☆"My Favourite Video Games WOW Moments"☆ #GamersUnite #Retrogaming

What Is A Wow Moment In Video Games terms?

For me it's been the moment when I've started to play a new game and then wham! Something happens that you didn't think was possible until you just witnessed it. 

These kind of moments are few and far between but I am going to attempt to share with you my 10 WOW moments that will stick with me forever, when a video game took my breath away (for various reason)

1. Sonic The Hedgehog - "I Feel The Need For Speed"

Did you share my disbelief for how fast Sonic The Hedgehog seemed to be. For me the absolutely hectic speed of the game was like nothing I could imagine previously. You could complete the first level in the blink of an eye. Of course there was much more to this game than outright speed, it contains some of the most clever level design from the era of platformers which gives you choice of completion routes and a genuine way to explore the levels to uncover the games little secrets. Even now when I play this game Sonic seems to burts out of the screen (especially powered up with his red speed shoes!)

 

2. Call Of Duty 4 - "Ghillies In The Mist"

I played COD4 way after the initial stampede of people had gone out to buy it and I bought it to see what the fuss was all about. From the moment I started playing the game I understood the fuss. Everything felt so real and less like a parody of war. This was absolutely hammered home with the Ghillies level. The stealth involved in completing this level had my heart racing as I crawled through the grass and then the tank came…….. I nearly yelped but dare not as I didn't want to give away my whereabouts. It was a heart in the mouth video game moment that I will never forget. If you have never played COD then just play this game to see what the pinnacle of the series really looks like.

 

3. The Last Of Us - "A game can make me cry!?"

Well this video game has the most WOW moments of any video game I can ever remember playing. There is just so much to it and you get totally drawn into each of the characters lives and end up caring about every consequence of your actions. It truly is the proverbial emotional roller-coaster (as they say on X Factor every damn year!). The thing is there are moments where you will cry. Yes I said it, I cried during TLOU. The first moment I cried was during the opening sequence!! It had me from minute 1 and the WOW moments just kept on coming. This masterpiece will take some beating….Will it ever be beaten for WOW moments?

 

4. Street Fighter 2 - "How did that get on my SNES?"

Having worshipped the Arcade version of Street Fighter 2 the most eagerly awaited game of my lifetime so far was the SNES release of Street Fighter 2 and boy oh boy it did not disappoint me in any way shape or form. The cartridge cost a whopping £64 and I got it for my birthday. I remember plugging that hunk of beautiful plastic into my SNES for the first time and seeing the arcade game on my TV screen. It was as if by magic that it had occurred. My mouth wide open I couldn't believe that my favourite arcade game ever was now on my SNES and it looked stunning, truly stunning…..an absolute WOW moment as I began to play with Ken and just drooled over this amazing game.

 

5. Half Life 2 - "GravityGunFun"

I'd heard of the fabled Gravity Gun before I'd begun to play HL2 as my mate at work would always reference it as being the best piece of kit in any video game ever. I was sceptical. What is so good about a gravity based weapon? I finally succumbed to my friends constant up-selling of HL2 and the gravity gun and bought a copy of the Orange Box on XBOX 360. Wow……not only was this the greatest FPS EVER, it also contained the best piece of kit in any video game ever! Yes, my friend was right. This game was full of WOWs but the Gravity Gun is the show stealing apparatus of destruction. Basically, combine said Gravity Gun with a circular saw-blade and you will immediately see where my WOW is coming from. Ingenious and fun….perfect!

 

6. Monkey Island 2 - "A game can be funny?!"

Video Games aren’t funny right? WRONG! At least when it came to the Monkey Island series that I love to play on the Amiga. Monkey Island was the first game that made me Laugh Out Loud (lol) It felt like a door had opened into a new  world of video games when I played MI2 as it seemed funnier and better looking than the original and constantly surprised me with how funny it was (and still is). A true master class in making a clever and funny game that gamers still care about today. Just funny WOW :)

 

7. WalkingDead "I care about my in game decisions"

Walking Dead is for me interactive fiction. I didn't think I would like it at first as it seemed to be a bit of a passive kind of game only requiring you to intervene at set points. BUT like a great book it grips you with its storyline and characters and then you realise that this is the future of interactive fiction the Telltale Games are so good at bringing to life. The thing is the setting is so believable that this game game grips you and WOWS you with the amount of heartache you feel when making certain decisions about characters. The episodic content has a big say in the thirst for more as it drip feeds you the story over certain amounts of episodes. For me this was the first must have Android game and I sit here waiting to be WOWED by Season 3.

 

8. Fallout 3 - "Welcome To The Wasteland"

Fallout 3 was the first open world game that I played where I didn't just feel like I was aimlessly wandering around. It had a purpose and that purpose was set into motion by the first steps from the vault into the vast Wasteland. It was an epic moment that made me WOW out loud. It was hard to take in the vast land that was spread before me as I stepped out of the vault. It was also daunting. Where do I go now? Being the first thought. It was the first step into the video gaming land of endless possibilities and the WOWS just kept on coming.

 

9. Resident Evil 4 (Wii) - "Head Shot!!"

Having not played the Gamecube version of RE4 I was an RE4 complete newbie. At the time I was yearning to play a "grown up" game on the Wii and this truly hit the spot and then some. The controls felt perfect for this type of game and your first head shot on a member of the undead produces the WOW that you are looking for. From then on it's a case of experiencing one of the most polished experiences I can remember for a long time. Pure unadulterated fun that I never thought I'd experience on the Wii in this guise!

 

10. Earthworm Jim - "An Interactive Cartoon On my Megadrive!? Never!!"

Watching my friend play this on his Megadrive had me saying WOW from minute 1. It felt like nothing I had seen before it just oozed cartoon comedy and made me think about video games and what was possible in a totally different light. A WOW from me was a double WOW when EWJ2 came out!! Timeless platform fun at its finest…..

 

What's YOUR Biggest Video Game WOW Moment?