One of the most inspiring things I've been able to witness over the course of my short lifetime has been society's increasing openness towards video games. More specifically, them being seen as a hobby and art form rather than a toy or distraction for children and basement-dwellers. And I'm not saying the latter doesn't exist either -- there are plenty of people who would rather learn the frame data of Luigi's aerial attacks in Smash Melee than learn how to file their taxes.
But in my opinion, this is yet another case of "old thing good, new thing bad". I think it's natural for the elders of a society to want to protect the youth from what they see as new and unfamiliar. Unfortunately for them, though, it didn't work on me! Games were a huge part of my childhood and remain a big part of my life today, just like how people of other generations grew up going to the cinema, reading books, or listening to the radio. And though there are many games I love and enjoy to this day, there are a handful of games that have truly shaped me, allowing me to unlock my creativity and imagination, and form meaningful friendships that hold strong in 2024. Here we go!
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Angry Birds (Mobile, 2009)
If we're being technical here, this is the first video game I ever played in my entire life. Of course, I didn't have a phone or tablet yet, so I was only able to play it on my dad's crusty old Windows phone. Most of you reading this know what Angry Birds is, so I'll spare you the exposition. While most of my memories from this period of my life are sparse, it's hard to ignore the true impact this game had on me. I think the biggest thing was how it got my creative juices flowing in the realm of new bird types that could be added to the game. I specifically remember coming up with a "Cloud Bird" which would have a regular arc of air travel but be completely untouchable until you tap the screen. So it could like, fly through stuff until you tap. I dunno, it was a decent idea.
I would say the culmination of this obsession was my Angry Birds birthday party (circa 2011) in which we used foam bricks, balls with bird faces painted on them, and a life-size slingshot to create the ultimate Angry Birds IRL experience. It was, to put it lightly, a cultural reset. In fact, some of those rubber balls still turn up in the backyard from time to time.
I don't partake in the Angry Birds extended universe anymore. To be honest, that would be a little strange. But what I can say is that this is the singular game that turned me into a video game enjoyer, and for that I am grateful.
Plants vs. Zombies (Mobile, 2009)
Angry Birds is cute, but Plants vs. Zombies is on another level. Now, there are a lot of classic App Store games that really defined this particular era. Angry Birds and PVZ are included, but there's also Fruit Ninja, Doodle Jump, Temple Run, Jetpack Joyride, Crossy Road, Bloons TD, Where's my Water, Flappy Bird (RIP), Cut the Rope, and Subway Surfers, which I honestly cannot believe is still popular. I played and loved all of these games, and so did basically everyone I knew at the time. Sadly, many of them have been bought up and turned into pay-to-win schemes or have had their brand diluted by soulless sequels and reboots. But they stand the test of time, if only as relics of a certain era when things were.... simpler.
Plants vs. Zombies remains my favorite of the bunch, and is the one I would still consider picking back up to play again every once and a while. The gameplay and world is truly imaginative, and yes, I would also come up with new ideas for plants they could add to the game, though I struggle to remember any nowadays. I have a distinct memory of my aunt letting me play this game on her iPad once, and when my mom came back to pick me up, I bawled so hard I could barely speak. And I had just unlocked the Gatling Pea, too!
This game also holds the title of one of the best video game soundtracks I've ever heard. When I was a kid, I enjoyed "Graze the Roof" and "Zombies on Your Lawn", but today, I have a newfound appreciation for the musical mastery behind all the tracks. Watery Graves especially! Speaking of Zombies on Your Lawn, there was a time in kindergarten when I was singing the lyrics for no reason on the schoolyard, and when I got to the part that says "we power an entire infantry" I was chewed out by the teacher because apparently 10 year-olds shouldn't be saying the word "infantry".
Any way you slice it, this game played a major role in forming my tastes in games. But I was still just a youngin at the time, so lots of it I don't actually remember directly. But the games listed next are more recent, and therefore, make more of a lasting impression on myself today.
Geometry Dash (Mobile, Steam, 2013)
Hoooooo boy.
There are few games on this planet that I have played more than Geometry Dash. I actually remember when I first heard about it, too. I had invited some friends over for a sleepover, and the morning after, Brady Atzert showed it to me on his tablet. All I saw was the level editor, but once I knew I needed to get this game, I began the arduous process of begging my dad to let me spend five bucks and purchase it for my Nook from Barnes and Noble. And once I did, not only were my brain synapses changed forever, sparking a new wave of creativity, but the way I listen to music was forever affected. Yes, I do believe that this game played a role in how I listen to, appreciate, dissect, and create music to this day.
Being a rhythm game where the events on-screen are synced to music, the music playing is clearly very important to the experience. Playing Geometry Dash exposed me to new genres of music, like dubstep, trance, house, and EDM. Now, I know this isn't just me who does this, but making Geometry Dash levels also changed how I listen to all types of music, as I sometimes visualize level layouts in my head that sync to the music that's playing wherever I happen to be. I still do this. If I'm bored at a classical concert, sitting in the car, or listening to music on a walk, imaging Geometry Dash layouts to all kinds of music is genuinely fun. Or it's just a never before-seen level of brainrot. I'll leave that up to you.
The crusade to beat every main level was a daunting one. I still remember sitting in the backseat of our parked car in the Marshall's parking lot on Verdugo when I first beat Theory of Everything. I remember sitting under the dining room table on a random Sunday morning when I beat Clubstep. And I also remember sitting at my PC on a Discord call with Garrett sometime in 2022 when I first beat Deadlocked. That one took me a while.
I remember the morning we left for Camp High Trails in sixth grade being the exact day update 2.1 released, and how sad I was I couldn't play the game for a whole week. I remember December 19, 2023, when update 2.2 released just before I left for a Backyard Five rehearsal. I remember bringing this game on vacations and out n' about, all the levels I made, and the levels I beat. Even though it doesn't take up nearly as much of my time as it once did, I can't deny that it's always been there, and it gave me a necessary creative outlet before I discovered music. I really owe this game a lot!
Super Mario Odyssey (Switch, 2017)
This is the first game I ever tracked the release of before it actually came out. In the summer and fall of 2017, news was dropping left and right about the game, whether it be new trailers or events. I don't actually remember how I found out about this game, but I do know that once I did, the excitement train was unstoppable. Advertised as the grand return to 3D sandbox Mario that hadn't been seen since the Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine days, this game was proving to be one of the biggest new Mario titles in a while. And while I wasn't hip to retro Nintendo at the time, I knew how truly important and exciting it was.
Super Mario Odyssey's news cycle was taking place parallel to the first year of the Nintendo Switch, which was proving to be a huge comeback for the company after a dismal Wii U console generation. This meant buzz, online and in-person, about Nintendo and what they were cooking up, and I was swept up by it. By the end of the year, I was following Nintendo YouTube channels and news outlets, and generally joining the ongoing online discussions about the company and what was next. This is still the case today! In fact, in an investor briefing last month, Nintendo officially acknowledged the existence of the successor to Nintendo Switch which is to be revealed sometime before next April. The cycle continues!
I was pretty neurotic about this game to be honest. Literally counting down the days until October 27th. There was an event at Universal City Walk where you could go and get a chance to play the game early. I made my mom drive me there on some random Tuesday after school, and once we got there, the line was full and they weren't letting anyone else in. That was extremely devastating. And once the game came out, I played for like 12 hours on day one. The release date happened to coincidentally land on a staff development day, meaning we had the day off from school. Awesome!
Now that I've played this game more times than I can count, the novelty has sadly worn off. But nothing will change the fact that Super Mario Odyssey will always have that special place in my heart for making me love Nintendo as a brand, and getting me involved with online gaming spaces that I am still a part of to this day. I tip my hat!
Some Honorable Mentions
Yoshi's Woolly World -- A fantastic Wii U Yoshi game! I played it a lot with my sister, Lucy, when we were younger. Sadly, the sequel, Yoshi's Crafted World, isn't really as fun.
Paper Mario: The Origami King -- Most people seem to agree that modern Paper Mario isn't as good as the old games, but I honestly loved Origami King. Also, I played this game right about when I was starting bassoon lessons on Zoom, and we and my private teacher Darius quickly bonded over is and its outstanding soundtrack!
Cuphead -- Another game that helped keep me sane during Covid. I remember playing this on my second screen during summer world history class. The soundtrack really got me interested in jazz, which is a genre I really enjoy nowadays.
Tomodachi Life -- This game was a true cultural staple. Being able to add all your real life friends and family onto one island where they all interact and live their lives is one of the funniest ideas for a game out there, and Tomodachi Life did NOT disappoint in the comedy department. Especially the song writing mode, that was just amazing.
MarioKart DS, MarioKart 7, MarioKart 8, and MarioKart 8 Deluxe -- The MarioKart series is one of my absolute favorites, and all of these games provided hours and hours of entertainment for me and my friends. On some occasions, even some family nights would be spent on the racetrack, with me speeding ahead and my dad still figuring out which button makes you accelerate.
Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch, 2019)
Picture this: it's a chilly, rainy day in February 2019. There was a Nintendo Direct today, but you couldn't watch it life because you had class. So you get home, find the video after the fact, and press play. What games could be revealed? It could be anything. And just like that, the very first announcement rolls by.
THEY'RE DOING ANOTHER MARIO MAKER!?
Folks, I suggest you buckle in, because Super Mario Maker 2 is not only my current favorite game in existence, but also the one I have played for the most amount of hours. Easily. As of right now, it's over 1,500. But what is this game, and why was I so excited?
Before the era of Switch, we had a Wii U. There were a few games on it that we really liked, but for me, Super Mario Maker was the standout. A game that let you make your own 2D sidescrolling Mario stages? Amazing! Like Geometry Dash, this is another game that really let me be creative and experiment with stuff. It was the game I played the most at the time, and once the Switch rolled around, there was chatter as to whether a new Mario Maker game would be made for it. After all, the potential for new items is massive!
So when the sequel was announced, I absolutely flipped out. Easily the most excited I've ever been for a game announcement, and it isn't even particularly close. There were sooooo many new features. It was overwhelming. And with a release window of June 2019 provided, I knew it wasn't too long of a wait before I could get my grubby little mittens on it.
I owe a lot to this game. Mario Maker 2, in tandem with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, essentially got me through the pandemic. There was nothing to do, so I made a bunch of Mario levels and uploaded them online. Now that I've graduated I can say this, but during most of my Zoom lectures, I was playing Switch on my second monitor, and Mario Maker 2 was usually what I was playing. If you want proof of all the time I claim to have spent making stuff, here's a website that shows my maker profile and basically every level I've uploaded from 2019 through 2024. Have a look: https://smm2.wizul.us/smm2/maker/4JT-4N2-PFG/uploaded-courses
I still play this game. All. The. Time. I wouldn't be surprised if it's become one of my vital organs at this point. The funny thing is that I don't know a single person in real life who plays this game at all, much less the magnitude of hours that I have, so it's kind of my own little thing! But if you play this game, please tell me. I wanna play your levels! Oh, and if you hear news that they've announced Mario Maker 3, go ahead and shoot me a phone call just to make sure I'm still, y'know, alive.
So yeah, that's the gist of it. I've played this game for hundreds and hundreds of hours and it doesn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. However, I would argue that there's one game that has had an even bigger impact on me all throughout my life.
Terraria (Mobile, Steam, 2011)
A cool thing about this list is that each of these games seem to mark a certain era of my life. Angry Birds and PVZ were pillars of my early childhood, Geometry Dash was a big part of my late elementary school years, Mario Odyssey defined my middle school years, and Mario Maker 2 marked my freshman year of high school while also filling the Covid void.
But Terraria is a special game in that there wasn't really ever a time when I played it obsessively or took a long break. Between my elementary school years and today, Terraria has served as a constant. It's a game I will always love, and even if I don't play it all the time, it will always be waiting for me when I want to come back.
In the beginning, I played the mobile version on my old Samsung tablet. I was abysmal at the game, and so I never beat the first boss. In fact, I actively avoided it until I chickened out and made JD Dunkin take my tablet and beat the Eye of Cthulhu for me. Thanks man, you a real one for that.
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| A screenshot of my Terraria base from 2015 (it is horrendous) |
Super Mario Maker 2 might be my personal favorite, but Terraria is the game I believe to be the best video game ever made. It has everything you would want from one, in my opinion. A rich, sandbox world with secrets to find, elaborate building possibilities and room for creativity and customization, incredible action and combat mechanics, a vibrant atmosphere made possible by the incredible visuals and music, and it's only like ten bucks!
And the best thing? This game has been receiving updates continuously throughout my life as well! The developers are some of the most dedicated, talented, and down-to-earth you can come across, which is refreshing in the modern game industry. As I write this, we're on the brink of update 1.4.5. I'm tellin' ya, it never seems to end!
But what has really made this game special for me is how it has allowed me to connect with other people. In my opinion, this is a game best enjoyed in multiplayer. Everyone contributes in their own way which makes runs really feel like a team effort, and it's just way more fun! I've spent hours and hours on Discord calls with friends while playing Terraria, and those really are the best of memories. Especially when finally triumphing over a boss we'd been trying at for weeks!
Something interesting I've noticed is that I really only get the itch to play Terraria once or twice a year. The game is so deep and commands so much of my brain when I play it that it's almost too overwhelming to always have a playthrough going. And of course, there is so, SO much content in this game, which makes no single run the same and it's refreshing every time.
In a doomsday apocalypse purge scenario where I'm only allowed to take one game with me for recreational purposes, I'd certainly agonize over what to pick. But ultimately, it has to be Terraria. It's just... the best game ever. One you're almost guaranteed to enjoy if you give it a chance.
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Anyway, that's all I've got today. Now, if all goes according to plan, my days as a video game enjoyer are only beginning, and in the coming years, more games can be added to this list. And of course, there are many other games that are important to me for various reasons. Just in the last month I have experienced a game called Animal Well, which is SO so good, and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, which is proving to be an unforgettable adventure. The selections above are just on another level.
If you play games, I would love if you shared some that mean a lot to you. And if you're more into movies, shows, music, and books, I hope this gets you thinking about those in a new context. The media we consume isn't just a distraction or a waste of time. It enriches us, exercises our imaginations, allows us to make friends, and keeps our brains young. I, for one, think it's very important to not take ourselves so seriously and avoid things other might consider "childish". At the end of the day, we're all still exploring.
Catch you next time!
Jabe
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