4. Final Fantasy

Doug Owens
As a 6th grader captivated with mythology and legend, Final Fantasy opened new doors for my imagination. I'll always remember that summer - putting myself in the shoes of those four adventurers. Perhaps I love it for nostalgia, but look at what the game has done for RPG's in the nearly two decades since its release in Japan! The original Dragon Warrior may have come first, but I'll never forget the first preview of Final Fantasy I read in Nintendo Power. Any game where you can travel in a canoe has GOT to be good. And let's not forget the oh-so-astounding fact that the game, like so many brilliant works of literature, comes completely full-circle! Ah, the memories.

"I Garland will knock you all down." -Mike Peters

Craig Badham
The defining quality of the Final Fantasy series has always been its storyline. Featuring one of the most complex text-based stories of its time, Final Fantasy outdid the story of Dragon Quest, which featured the traditional plot of saving the Princess from the evil villain. Of course, the complexity of the story was nothing compared to later games, but the ambitious groundwork laid by the young Square.

The story line is as follows: "The Earth is dying. Four warriors known as the majestic Light Warriors are prophesized to arrive, each with a special power to renew the world." Final Fantasy features a memorable cast of characters, who also set future guidelines for characters who appeared later in the series. Although character development is non-existent in this incarnation of the series, the characters also lack individual personalities, being identified only as their "class" or their job in battle. We have the Fighter, the Black Belt, the Thief, the Red Mage, and other character types that are either playable or non-playable character types.

Final Fantasy was more than revolutionary in the role-playing genre. Being the first game to feature enemies on the left and player characters on the right, the game also popularized turn-based battles. Much would still be developed in coming years, including the changing of certain aspects of the battle system: magic points aren't used yet, and the Active Time Battle system was yet to be implemented. Final Fantasy I was released in the USA in June of 1990, almost 3 years after it was released in Japan. By the time Final Fantasy I had been released in the US, Final Fantasy III had already been released in Japan. Nintendo, however, localized the game and published it in the United States where it actually sold more copies than in Japan!

Even though the success of this title was unprecedented for this type of game in the US, the sequels on the NES were never released in the states. This game practically created the RPG genre in the United States; its importance to the development of the genre is quite influential.

3. Super Mario Bros.

Chris Henderson
Definitely the beginning of the video game era. When I was three, my uncle would come home from work and play this, and I learned every thing I know from that game. Hell, I learned how to count to 100 on that game.

David Herrera
Just remembering my mom play it is what stands out in my memory. Seeing how when she jump or ran with Mario and somehow thought that by moving the controller up left or right would help jump further or run faster is the funniest and best memory of mother and son sharing a hobby. Then she would hog the game up :(

"Cause Mario has mad hops!" -Cody

Chris W
Super Mario Brothers not only gave me hours of fun gameplay as a child growing up, but still gives me this same feeling of pleasure today. Although I can beat the game in about 10 minutes now that I'm older, it's a feat worth accomplishing at college parties that can still get people to be in awe. Not only for beating the game so fast, but the fact that I still own it. :)

Kevin McArthur
Super Mario encapsulates everything that is still great about video games: music, characters, side scrolling, EVERYTHING. The NES IS the reason the industry is where it is today. Yes, Atari, Coleco, etc, were around first, but the NES marked the start of a widely marketed and successful system. They took it to the next level, and Mario was there the whole ride.