VGMaps

It's tough to narrow down, for sure!
I wanted to keep it to ones that truly mean something to me, but playing games since the early '80s and not slowing down much means that I have lots to choose from.
These eleven are truly special, but ask me again another day and I might have to substitute a few.

Can we get back to that trend of "get to know me by these ten games"?
(Yes, I chose eleven, whatever.)

The long-defunct Facebook browser game, SimCity Social, and SPECIFICALLY the arcade version of SoulCalibur II are on my list; I don't think I've seen anyone else choose those.

YouTube video by Hasbro Pulse We’re Sorry About Optimus Prime | The Transformers: The Movie (1986) 40th Anniversary

I don't know if it's weird or genius to lean into the most infamous thing about The Transformers: The Movie (1986).
Also, they should've put better marketing into Transformers ONE (2024). Just saying.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U62...

To be honest, I don't like Metroid: Samus Returns as much as everyone else does.
I'm not really into the melee combat, there are too many energy-sapping weeds, areas look the same, but I do like a couple bosses, Diggernaut and the final one (even though it feels like he was tacked on just because).

YouTube video by PlayStation State of Play | February 12, 2026 [English Subtitles]

Today's PlayStation State Of Play excited me more than the recent Nintendo Direct.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, Dead Or Alive 6: Last Round, Mina The Hollower, 007: First Light, and more...

Can't wait to play them... BUT on my PC, not my PS5.
😛

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGdF...

I skipped over the "Lords Of Shadow" reboot series (including the 3DS game I could have played called "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate" - what a mouthful).
I know it changes the Belmont family tree, and how they are connected to Dracula, etc.
But is it any good?

YouTube video by PlayStation Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse - Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games

The last FULLY NEW Castlevania video game I enjoyed (not counting remakes, collections, crossovers, the spiritual successor of Bloodstained, or the Netflix series) was Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia (DS, 2008).

18 years. It's welcome, but it's ridiculous.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3-S...

Disney Afternoon Game Boy games:

Disney Afternoon console games of the era:

Though there is indeed product placement, it's kind of a weird Nintendo commercial, in the sense that "Nintendo" is only ever said out loud during the scene with the Game Play Counselors, and nowhere else in the movie.

Yup, here's Tobey Maguire!

If going by cartridges, you could just get "Super Mario Bros. All-Stars + Super Mario World" and get them both, and the other early Super Mario games too!

Though there's also something to be said about the original 8-bit charm for the games originally on the NES...

The funny thing is that when I bought my copy of the "Left Bros." variant of Super Mario Bros. 3, it was from an eBay seller named "Two Brothers Games", LOL.

Though now I question if that was the original commercial because the box shown at the end isn't the "Left Bros." version that it was originally released as.

36 years ago...
(Boy, does that make me feel old...)
Kids these days don't know what it's like for almost every gamer to be excited for the same game all at once!
Happy North American birthday, Super Mario Bros. 3!

I don't think it is likely that we could ever have such a huge percentage of gamers excited for a single game ever again, with so many options for gaming devices and genres and characters now. Back then, Super Mario Bros. 3 felt like magic.

"The Wizard" movie helped, and I remember word-of-mouth from people aware of its Japanese release. (I discovered the game in an import games store, thinking it felt "so soon" after Super Mario Bros. 2, but was still excited for the North American launch after experiencing it for myself early.)

Super Mario Bros. 3 came out late in the NES's life span (and the Genesis did not have Sonic The Hedgehog yet), so an estimated 85%-90% of console gamers ALREADY had an NES, and Super Mario Bros. 2 was pretty popular, so everyone was SO READY for the next one.

For Super Mario World, some parents were resistant to buying a whole new console, and people eventually got it, but not at the same time.

Happy 36th anniversary to the North American release of Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES!

Though I maintain that Super Mario World on the Super NES is the better game, Super Mario Bros. 3 was a much, much bigger deal because more people in North America were simultaneously excited for it.

YouTube video by iteachvader Objection Funk Remastered

This is what real justice looks like:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTht...

Here's a scene from Charlie's Angels (2000) where two kids are playing Final Fantasy VIII.

Is the second player accomplishing anything by pushing buttons in this single-player RPG?

For VGMaps.com: The Video Game Atlas, @darklordzagato.bsky.social is on a mission to make sure we have maps of every NES game, and you know he's not messing around when we now have maps from The Miracle Piano Teaching System!
vgmaps.com/Atlas/NES/in...

YouTube video by Pringus McDingus Hi, I'm Daisy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NCy...

Oh, man, that's the worst, when people say it like that.

Though today I learned that this is a thing, and I will judge you if you have some and don't share.

If you call Reese's Peanut Butter Cups "Reese's Pieces", I will absolutely judge you.

Like Ghostbusters II on the NES... technically "New Ghostbusters II", but you know what I mean.

It's like if there's ghosts involved, movie ghosts at that, gotta make two versions and give North Americans the crappy one!

Symphony Of The Night is EASILY the best Castlevania game ever, and anyone should play it any way they can.
Revned made incredible maps of this game, as seen on VGMaps.com: The Video Game Atlas:
vgmaps.com/Atlas/PSX/in...

I pronounce "lululemon" as if it were the name of a Digimon.