The Top 10 Most Impactful Games of My Childhood: Honorable Mentions

Either because I simply love writing or crave attention, I’ve decided to include a few of the games from my childhood that didn’t make the initial list, but still served in making my childhood the greatest that it could possibly be. Without further ado, here are three games that, along with the Top 10, had a major impact on my childhood.

~

11. Pokemon Silver (Released October 14th, 2000) (Game Boy Color)

I didn’t start with Red or Blue. I didn’t start with Yellow. I started with Silver. The first Pokemon game I’ve ever played (that actually follows the main plot line), it opened my eyes to the world of (handheld) pokemon. Truth be told, I knew from the beginning that Pokemon was based off of a video game, but I spent most of my early childhood watching the anime. Again, my parents weren’t exactly frivolous with money, so I never got my hands on many games throughout my early childhood (Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Snap, Pokemon Silver).

Seeing as I started with Pokemon Silver, the second generation of pokemon mean just as much to be as the first generation. My favorite starting pokemon of all-time is Feraligatr, not Charizard (even though I always preferred Blastoise over Charizard). Since then, I’ve owned Pokemon Yellow, Red, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen, Crystal (on the emulator), Pearl, Diamond, Platinum, SoulSilver, White, and X and Y. So, you can see that it only started a very long chain of pokemon games that have come and gone (I only still have X and Y and Crystal). The thing about pokemon is that aspect of RPG based gaming that I’ve come to adore ever since my early childhood, and in some ways, pokemon began that love (Pokemon Stadium). And all of the pokemon you can come across? It’s spawned a whole generation of fan-made pokemon creations (that I still draw today!). To consider that pokemon still holds such a tight bind on me even at the age of twenty, it’s impressive my wallet doesn’t hate me for making it lonely. Nintendo better appreciate my offerings! Regardless, the innovation of pokemon throughout the years (even though some of the creative touch has lacked in the last few generations) has made such a direct impact on me both creatively and critically. Lavender Town is still one of my favorite tunes. Spooky.

~

12. Donkey Kong Country 3 (Released November 22nd, 1996) (Super Nintendo)

Oh, boy. Here we go. Debatably the first game I’ve ever played. Donkey Kong Country 3 started my descent into the world of fat, lazy people. I’m not sure it was the right choice. Regardless! This game is (from my experiences) the most looked down upon game in the trilogy of Donkey Kong Country games. I don’t see why, because this one was the most magical for me. Perhaps it was because neither Diddy nor Donkey Kong were even in this game? Perhaps it was because your partner was a baby. Perhaps it was because it’s the exact same game as the second? Who knows. Whatever the case, I loved it all the same.

It provided color, it provided entertainment, most of all, it introduced me to the world of Nintendo (and Rare). Donkey Kong Country 3 had music, flair, memorable enemies and characters, and most of all, fun courses. The amount of effort and energy that is apparent in this game was apparent to me as a child, and is somewhat apparent to me as an adult. The characters, albeit strange, were just as memorable to me as Donkey and Diddy. I grew to love them all the same. The music is something I’d like to talk thoroughly about, because that’s one thing about the game that really stands out to me. The score for this game is one that I will always cherish, specifically the tracks for the underwater and snowy areas. Something about the music that goes with those courses brings a flutter to my heart, and a wiggle to my senses. But it was all aspects of the game that made the game truly unique. The graphics, the gameplay, the music, the controls; everything about this game means so much to me, and I will never forget my times playing it incessantly as a child. My parents must have been tired.

This just in: I was just told by my father that the original Donkey Kong Country was the first game I ever played as a child. Whoops.

~

13. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (Released 1999) (Game Boy Color)

Oh. I see. So you put down the Deluxe edition of what is debatably the greatest game of all-time? Yes. Because that’s the version I played as a child. When it wasn’t Pokemon Silver on my Game Boy Color, it was Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. From what I recall, I actually had Super Mario Bros. Deluxe for a much longer time than I had Pokemon Silver. That game, as with most of the games during my childhood, were lost in the battlefield, long ago. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe actually lasted me a good while, until (roughly) 2006, until I finally lost that, too.

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe was essentially just Super Mario Bros., except it also came with bonus features! Y’know what kids love with games? Bonus features. I did. In every level, there were special coins that one had to collect, and even better, hidden yoshi egg blocks. By collecting all of these bonus, hidden materials, the player could unlock special artist renditions and pictures of enemies and characters from the Super Mario Bros. series. I had so much fun trying to find and collect every little thing from every level. It added that initial boost in replayability that made the game fun to play over and over again. Not to mention, it’s one of the greatest games of all-time.

So, think of it like this; the greatest game of all-time with bonus features. All conveniently placed in a little cartridge to be played in a handheld system. Did that blow my mind as a child? No. Because I had no idea of the impact that Super Mario Bros. had on humanity. Does it blow my mind now? Yes. Absolutely. To think that they could take an already legendary game and make it better (in my opinion). That’s dedication to excellence. That’s dedication to their fans. That’s Nintendo, and I love them for it. Now, if only they could stop doing it with all of these New Super Mario Bros. sequels…