Good gaming memories...

Jarhead0331 · March 21, 2026, 10:54:37 PM

A bunch of good memories stand out over the years, but one that always makes me smile was hearing this song after a tough battle. I can remember dancing in my seat to this. lol

What are some of your best memories from games of days past?

Destraex · March 21, 2026, 11:11:54 PM

I don't remember that song, I played med2 more than med 1. But it does raise the heart rate a bit. Nice.

A memorable song for me would be the DOW1 loading song. Also all the DOW1 quotes.

If you go way back it might be something like the command and conquer theme or the shogun theme

In teresting discussion.. I will have to think a bit more about it.

Jarhead0331 · March 21, 2026, 11:52:41 PM

Watching this one for the first time was also exhilarating.

Destraex · March 22, 2026, 05:45:34 AM

Another old moment that gives me goose bumps are some of the early mechwarrior 2 and beyond themes during missions. That lonely feeling music with atmosphere but also a game that made you feel a common purpose and that appreciated by command kind of role play. Like you were needed. I don't really get that with modern games. Everything is so agnostic. No good guys or bad guys.

undercovergeek · March 22, 2026, 07:45:06 AM

Been excommunicated as England in medieval 2 and about to be set upon by France and Spain and Scandinavia and the only way out was to kill the pope and reset the excommunication - as the new turn loaded it was my turn, and then it would be the stacks of doom from all around me - in went the assassin in Rome having traveled all the way through Europe - attempt was successful, new pope installed and all the stacks bleed away to their home countries - gaming heaven

Playing the original GTA top down view game with my friend and crying laughing at our driving skills and attempts to avoid the police

Winning the premier league and the champions league with my home town team 10 years in a row on championship manager 2 (1997?)

Having battered my cobra off every space station wall and never successfully docking in elite c64 - finally passing through the docking portal of a station in elite dangerous and landing on a pad - goosebumps

Launching my first earth defence force in terra invicta and watching a wave of torpedos breach the enemy PD and destroy the fleet

Watching a squadron of tomcats take off in sea power, rewind, watch again, rewind watch again

W8taminute · March 22, 2026, 07:13:28 PM

Great idea for a thread!

For me my fondest memories were when I got my Super Nintendo and started accumulating almost all of the strategy games from Koei.

Of particular note is Aerobiz Supersonic.

Steve Walmsley · March 23, 2026, 09:23:12 AM

Flying missions in Strike Eagle III, with two PCs arranged one behind the other, with me in the rear seat as Wizzo and my 5-year old son flying the plane. He is 36 now!

Finishing Strike Commander, which was based on Wing Commander, but with F-16s and was basically Jagged Alliance in planes.

Original Harpoon - I played the pen and paper version so playing the PC version was amazing,

Original Elite on the BBC Micro - first game on floppy disk instead of tape, original UFO Xcom game - was very similar to the UFO TV series, original Master of Magic, Mechwarrior 2.

I think I might be missing the PC gaming experiences of the 1990s :) There are some great games now and obviously far better in terms of graphics, but somehow don't seem to have the impact of those older games. Maybe we are just spoiled now.

Michael Dorosh · April 01, 2026, 02:16:25 PM

Quote from: Steve Walmsley on March 23, 2026, 09:23:12 AMI think I might be missing the PC gaming experiences of the 1990s :) There are some great games now and obviously far better in terms of graphics, but somehow don't seem to have the impact of those older games. Maybe we are just spoiled now.

It's a commonly felt phenomena, I feel the same. There was something about campaigning in Microprose's M-1 Tank Platoon despite its very crude graphics. M1TP2 came out with much better visual design, and just felt like a dud. It was the same going from Red Baron to Red Baron 2. Don't know if it's the Uncanny Valley or what but my favourite wargame of those days was Knights of the Sky, which let you navigate, pick historial aces to challenge to duels, etc. but with graphics and effects barely above the Atari 2600.

Father Ted · April 02, 2026, 12:21:07 PM

FWIW I think there is something in having to work your imagination which imprints experiences with lower/fewer graphics. Anyway, at some point I'll try to post some good gaming memories whilst trying to avoid just pure nostalgia.

Destraex · April 03, 2026, 12:10:53 AM

It might have something to do with a connection to developers that we still have with smaller dev studios today that does not exist with the larger "machine" devs of today. There is something about devs that are actually passionate about their projects in more than a robotic clinical way.

I rarely get the impression these days that a game is being made by a kindrid spirit. But it does happen.
Back in the day computers were new and fresh and the sky seemed to be the limit. Today we have diminishing returns, games that are repeats of older games with maybe a little more detail, but much less relavence.

I am though enjoying my games. But for example. I see nothing but maybe manor lords that kinda does what total war did for me back in the day. That is an honest attempt at representing historical warfare to the limit of what a PC could do. I can no longer imagine that with newer total war games. I am bored of the total war of old but nothing has come forward to replace it. Manor Lords is good but is really a city builder that takes 500 years to build anything in. Total War is an industrial complex disaster and some indy devs are having a good go but don't quite have the money to do it properly. I see nobody with genius and drive and passion for historical warfare and if there were they would probably be shouted down for some little detail and derailed.

Ian C · April 03, 2026, 06:33:51 AM

After some brief times playing Atari F-117 Stealth Fighter and other games in the 80's and 90s I went away from gaming for a while as work and social life took over. Then in November 1999 my father passed away suddenly. I was in my early 30s and took time out from my career to look after my mother during our bereavement.

My nephew had a Playstation 1. He lent it to me and I spent the quiet moments at night playing through his copies of Resident Evil 2 and Metal Gear Solid. I got fully immersed in those worlds and missions. A week later, I bought my own PS1 and a bunch of games. Over the next few months Medal Of Honor, Medal of Honor Underground, Silent Hill, Tenchu 2, Parasite Eve 2, Spider-Man, Sled Storm, Evil Zone, Driver and many others kept me glued to the small screen of my color portable TV.

Those missions on the PS 1 Medal of Honor games were awesome, along with the bonus stuff after completing the game (Panzerknacker!). I lashed together powered headphones using the line out sockets of the PS1 and an audio mixer so I could have stereo sound blasting out at night when I played. It was bliss and a respite from the tough time my family was going through. I spent many hours on those games.

A year so later I got my first custom-built PC. The next couple of years I discovered Hearts of Iron, Call of Duty, and the other Medal of Honor games for PC. Those night sessions with CoD and MoH online were amazing. I've been on a PC ever since, 25 years straight gaming. Some games are hit and miss but when I get the ones that 'click' with me, I can't put them down.

W8taminute · April 04, 2026, 10:38:21 AM

I got a lot of good memories from Heroes & Generals. Pity they closed that game down.

It's the only shooter I know of where instead of leveling pre-set classes of troops you simply purchase a raw recruit and level and kit him up the way you saw fit. True freedom when it came to customizations.

And you could buy as many raw recruits as you could afford and shape them anyway you wanted.

Tanaka · April 04, 2026, 12:08:15 PM

Quote from: W8taminute on March 22, 2026, 07:13:28 PMGreat idea for a thread!

For me my fondest memories were when I got my Super Nintendo and started accumulating almost all of the strategy games from Koei.

Of particular note is Aerobiz Supersonic.

A fellow old school Koei lover! These games are what started it all for me becoming a strategy gamer! PTO II led into my love of UV, WITP, and WITPAE!

mbar · April 04, 2026, 12:41:27 PM

Half-Life:
Having and epic gun battle with a hoard of aliens in a stairwell then rock music like in The Matrix kicks in. Made me feel like I was in a movie.

Tomb Raider:
Walking into the large underground canyon and a T-rex emerging from the darkness. Killed it on the first try. Adrenaline was flowing!!

Silent Disapproval Robot · April 10, 2026, 02:06:45 AM

Very first online air to air kill against a human opponent in IL-2: 1946. White knuckles and sweaty palms.

I just had my highest single kill count in a game of War Thunder today. I got 23 kills in coastal naval without losing my boat. My team still somehow managed to lose the match with the remaining 14 players getting a whopping 5 kills amongst themselves.