Top 10 Video Game Moments

AAAAND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.....

That's right folks, I've decided to branch out this blog somewhat. Truth of the matter is, limiting this blog to JUST the context of cakes is rather..... limiting! So I'm branching out! From now on, I will be the context of this blog. That's right, me, and everything the makes me.... me! And I'm starting this new leaf with a top ten list!
For all of you nutbugs out there who actually know me, it goes without saying that I'm kind of a goon when it comes to video games. I've been playing them since I was a wee lad, and as of recently, I have been reminiscing on some of the biggest moments that stand out in my mind while toiling away at my various virtual adventures, so I decided to make this list as a homage to my devotion. Also, each entry will have a link to a youtube video of it so you can get a taste of each of them. So here it goes!!

NUMBER 10:
 Child of Eden - Passion
As years have gone by in my life as a gamer, one of the coolest things I've seen happen in it's evolution, is the gradual marriage of art, music, and game. And when they all come together, it creates an ephemeral moment for me! Child of Eden, overall, is one of those games for me, especially this level as a whole. I was completely mesmerized by the entire experience.

NUMBER 9:
Psychonauts - The Milkman Conspiracy
In my opinion, Psychonauts is one of the best games to come out on the original Xbox. It's also one of the craziest, funniest, and most original games I've ever played. For all of you who don't know the story, the game follows a young psychic boy named Raz, who sneaks away one summer to a camp for psychic children where they hone their skills in the minds of other people. As the game progresses, you eventually find yourself on a creepy island with an insane asylum on it, and finally find out what it actually would be like to go into the mind of a crazy person.
Boyd, the milkman, was that moment.

NUMBER 8:
Pokemon Gold/Silver - Gym Leader Whitney
Scoff all you want, but to this day, the Pokemon games are some of the best RPGs ever made. And ultimately, this moment makes the list for an important reason. Games should be challenging. One of the biggest things video games bring are challenges to overcome and the reward of accomplishment when you complete a difficult virtual hurdle. This Gym battle was one such moment for me. Up until that point in my Pokemon experience, I had found the Pokemon Gyms to be challenging, but easy to prepare for. This battle changed all that. I must have been stuck on this for at least a month as a kid, and I think it may have caused my first 'rage quit' of a video game. BUT, that moment when I finally won, was such a moment of accomplishment for me, I cheered and w00ted, and was reminded of why I gamed in the first place.

NUMBER 7:
Super Mario 64 - Opening
This was the moment, probably not just for me, but for a lot of gamers out there, as I was standing in Walmart, in the electronics section, playing the Nintendo 64 demo they had set up of this game, where my eyes opened just a little wider at the possibilities of where gaming could go. Before this,  gaming was most often, a left to right, two-dimensional experience. So when Nintendo brought that experience to a 3D level, I was blown away at what the future may hold....

NUMBER 6:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - After Helgen
Freedom. On a scale I have never experienced before in gaming. Not even in MMOs. The build up, and previews of this game, prior to release KIND OF prepared me for what this game would bring, but, honestly, I had no idea. The sandbox world of Skyrim was so big, and massive, that the moment after the introduction of the game, and I was released into the world to explore at my own pace, go wherever, do whatever...... it was almost too much to handle.

NUMBER 5:
Red Dead Redemption - Entering Mexico
Another music, art, and game moment for me. Rockstar Games truly set the bar high for creating a game's atmosphere, letting gamers experience the closest we'll probably ever get of the Wild West at the turn of the century. Entering Mexico for the first time, in game, was one of the biggest highlights of the entire game for me, as I was treated to the game's haunting theme song "Far Away" by Jose Gonzales. As I rode my horse and listened to chilling lyrics, dread and ominous intrigue overcame me of how this story of a man's path towards self forgiveness and redemption could possibly end....

NUMBER 4:
Super Mario Land - Ending
Every gamer has one..... the first game they EVER beat. This game was that for me. I walked a little prouder that day as an 8 year old. And looking back now, the ending theme music is one of the best ever made.

NUMBER 3:
Bioshock Infinite - Hallelujah
Whoever said games could never be an art-form or a formidable way of storytelling, needs to play this game. Everything about this game was a level of gaming that rarely happens. And this moment, towards the beginning of my adventure into the world of the floating dystopian city of Columbia, made me realize, I was about to experience one HELL of a game. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

NUMBER 2:
Bioshock - "Would You Kindly...."
WARNING, SPOILERS!!!! Who doesn't love a good plot twist?? Especially when you don't see it coming. The story line of Bioshock was turned upside-down about two thirds of the way through the game. And everything I thought about what was to come changed completely.

NUMBER 1:
Super Mario Brothers 2 - World 1-1
The game that started it all..... The very first game I can remember EVER playing as a child was this one. My older sister finally handed me the NES controller one day, and it all began for me...

Hope you all enjoyed my list!! Thanks for reading, and perhaps this will inspire you to create a list of your very own of something YOU enjoy! Until next time!

~ Your Caker Maker