The following is a post by forum user Solvanirn. He's been with us since 2009 when we had a brief sting in Aion and shows no signs of mental degradation thus far. We're honestly surprised he hasn't cracked under the strain of being around us, much like the crew of the Satellite Of Love.

Let me first start off by telling everyone a bit about myself. My name is Jordan and my usual screen name is Solvanirn taken from my first MMO Dark Ages of Camelot. I’m a 31 year old pharmacist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana and I absolutely, without a doubt love video games. More than a mere side hobby or something I do occasionally. I love everything about them, their creativeness, their story telling, the graphics, controls, you name it and I enjoy it.

I’ve thought a lot over the past few weeks with my work being super busy and just being so run down. I thought why do I continue to play video games? I thought a lot of why I like video games and what caused me to like them. It really ran the gamut of everything from a strong story line, to amazing graphics, to an emotional feeling or connection, and to just running around and killing the crap out of aliens, nazis, or whatever the main focal point is of the game. I learned that there were a few key games that I grew up with or that really changed the way that I feel and judge a game by and I just thought I would share them with everyone. Aside from the top 3, the rest are in no particular order. I will link YouTube to them as well so you can bask in their glory and awesomeness!!!

Maniac Mansion (NES)

This game was one of the first games that I played for NES and it was actually my sister’s. She loved it too. The music, the interactivity, the fact that you could die, the fact that you could put a hamster in the microwave, everything about this game was amazing. One thing that stuck with me was the replayability if that’s even a word. Each character had a unique strength that they brought to the group and was fun to mix and match. It was a difficult game too if you were just bumbling around in it. I never played Day of the Tentacle until later so Emo Green Tentacle had to do it for me.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (Arcade)

I have always loved the Street Fighter series starting back to the first Street Fighter 2 in the arcades. You know before it was all new and Super Street a few years later? The true third game took a giant leap for me in terms of gameplay and added the parry system. One that they regressed with the fourth installment of series and actually took it away. Not only if you were fast enough and knew all the other character’s moves, you could punish someone by turning their specials into counterattacks and combos. Not only is it simple to pick up and mess around in, watching some of the tournament videos and such that people have posted really show the depth and the sheer difficulty that is mastering this game.

Video of Ryu using the parry system:

Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors 2 (NES)

This was another early game that I remember so well. Side scrolling adventure game with some RPG elements thrown into the mix. Not only was the game super hard at points, but it was a beast to try and sit down and beat which I don’t think I ever did. I did keep coming back for more and more. Upgrading weapons, armor and spells while on a mystical quest to rescue a princess? Count me in!!!!!

Breath of Fire IV (SNES)

RPG’s have got to be my Achilles Heel of gaming. I will play one to completion no matter how bad the combat, the graphics, or what-have-you. I think for me its the sense of accomplishment and advancement. Knowing that just around the next corner there’s another level, another boss, or another save point. Just have to keep going. While I have played all of the BoF games, this one has always stuck out. Whether it was the combat combo system, the mastery feature, or the fact that the story is just plain amazing. I always come back and try to play this game every few years or so. It still holds up, not graphically per se, (hoping for a remake!) but the story, the controls and the combat are top notch.

Quake II (PC)

Ah Quake, my fickle mistress. The guns, the enemies, the explosions. All breathed a new life into the Quake series for me. It showed me what a great sequel could be, and what it SHOULD be. The only thing I noticed too after watching some videos on it was how great the music was. For a FPS game, this one nailed it! Thanks to Sonic Mayhem for being so awesome!!! I think I played this game a little too much as I was hearing March of the Troggs in my sleep during finals week one year!!!!

Dark Ages of Camelot (PC)

My first MMO. My first experience of what it was like to be playing with hundreds if not thousands of other people. Then mowing them down with my Skald!!!! The graphics, sound, and camaraderie in each of the three factions was none like I had seen or experienced before. I was a freshman in college when I first discovered this game and played steadily, even while playing WoW, for the next 8 years. I have never seen a game stay for so long and continue to provide endless amounts of joy and creativity for a player, whether it was making a new character or RvR’ing on a current one. Logging in to chat with friends or just crafting for endless hours. Thanks Mythic for making such a great game that stands the test of time!!!!

So now that some of those are out of the way. Here are my top 3 in a definitive order. I usually try to base any game I play in one way or another off of these.

3. Secret of Mana (SNES/Wii)

RPG? Check. Massive world to explore? Check. World crisis involving the Mana Tree and needing the 3 heroes to save it? Check. Not only because its a great and amazing game for the storyline and gameplay, but also the fact that if you had 2 other friends growing up wanting to save the world or even now on the Wii want some throw back fun with the Hero, Sprite and the Girl? You can do that too. This was the first RPG that I realized how much fun they could be with friends and wish more games did something like this. Looking back at this and realizing in some way shape this model grew up into the MMO market I think that it is today. Why stop at 3 people? 10? 20? 100000? Keep adding more and more people to the story and the sky’s the limit.

2. Final Fantasy 6 (SNES)

Another RPG? What the hell!! Yes for a totally different reason. This was for the calamity that Kefka caused at the end of the first half of the game. Before you say “ZOMG SPOILER ALERTSZ!!!” this game is over 17 years old. Statue of limitations people! The game had two main acts in the first you discovered Terra and going through and figuring out who she was, meeting an almost endless cast of characters and companions along the way. Then the game ended for lack of a better term. Your world was over, after fighting for 40 hours and finally getting to Kefka, he still won. Wow that fucking sucks! The second act is a little more quick to get going, but essential nonetheless. Having Celeste waking up a year afterwards and picking up the mantle of hero. Finding all of your old friends and some new ones along the way. Exploring a changed world. Putting together a 3 group team to assault Kefka’s fortress. Finally getting there and kicking his ass. Yeah I’m emotional about this game. This game defined for me what a great game could be and what an amazing RPG it is. Graphics, combat, story, pacing, everything about it was top notch. It was all wrapped into a nice little package that kept me entertained for years after buying it when it was first released. Greatest investment ever! Thanks for the greatest birthday present ever Mom and Dad!!!

1. Silent Hill 2 (PS2)

Wow, really? Before you hate me, listen to me. If you haven’t played this game, please do right now. No seriously, stop reading this and go find a copy or ROM of it and try it out. For me the whole entire experience of Silent Hill 2 was much more of an interactive movie than anything. It was quite a short game if you just ran from story line point to story line point, but then your ending was absolutely terrible. It again vastly improved from the first one. It did everything in my mind right. The main quest of the game was that you receive a letter from your wife letting you know she’s in that special place in Silent Hill for you waiting. Kind of weird and kinky except the fact your wife has been dead for 2 years…

The point that nailed it home for me, was finally getting to the Hotel and finally getting to the room where you and your wife stayed only to find that videotape. That stupid fucking videotape. Because it is due for a relaunch here soon with a high definition remake I won’t spoil it for you. But it was the one time in a video game where I saved, put the controller down, then took a walk outside and tried to comprehend what the fuck I just saw and experienced. It was like the end of The Blair Witch for me. Wow. Just wow. The small cast of characters, the mysterious town, the fucked up alternate town, the sound, the graphics, EVERYTHING in this game spoke to me for some reason. It kept me coming back for more, kept me trying to get that best ending, trying to see what messed up ending I could get and all are equally valid endings too depending on how you view the game. This game is so amazing and so deep I make it sound like an art house project and maybe I am reading more into that I need to. But it really stuck a chord with me and I continue to hold any game up to its standards in my mind.

Well, there you go. My short list of influences. This is not a complete nor comprehensive list. I picked some of my favorites aside from the top 3. I wish I could list more, Mortal Kombat, Centipede, Second Sight, and a whole lot more, but there just isn’t room!!!!

I have so many likes regarding video games sometimes its hard to make a list like this. However I know what it is for certain is that gaming can only get better and more creative as time goes on.

So what are your most influential games? What is it about gaming that makes you keep coming back? Why are you still reading?

Solv