the temporary hiccup of the Crash was left behind as ever more complex and beautiful games were being created.
The 90s-
The 90s was the era of Duke Nukem, Sonic the Hedgehog and many other memorable and lasting characters. Sid Meyers’ Civillization came out on PC and dominated the strategy game field. More tv shows were being made about games and gaming than ever before. Video game based movies were on the rise and the eSports teams gained popularity adding a new dimension to competitive gaming. The internet was getting faster, the broadband wider and the access more universal.
Silent Hill, one of the first truly stunning horror games, provided players with an unforgettable moment in game history. In the opening sequence Harry, the protagonist, swerves his car to avoid hitting a child in the road and awakes to strange world of horror where his own adopted daughter is missing. The terror and sorrow of that moment in game history is a large part of the reason many gamers claim to this day that the original Silent Hill is the best example of the art of horror gaming ever created.
The New Millenium (2000s)
Gaming after the year 2000 has come a long way from the original 8 bit games that started it all.
Who can forget the frustration and adrenaline of playing the original Call of Duty (2003)? Facing off against other players worldwide and being shot in the head over and over to respawn and start again. The CoD series has been intensely popular from day one, and deservedly so. From storyline to graphics, online or alone at home, it is well rendered and action packed.
Portal (2007) was a surprise hit. Those lucky gamers who made it to the end and defeated GlADoS were in for a twist worthy of M. Knight Shamalan. Discovering that the whole experience was merely a simulation and the evil machine lived on testing other unwary victims confused some and upset others, but no one who has played it through will ever forget that ending.
The 2010s-
As the gaming universe continues to expand ever further into realms undreamed of by the first giddy creators of days past, our options and technology move at the speed of light. More games come out every month than any one gamer can play through in a year, or so it seems.
The most stunning and overlooked video game moment of the 2010s may belong to a game that was considered a complete failure. Those who never played Kingdoms of Amalur (2012) missed waking up on a pile of bodies only to discover they had died and yet somehow revived with unique abilities as the ‘Fateless One,’ in a complex and riveting world. This immersive and extensive fantasy rpg had the misfortune of bad marketing and a ton of very famous competition. Batman: Arkham City was released just months before the February debut of KoA. Dragon Age 2 also preceded and overshadowed Kingdoms of Amalur to name only two of the best known competitors. For those who played this lost and buried classic, awakening alone, scantly clad and confused atop a pile of bodies on the edge of the stunningly animated Well of Souls is one experience that you will never forget.
After reliving so many classic moments in game history there is only one question worthy of asking…
What will you play next?
Here’s also an example of unforgettable video game moments.
