You can have 3 video games to play for the rest of your life. What are they?

[+thanatos]

Heh, previous comments helped me make my list.

 

Civilization 1, or maybe 3 (PC)

Tempest 2000 (Jag)

Burgertime - Arcade version

 

So many tough decisions though.  I debated Tron or Spy Hunter arcade for the list.

 

 

 

 

[bluejay]

I’d have Breath of the Wild (Switch), Hearts of Iron IV (PC), and Doom (1993, PC). None of them are classic console games, but they cover the three major things I’d want in games to play forever; infinite replayability, exciting-ness, and relaxed, slow gameplay. 

[MrTrust]

5 hours ago, bluejay said:

I’d have Breath of the Wild (Switch)...

 

You're going to be stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life.  What do you bring with you?

 

BotW fans: A desert island simulator.

[Pixelboy]

If I really could only keep and play three video games for the rest of my life, I have to assume that I would want to do other things with the rest of my life than play games and so I feel I have to pick games that I could revisit occasionally, when I need to unwind.

 

1) Bejeweled, or whatever good clone of that game I can find. I prefer this game over Tetris, to be honest.

 

2) Gateway to Apshai (ColecoVision) just to zone out exploring randomized levels in silence (no music, only basic sound effects).

 

3) Metroid Zero Mission (GBA) to scratch that occasional Metroid itch. I like it slightly better than Metroid Fusion, and I played Super Metroid (and Castlevania SOTN) to death already.

 

If Capcom were to release a "Mega Man 8-bit Mix-Up" title, where I could pick-and-choose 8 Robot Masters + any Wily levels out of any 2D Mega Man game ever released (assuming Mega Man 7, Mega Man 8, Mega Man & Bass and Mega Man 11 were "demade" to match the familiar NES aesthetics) then there's a good possibility I would replace #2 or #3 above with this Mega Man offering. I'd love to be able to try out Robot Master weapons in levels where that weapon was never originally available.   

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Pixelboy

[Cobra Kai]

9 hours ago, thanatos said:

Heh, previous comments helped me make my list.

 

Civilization 1, or maybe 3 (PC)

Tempest 2000 (Jag)

Burgertime - Arcade version

 

So many tough decisions though.  I debated Tron or Spy Hunter arcade for the list.

 

 

 

 

No way, you know the Burgertime theme music would drive you insane at some point.

[+FujiSkunk]

NamcoMuseum, Midway Arcade Origins and Atari Anthology

 

Okay, seriously, at this point if you leave me with Rock Band 3, Tetris and Solitaire, I'd probably be happy.  Or Pinball Arcade could replace either Tetris or Solitaire.  And if I'm still not allowed to have an anthology game, then Pinball Arcade with just Eight Ball Deluxe.

[bluejay]

11 hours ago, MrTrust said:

 

You're going to be stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life.  What do you bring with you?

 

BotW fans: A desert island simulator.

More like miniature earth simulator. 

[+FujiSkunk]

How about Minecraft and a system powerful enough to run the 6502 emulator in real time?

 

We'll make a Minecraft 2600 yet!

[Tanooki]

I'm struggling with this, but only to fill out a third spot.

 

I've always known a pair of games that for me between the two would never run out of entertainment value for me around gaps of time between doing other stuff.

 

Sim City Classic (or SC2K either) for DOS/Windows

Tetris (Gameboy version)

(Ultimate) Doom

 

The third I just don't know.  There are so many known classics that fall into the 9-10 range that are undeniable peak examples of excellent gaming, but they all basically would not be replayable for a lifetime without getting utterly boring and played out.  Yes that means I'm knocking utter classics like Super Mario Bros and Zelda franchises, the notable 3rd parties, Sonic from the Sega side, etc.  I can and have played them for years, but I get even fairly bored on those now these days too so I can go for a stretch easily.

 

I did throw #3 on the list there as a throw away, but given how hard it can get, the massive set of levels and WAD possibilities too, (Ultimate) Doom really fits the bill since you can tackle stages in various ways.

[+thanatos]

10 hours ago, Cobra Kai said:

No way, you know the Burgertime theme music would drive you insane at some point.

It's actually my most played MAME game by count, so amazingly I don't think so!

 

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

I am sure my choices will be different then most but it seems though I been around pretty much through the history of gaming and play everything from various classics to the occasional modern PC and many indie games I can instantly think of 3 games I have returned to over and over through the years right up to this day so it would only make sense to choose those. There is no real rhyme or reason for my picks or the platforms I'd choose except maybe for something in my subconscious that gives me nostalgia from my original experiences. The 3 I would pick are: 

 

1. Resident Evil Directors Cut - PlayStation 

2. Mr. Do! - ColecoVision

3. Side Pocket - I love every version from NES / Genesis / Snes but I will go with the GENESIS overall. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steven Pendleton]

This reminds me of the Blue Sphere thing that you get when you connect Sonic 1 with Sonic & Knuckles. If you want something that will continue to give you something new for the rest of your life, Blue Sphere is the way to go, as it has 134,217,728 stages. It will take you quite a while to play all of them.

 

Alright, cool, I checked and it seems that if you finished 1 level every 3 minutes, it would take you 765.56 years to finish them all. Best minutes to price value in video game history...?

Edited February 26, 2022 by Steven Pendleton

[agb]

NES Tetris

2600 Solar Fox

Arcade Asteroids

[+GoldLeader]

On 2/25/2022 at 9:48 AM, Cobra Kai said:

No way, you know the Burgertime theme music would drive you insane at some point.

 

13 hours ago, thanatos said:

It's actually my most played MAME game by count, so amazingly I don't think so!

 

 

Just what an Insane person would say.     

[Lostdragon]

XCOM (PlayStation) 

 

Mr DO! (SNES) 

 

Captive (ST/Amiga). 

[CapitanClassic]

8 hours ago, Lostdragon said:

XCOM (PlayStation) 

 

Mr DO! (SNES) 

 

Captive (ST/Amiga). 

With user tools like XcomUtility, I have never found the PSX version adequate. I also seem to remember that many of the bugs (Superhuman and other difficulty doesn’t work) we’re never fixed in the PSX release.

 

I can sort of understand the PSX version of Diablo, as at least that game allows 2-player simultaneous on the same screen. What’s the deal with SNES Mr. Do! as well? Does it have some cool home variants (like Ms. Pac-man [GEN/MegaDrive]) that make it better than the Arcade?

[Lostdragon]

6 hours ago, CapitanClassic said:

With user tools like XcomUtility, I have never found the PSX version adequate. I also seem to remember that many of the bugs (Superhuman and other difficulty doesn’t work) we’re never fixed in the PSX release.

 

I can sort of understand the PSX version of Diablo, as at least that game allows 2-player simultaneous on the same screen. What’s the deal with SNES Mr. Do! as well? Does it have some cool home variants (like Ms. Pac-man [GEN/MegaDrive]) that make it better than the Arcade?

? My choices are based entirely on my more youthful years memories of the platforms i played them on. 

 

 

Tried XCOM on the Amiga first, way too slow. 

 

 

The PlayStation version, played with a PlayStation mouse, was a massive time sink for myself and loved the enhanced soundtrack. 

 

It IS bugged, but thankfully not so much as it's sequel, Terror From The Deep, that was wretched, bugs wise on the Sony console. 

 

Frequent crashes, corrupted memory card saves, you name it. 

 

 

Always had a soft spot for SNES Mr DO!. 

 

 

Grew up with the the A8 and C64 versions, last version i played was on MAME, but the SNES version holds a special place in my heart as i hadn't played it for so long at the time. 

 

 

If I can only ever play 3 games, I want games that hopefully can take me back to peak gaming times in my life ?

[+Gemintronic]

RPG Maker for Playstation

 

Kaite Tsukutte Asoberu Dezaemon for SNES

 

Game BASIC for Sega Saturn

 

 

Three games that make games.  Problem solved!

[newtmonkey]

Others have also mentioned PC games, so I'll do that too:

 

(In no particular order)

1. Blood (PC)

- I never tire of this game, and it has a massive amount of content.

2. Master of Magic (PC)

- I'd want an endlessly replayable strategy game, and I've always liked this one.

3. Deathlord (C64 / Apple II)

- An infamously long and difficult (some would say "unfair") RPG that combines Ultima IV exploration with Wizardry combat (including permadeath).  This would be the perfect RPG to spend the rest of your life playing.

Edited February 27, 2022 by newtmonkey

[+GoldLeader]

15 hours ago, Lostdragon said:

? My choices are based entirely on my more youthful years memories of the platforms i played them on. 

 

 

Tried XCOM on the Amiga first, way too slow. 

 

 

The PlayStation version, played with a PlayStation mouse, was a massive time sink for myself and loved the enhanced soundtrack. 

 

It IS bugged, but thankfully not so much as it's sequel, Terror From The Deep, that was wretched, bugs wise on the Sony console. 

 

Frequent crashes, corrupted memory card saves, you name it. 

 

 

Always had a soft spot for SNES Mr DO!. 

 

 

Grew up with the the A8 and C64 versions, last version i played was on MAME, but the SNES version holds a special place in my heart as i hadn't played it for so long at the time. 

 

 

If I can only ever play 3 games, I want games that hopefully can take me back to peak gaming times in my life ?

 

I find your last sentence to be some force of pure truth!  So Kudos there!  (Perhaps my favorite sentence on The Entire Internet, at least for today)...

 

Because I love the game so much, I really considered Mr. Do! (for my list).  It's an absolute classic,  both "pick up and play" and somehow not at all devoid of depth....More strategy (and action and adrenaline) than most people realize.  It strikes me almost the same way Ultimate Qix (AKA Volfied, AKA Neo Qix) does.

 

I think of Mr. Do! like this.  I Loved ColecoVision's version BITD,  then got hooked on the SNES version,  then MAME where I played the Hell out of it.  Next I compared it to the actual arcade game,  in a real dedicated Mr. Do! Cabinet (not mine).

 

Now I think of it like this:  The SNES version is great but predictable, and I mean specifically the way it's coded,  sometimes the enemy AI will make certain choices, i. e. (after eating the dessert) the Enemy Monsters going down and dropping to the left (which they don't Always do in other versions),  basically allowing you to figure out patterns.  It's not a slam, per se,  but that is different from the arcade and MAME.  MAME is much more random, but I could see some patterns there too after lots of playing.  Now, based on my scores  and how far I got etc.,  I feel the Actual arcade game is More Random than MAME.  You just never know what the enemy AI will do!  Which makes it my favorite version.

 

But again I agree wholeheartedly with your last sentence,  which is probably why I picked Ultimate Qix even over the actual arcade version (called Volfied), which is harder and doesn't have the hypersubtle learning curve (which is close to perfect IMO) of the Genesis version.

 

 

 

 

[+GoldenWheels]

GTA 5

Skyrim
WCW vs NWO Revenge

[glazball]

This one's a toughie.  I picked 3 which I think would keep me eternally occupied, but aren't necessarily my all-time favorite games.

 

1.  Civilization VI - or any Civ for that matter

2.  World of Warcraft - the game that goes on forever

3.  Tetris - good call on the puzzle suggestion