Coffee Talk #180: Your Favorite Videogame Intros

Earlier in the week we talked about some of our favorite videogame endings. Today let’s talk about our favorite intros! There are so many games that hook you in with brilliant opening sequences, leaving you with a feeling of, “Damn I want to play this game!” It’s an awesome thing. So many gamers point to the opening of Final Fantasy VII as one of the best ever. While I agree that it’s good (though overrated like most everything else in that game), this extremely underrated Final Fantasy III is better and needs some love. Check it out:

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Verizon selling out of the Motorola Droid X, John Daly getting his act together, or Green Lantern’s movie costume resembling salmon, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Earlier in the week we talked about some of our favorite videogame endings. Today let’s talk about our favorite intros! There are so many games that hook you in with brilliant opening sequences, leaving you with a feeling of, “Damn I want to play this game!” It’s an awesome thing. So many gamers point to the opening of Final Fantasy VII as one of the best ever. While I agree that it’s good (though overrated like most everything else in that game), this extremely underrated Final Fantasy III is better and needs some love. Check it out:

Anyway, what are some of you favorite game intros? How did they make you feel? Shout it out in the comments section (please)!

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

38 thoughts on “Coffee Talk #180: Your Favorite Videogame Intros”

  1. FF8 Comes to mind, now that you mention it. The intro got me all psyched up for the game. My anticipation was already high enough since I really enjoyed FF 7.

    Too bad FF 8 was such a craptacular disaster.

    -M

  2. Are we talking about actual game intros only? or do title screens count as well?? If that is the case Mega Man II is probably my favorite ever. I still love that opening music as the camera pans up to the top of the skyscraper to reveal Mega Man with his helmet off just standing, looking.

    If it is based on actual opening gameplay, then Halo and Pokemon Blue version are probably two of my favorites. Starting off on Pokemon was just fun and exciting while looking forward to the adventure ahead and not knowing what was going to happen (I got this game because one of my friends said I had to get it, I knew nothing about it before I played it for the first time). Halo just threw you right in with an awesome objective and amazing graphics.

    I would also say that the openings for Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 were really good. They opened up in a dramatic way that really told you what was going on, set the mood for the plot, and then let you kick ass and shot zombies. Mirror's Edge also had me from early on. Part of that was from seeing promo videos and commercials. Even though it was only a training tutorial that you open with, the controls were so unique that it made it a memorable intro for me.

    It was easy for me to come up with some newer games, and I wanted to think of some older ones, but most older games that I can remember playing just threw you into the game without much explanation. Newer games seem to be more story oriented in my opinion, which means they naturally have better intros (or intros in general) when compared to older games. Most older games (I'm thinking of ones I played on N64) just had a basic formula of 1) name the bad guy 2) show something bad that the bad guy did 3) give you your first mission….and Go!

  3. @iceman

    your tastes in FF games is not very good if you thought 8 was a disaster. That is the best game they've done since FF4. 8 was amazing. FF fight now!

    @topic

    Metal Gear Solid Sons of Liberty and The Onimusha 3 had the best intros ever.

  4. blast you smartguy, I was going to say MGS2 for PS2!

    If we go with title intros i love the Legend of Zelda on the NES, that music got me pumped! idk why. but actual press start or select start new game on the menu. God of War 3, Uncharted 2. oh and Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time.

    @Moto Droid X

    too bad they had to add that instant kill when modifying the boot or creating a new boot.

    @John Daly

    he must really need this pay day!

    @GL costume

    really? Salmon huh? I think it's looks pretty bad ass and wondered how they were going transition it from comic to real life.

  5. @tokz

    it was epic man. the music and everything. i've never enjoyed intro credits before lol. then the awesome bungie off the bridge was just amazing. really awesome.

    If anyone has never seen the onimusha 3 intro, please watch it on youtube. still looks badass.

  6. @smartguy

    agreed. it made want to kick someone's a** but luckily for people there was no one around me.

  7. crap edit to comment 6. it made me want to

    see how excited i get from talking about that intro!

  8. @tokz_21 It goes into recovery mode. If "official" software is put back on, it will work again. The phone does not become bricked, as some web sites have reported. I'm sure the people at XDA will find a way around it.

  9. @rpad

    i see. well i don't have an issue with dropped calls with my 3gs and with the iphone 4 issue being cleared up. i'm going to get. The way the droid x is set up is almost like jailbreaking an iphone.

  10. @ Smartguy;

    When we can all get together at the first annual "Padilla Party" in L.A. to celebrate (insert any occasion here), I will gladly and happily have a formal Lincoln-Douglas style debate with you on Final Fantasy 8. Mr. Padilla, N8, and one other person (we both agree on) will be the judges. The loser has to buy everyone present a round of drinks. You can take the "pro" and I will take care of the "con" and I will win because that game sucks so much, that if you were to place it in the galactic center of the Milky Way, the black hole there would be pulled into the game disk.

    I would love to go back-and-forth with you on this one, but I don't want to bogart Mr. Padilla's site to have this discussion in a text-based manner. I also prefer oral presentations since it allows me to flex my Vin Diesel-like melodious voice. Unlike, Mr. Diesel, however, I can actually act.

    @ N8;

    That description of the opening to Double Dragon had me laughing my ass off. I used to play that game as a kid, but I never gave the opening THAT much thought.

    -M

  11. @Iceman The debate sounds like a fine idea. I'll film it too!

    How about I make Monday's Coffee Talk about "Your Favorite Final Fantasy"? That sounds like fun.

  12. @Iceman

    I accept your challenge sir and I will be present in full appropriate gentleman's attire. To fire off my own shot though…. if Cloud and Squall were to get into a fight, Squall would easily win. Why? Because his name isn't queer for starters, but also because he gets the woman at the end. Remember the winners and losers quote from the movie "The Rock"? If not, look it up. It will win the battle for me.

  13. i also really enjoyed ff8, but i have to admit, since ive downloaded it off psn all i do is play the god damn card game.

  14. @ Smartguy;

    "Your best? Losers always whine about 'their best'. Winners go home and f— the prom queen."

    "Becky was the prom queen."

    "Yeah?"

    "Yeah." (cocks gun).

    I love that movie. I even have the soundtrack. So, what you're saying is that you have a girlfriend named "Becky?"

    While I will give you the queer name thing, I'll have you know that I dated Tifa in FF 7, so I like to think that they ended up with each other. I think Advent Children kind of confirms that. I always thought Aris was useless in battles and she held the whole team back. Honestly, I'm glad she got stabbed in the guts with a sword longer than the state of California. Both protagaonists are annoyingly emo, whiny little pansies with swords that are obvious over-compensation for lack of proper-sized male genetalia, but at least Cloud has a ligitimate reason to be one.

    -M

  15. also icemans description of how bad that game sucked was pretty awesome…black hole getting sucked into the game disk and whatnot, thats good stuff

  16. I would be a good judge for said debate because… I don't like either of them and therefore show no bias toward either disposition.

  17. @Iceman

    You also have to appreciate how Squall's rival was the complete opposite of him in every way. Scars on opposite sides, one has a long jacket while the other has a short one, etc. I thought that was very clever. Let's also not overlook the awesome fact that junctioning was and is far superior to leveling. An even larger aspect that you are forgetting is that the story in 8 was just plain better!

    I don't know if Squall wound up with Tifa. In Advent Children it didn't seem that way really. Squall gets Rinoa though.

    The winner and loser thing was simply that Squall got the prom queen if you will. Cloud is the loser. I honestly don't know if Zidane is more gay than Cloud.

  18. I should save this for Monday…but materia was a bad system. It made character differentiation pointless since anyone could serve any role depending on the materia used.

  19. Like Smartguy said, Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty. The tanker, nuff said.

  20. @N8

    Yeah same here, the only time I ever played a FF game was on DS when FF3 was released. And I stopped after about 5 minutes.

    @Iceman

    I thought it was Carla? not Becky.

  21. @Ray: Your argument against the materia system could also be made about the junction system in 8. That being said, there's little in life that rivals junctioning 99 Ultima spells to Zell's strength and unleashing his limit break on some unsuspecting fool…..

    I will officially bow out as a potential judge now because I very much favor 8 in this argument. The piss poor translation in 7 makes me want to stab my eyes out at times. Iceman however get props for the black hole/disc comment. The visual of that will have me laughing for days.

  22. well, i really enjoyed both ff 7 and 8….no second or third party perspective can retroactively change that…it is what it is…i hate star wars, to each our own

  23. @Bsukenyan;

    I think you may be right about her name being "Carla". I don't know why I said "Becky". I'll have to go back and watch the movie.

    @ Mr. Padilla and Smartguy;

    I am not going to get into this too much now, because this thread will never end, but I am not arguing the merrits of FF 7, I would like to formally argue why FF 8 was a brown stain on the underpants of gaming. FF 7 was not perfect (far from it, actually), but even with all of that game's glaring flaws, it was still better than FF 8. The game was so traumatic for me, that to this day, I have never played FF 9 through 13 because I live in fear that those later games will be similar to FF 8 in some way.

    In a related matter; does anyone here know where I can check into a gamer rehab to desensitize me from my mental anguish? I,… I just need someone to hold me as I'm curled up into a ball, rocking back amd forth, crying on the floor. Please, someone… anyone hold me and tell me it will be alright. Let me know that I will be O.K. if I start playing FF 9.

    -M

  24. @Iceman

    I don't think they will be able to help you out for those needs specifically, but reSTART in Seattle would probably be the place to go. http://www.netaddictionrecovery.com/the-problem/s

    Any excuse works when you need/want to re-watch The Rock. I love that movie, in fact I might have to watch it again soon as well.

  25. @iceman

    I'd offer my services but I think Stockholm syndrome would encroach upon you. Playing 9 won't help. It's better than 7 even with tail boy

  26. @ Topic

    The game intro that made my jaw drop was FF7. I think that game is (over)rated so highly because a lot of us were turned out to rpgs by that game, like a first love or another four letter word we love.

    Then I played FF8 and I said to myself, "how does this get any better?" I was right, it only got worse from there with the series in my book.

  27. @Big Blak Bah! I had mad respect for you saying that FFVII was your favorite but fully admitting it wasn't the best. :P FFX is way better, out of the current games. I do love IV, V, and VI, but part of that is nostalgia.

  28. @Ray

    Do we ever get to find out about the super secret NWO meetings you are attending? lol

  29. @smartguy Yes, for sure…but not until next month, September at the latest. Here are two super vague teases: the project is for a game that most of you will like and it's coming out in November. Ha!

  30. @ Rpad

    I thought about it that for a few hours while I was at work today before I posted it. FFVII is a great game but the longer I thought about it I realized that nostalgia was clouding my judgment like the dark side. I did everything there was to do in FFVII, bred chocobos, ultimate weapon bosses, got all materia, level 99, EVERYTHING, if there were achievements back then I know I would have 1,000 points for it.

    Then it hit me like a headbutt to the chest from Zinedine Zidane,

    FFVIII's Triple Triad card game is almost as complex as all of FFVII. I spent hours playing that damn game in a game and I never even got close to getting all the cards. FFVIII is also a longer game and it has a better weapons system than FFVII. Not to mention a drastic improvement in the graphics department both in game and cg.

    After some intense debating between my inner child and adult reasoning, the fog of war has shown me that FFVIII is a much better game overall, however FFVII is still my favorite game. Both are great games ones just better than the other.

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