Doom

To Quit is to Lose.

Source // Wikipedia

In the late 1990s if I recall correctly (very early 2000s otherwise), I was at yet another cousin's house. He was younger than me and I was barely into double digits, but he really wanted to play a game on the computer that I hope his father got for himself, rather than his young and impressionable son because that game was Doom.

I don't remember much of it at all. I don't even remember playing it myself. Perhaps I only just watched. Whatever happened, Doom didn't leave a lasting impression on me, certainly from that encounter, and yet I - like many gamers I'm sure - know all about Doom, no matter how much we've played it.

It's time to grab our shotguns, chainsaws and BFG's because we're about to go to Hell.

Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle

Ding!

When I saw Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle creep up the 1001 list as its turn grew nearer, I knew I'd have to be prepared for a bit of frustration and a lack of progress. These types of games just aren't my favourite, but once again, a friendlier remastered version is available to play, so I should at least be able to marvel at the artwork if nothing else.

It's a bit of a negative outlook, that, but we'll see where it takes us.

Cannon Fodder

"War has never been so much fun"

Though the name gives a few clues, I really had no idea what I was in for with Cannon Fodder, from the same sensible minds behind previous 1001 titles Wizball and Mega Lo Mania.

A strategy by way of a shoot 'em up, or maybe a shooter by the way of strategy, Cannon Fodder sees you point your privates in the right direction across multiple missions and locations, where permadeath is just a bullet away. And yet it's cartoony and humorous; a satirical approach to war and violence.

It's about time I found out what fighting on the front line is all about.

Myst

Read a book, people.

Before this quest of mine, I knew that Myst was important to video game history and that it was going to be quite the adventure when it came time to playing it. That was about all I knew, save for that it was a puzzler of some sort, and that it'd be unlikely I'd make it very far.

You see, there are puzzle games that keep things focused, and there are puzzle games that are Myst, and I'm really not very into puzzle games that are Myst...

NBA Jam

Boomshakalaka

Previously, I mentioned how I've probably played more of Street Fighter: The Movie than any other version of Street Fighter, and that's because it was the only game in the series that my PlayStation owning cousins had. They had a few other games in general, of course - much better games - one of which was an incarnation of NBA Jam, if I'm remembering correctly. If I'm not, I don't know what it was...

NBA Jam takes the sport of Basketball and turns it up to 11, but not in the sense of taking things 'extreme' or whatever, but of making the players and their plays larger than life. The series turned heroes into superheroes and fast action into blisteringly quick games of high scoring tension.

I have not played a game like this in quite some time, and I'm looking forward to doing so once more.

Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting

How you doing, Ken?

Ah, Street Fighter. Long have I known of your characters, hummed your theme music, mocked your catchphrases and yet rarely have I ever sat down and played a game of yours for any length of time. It's usually a round or two here and there, and the game I've probably played the most could well be Street Fighter: The Movie.

This isn't that, though. This is regarded as the peak in the Street Fighter II series. This is Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting and I'm looking forward to pulling off a Hadouken or two because I like to set my expectations quite low and be easily impressed when exceeding them.

Dune II

I wanna really, really, really wanna zigazig ah

I've watched Dune. Definitely once, but maybe twice. At one point in time, I had a replica prop gun from Dune. Not a highly detailed hero prop, more a block of painted resin or whatever it was. That square looking handgun that Patrick Stewart had if memory serves. Anyway, I'm somewhat aware of Dune, but haven't got a clue about Dune II.

From the developers who would go on to create Command & Conquer, a series I am aware of, comes the real-time strategy title that introduces all kinds of gameplay mechanics to the genre. Dune II is perhaps the grandfather of RTS, certainly in a form familiar to me, and yet I know diddlysquat about it.

Probably involves a lot of spice, though...

Ultima VII

I shall be your companion... your provider... and your master!

Somewhere, many years ago, I caught sight of Ultima VII on YouTube - one of the versions at least. I don't know whether it was The Black Gate, Forge of Virtue, Serpent Isle or The Silver Seed, but I am definitely aware that Ultima VII is an interesting looking top down role playing game.

The 1001 list expresses this title to be the peak of the Ultima series, with designer Richard Garriott holding it as one of his favourites - though with two parts, each with an expansion, there's a lot of Ultima VII that players should find something to like, right?

Let's dive right into The Black Gate and see what's what.

The Incredible Machine

Gooooold-berg. Goooooold-berg.

Just what is so incredible about The Incredible Machine? I've no idea - I haven't heard of it or its numerous sequels and spin-offs at any point in my past.

The Incredible Machine is both a puzzle and a toy box that focuses on Rube Goldberg-like machines, having you arrange a set of given objects onto the field of play in such a way that they interact with each other to produce results like smashing a fish tank or dunking a basketball.

This is going to tax my brain, I can feel it.

Virtua Racing

GO!

Source // Wikipedia

Time for yet another 'never have I ever' kind of introduction, for never have I ever played Virtua Racing, to my knowledge, in any form, at any time. I know of Virtua Fighter and Virtua Tennis, so I guess sticking Virtua in front of something probably means Sega made a game of that something at some point?

I like racing games. I don't consider myself anywhere near an expert at them, but I know enough to get me through at least a few races. Might explode along the way, depending on the game, but I'll manage. As such, I'm looking forward to seeing what Virtua Racing is all about.