GamesMaster selects the top 250 greatest gaming moments
Last month, GamesMaster released its 250th issue. For its May 2012 edition, the magazine celebrated the accomplishment by compiling a list of the top 250 greatest gaming moments.
We have the list below, but you can pick up the the latest issue now and read about why GamesMaster made each selection. And beware of spoilers – even though most of these games have been out for years, some of these moments do mention important happenings such as character deaths.
250. Sonic the Hedgehog – Fighting Dr. Robotnik
249. Peggle – The final peg
248. EA Hockey – Getting into a fistfight
247. Zool – Playing the Piano
246. Trauma Center: Under the Knife – Stopping time
245. Prey – Being abducted
244. Condemned: Criminal Origins – Meeting the mannequins
243. Hitman: Blood Money – Replacing the prop opera gun
242. Phantasmagoria – Regina’s death
241. Streets of Rage – Calling for back-up
240. Nier – Wiping out existence from history
239. Manic Miner – Squished by a giant robot
238. Soul Blade – The opening cinematic
237. John Madden Football ’92 – An ambulance arrives
236. Metro 2033 – Bypassing a mission
235. Fahrenheit – Covering up a murder
234. Paperboy – Smashing a window
233. The Gunstringer – Mad Dog strikes back?
232. The Elder Scolls III: Morrowind – Tarhiel goes splat
231. Metal Gear Solid – Finding the hidden codec frequency
230. Pikmin – The first Pikmin
229. Burnout 3: Takedown – Scoring a Signature Takedown
228. Dino Crisis – The T-rex attack
227. Mass Effect – Talking Saren into suicide
226. Civilization – Jetting into space
225. 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors – An embarassing misunderstanding
224. LittleBigPlanet – A planet of possibilities
223. Strider – Fighting Ouroboros
222. Bionic Commando – Hitler’s head explodes
221. Parappa the Rapper – Chop Chop Master Onion
220. Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire – Downing an AT-AT
219. NBA Jam – Shattering the backboard
218. Grim Fandango – Saying goodbye to Chepito
217. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories – Being profiled
216. The Revenge of Shinobi – Fighting Spider-Man and Batman
215. Quake – The rocket jump
214. Katamari Damacy – Rolling up the world
213. 3D Monster Maze – “Seeing the monster”
212. Dead Space – Drilled through the eye
211. Road Rash II – Stealing the Chain
210. Scribblenauts – The title screen
209. Bulletstorm – Being chased by a giant wheel
208. Snatcher – Surprise attacks
207. Theme Park – Making kids barf
206. Maniac Mansion – Microwaving the hamster
205. Aliens Versus Predator – Being facehugged
204. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – The nuclear bomb
203. Fable II – The dog dies
202. Shenmue – Visiting the arcade
201. Sim City – Godzilla wrecks the city
200. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – Beating your doppelganger
199. Perfect Dark – Shooting through walls
198. Myst – Finishing the game in two minutes
197. F.E.A.R. – The ladder of doom
196. House of the Dead: Overkill – The sickest ending ever
195. Flood – Being roadkill
194. Rock Band 3 – Playing Imagine on the keyboard
193. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – Revisiting Libery City
192. Fallout – Meeting the Master
191. Serious Sam: The First Encounter – Fighting Ugh-Zan III
190. Earthworm Jim – Whipping Bob the Killer Goldfish
189. EDF 2017 – Attacking the mothership
188. Project Zero – Monochrome Madness
187. Psychonauts – The Milkman Conspiracy
186. Vim-Ribbon – Using your own CDs
185. Sonic Adventure – Running away from the killer whale
184. Super Mario Sunshine – Shine GET!
183. Uplink – Logging onto the servers
182. Harvest Moon – Getting married
181. Resident Evil 2 – Meeting the licker
180. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West – Crashing into New York
179. Yars’ Revenge – Killing Qotile
178. Startropics – The loopy ending
177. Animal Crossing – Mr. Resetti
176. Golden Axe – Kicking the elves
175. Infinity Blade – Besting the God King
174. Duke Nukem 3D – Defeating the Overlord
173. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Arriving in the present day
172. Locoroco – Singing blobs
171. Left 4 Dead 2 – The Parish
170. Eve Online – Mirial gets it
169. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Opening a chest
168. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis – The Nemesis drops in
167. Dragon Quest VIII – Dhoulmagus gets his comeuppance
166. Daytona USA – Rolling start
165. Gitaroo Man – Playing the legendary theme
164. Halo: Reach – The doomed last stand
163. Dark Souls – Surviving the battle with the Taurus demon
162. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil – Draining brains with the Cerebral Bore
161. Red Faction: Guerrilla – Destroying a building
160. Super Mario Kart – Zapping foes with lightning
159. Final Fantasy VIII – The gunblade fight
158. Armed and Dangerous – Unleashing the land shark
157. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – Snake’s dream
156. SoulCalibur – Winning by Ring Out
155. God of War 3 – The Poseidon battle
154. Duck Hunt – Getting revenge on the dog
153. Alan Wake – Defending the concert stage
152. Advance Wars – Fighting your rival
151. Christmas Nights – Ho ho ho!
150. Mii Plaza – Your first StreetPass
149. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! – Beating Mike Tyson
148. Quake III: The Arena – The Longest Yard
147. Lost Odyssey – Samii the Storyteller
146. Bayonetta – Fighting on a falling clocktower
145. Beyond Good & Evil – Pey’k’s dark secret
144. Gunstar Heroes – Seven Force’s deadly dance
143. Resident Evil 4 – Trading with the merchant
142. Baldur’s Gate – Arriving in Baldur’s Gate
141. Gran Turismo 2 – Smelling the second disc
140. Asteroids – Lurking
139. WarioWare, Inc: Minigame Mania – Picking your nose
138. Contra III: The Alien Wars – Fighting Red Falcon
137. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – Dangling off a cliff
136. Super Metroid – Baby saves the day
135. Metal Gear Solid 2: Songs of Libery – Shooting up the bar
134. Diablo II – The secret cow level
133. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – Holding the Master Sword
132. Frogger – Crossing the road
131. Space Invaders – The final alien
130. Amnesia: The Dark Descent – Hiding from the monster
129. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – Being haunted by your victims
128. Jet Force: Gemini – Floyd’s sacrifice
127. Star Wars – The trench run
126. Okami – Repainting the world
125. Sonic the Hedgehog – “SEEEGAAAA!”
124. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath – The truth about Stranger
123. Donkey Kong Country – Fake credits
122. Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Travelling back in time
121. No More Heroes – Jeane breaks the fourth wall
120. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga – “The mustard of your doom.”
119. Mario Kart: Double Dash – Dodging a blue shell
118. Viewtiful Joe – Henshin A Go-Go, baby!
117. Halo: Combat Evolved – Driving to safety
116. Lemmings – Leading lemmings to their doom
115. Final Fantasy IV – Cecil sees the light
114. Minecraft – Building your shack
113. Super Smash Bros. Melee – Malletting Diddy Kong to death
112. Resident Evil – The first zombie
111. Defender – Your first rescue
110. Chrono Trigger – Chrono dies
109. Heavy Rain – Cutting off your finger
108. Deus Ex – The ladies toilets
107. Team Fortress 2 – Gold Rush
106. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – Getting caught stealing
105. Killer 7 – The Handsome Men Showdown
104. The Sims – Torturing your sims
103. Limbo – The giant spider chase
102. Ultima Online – Lord British is murdered
101. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games – Together at last
100. Zero Wing – All your base are belong to us
99. Adventure – The first Easter egg
98. Animal Crossing – Kapp’n’s songs
97. Wolfenstein 3D – Killing Hitler
96. Super Mario Bros. – The Bowser face-off
95. Mass Effect 2 – The Normandy explodes
94. Journey – The slide
93. Silent Hill 2 – Meeting Pyramid Head for the first time
92. Assassin’s Creed Revelations – Ezio dies
91. Tomb Raider – Lara meets the T-rex
90. Super Bomberman – Setting a trap
89. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask – Clock Town is crushed
88. Zelda II: The Adventures of Link – Shadow Link
87. Banjo-Kazooie – Freezeezy Peak
86. Mega Man 2 – Racing through Skull Castle
85. Super Mario Bros. 3 – Slipping on the Tanooki Suit
84. Red Dead Redemption – Marston’s Last Stand
83. Metroid Prime – Stepping out into Phenandra Drifts
82. Star Fox 64 – “Do a barrel roll!”
81. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Climbing the Throat of the World
80. Kirby’s Adventure – Stealing enemy powers
79. Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan – Stopping an asteroid
78. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – Returning to Shadow Moses
77. Guitar Hero II – Free Bird solo
76. Double Dragon – Turning on your partner
75. Wii Sports – Playing tennis
74. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem – Going insane
73. Super Mario Bros. – But our princess is in another castle!
72. Super Metroid – Escaping the base
71. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – The upside-down castle
70. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island – Bowser attacks
69. Counter-Strike – Dust
68. Portal 2 – Waking up GLaDOS
67. Gears of War – The Lancer execution
66. Far Cry – Experimenting with freedom
65. Final Fantasy VI – The Opera House
64. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Getting the babel fish
63. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker – Impaling Ganondorf
62. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker – The Hero of Time
61. Braid – Causing a paradox
60. Metal of Honor: Allied Assault – The Omaha beach landing
59. GTA: Vice City – Driving with the radio cranked up
58. System Shock 2 – SHODAN
57. Left 4 Dead – The cornfield witch
56. Earthbound – Praying against Giygas
55. Battlefield 1942 – Wake Island
54. Worms 2: Armageddon – The prod
53. Batman: Arkham City – The Joker dies
52. Doom – Going toe-to-hoof with the Cyberdemon
51. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – The plane crash
50. Max Payne – Using bullet time
49. Starwing – Fighting Andross
48. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations – Working together
47. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – Leaving the sewers
46. World of Warcraft – Besting C’Thun
45. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – Entering the Dark World
44. God of War – Facing Hydra
43. Super Street Fighter II Turbo – Unlocking Akuma
42. Rez – Seeing Uranus
41. Chrono Cross – Meeting Miguel
40. Resident Evil – The dog corridor
39. Missle Command – The end
38. ICO – The bridge
37. Halo 3 – Taking down a Scarab
36. Super Mario World – Getting Yoshi
35. Thief: Deadly Shadows – Shalebridge Cradle
34. Conker’s Bad Fur Day – Battling the Great Mighty Poo
33. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Learning the truth about Darth Revan
32. SSX 3 – Peak 3
31. Half-Life – Going to work
30. Pong – Your first goal
29. Metroid – Samus removes helmet
28. Elite – Docking a spaceship
27. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time – Rewinding death
26. The Darkness – Watching a film with Jenny
25. Fallout 3 – Destroying Megaton
24. Pokemon Red/Blue – Getting the boulder badge
23. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – Becoming Super Sonic
22. Red Dead Redemption – Riding into Mexico
21. Mortal Kombat – Sub Zero’s fatality
20. BioShock – Descending into Rapture
19. Halo: Combat Evolved – Touching down on The Silent Cartographer
18. Batman: Arkham Asylum – The Scarecrow crashes your machine
17. Final Fantasy VII – Aeris dies
16. The Secret of Monkey Island – Insult sword fighting
15. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – Killing The End
14. Tetris – Scoring a tetris
13. Grand Theft Auto 3 – Six stars
12. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Getting All Ghillied Up
11. Metal Gear Solid – Out-psyching Psycho Mantis
10. Donkey Kong – Jumping over barrels
9. Half-Life 2 – Ravenholme
8. Pac-Man – Popping a power pill
7. GoldenEye 007 – Exploring the facility
6. Portal – Destroying GLaDOS
5. Shadow of the Colossus – Fighting Phalanx
4. Sonic & Knuckles – Locking onto Sonic 2 and Sonic 3
3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Riding Epona
2. Resident Evil 4 – The village attack
1. Super Mario 64 – Exploring the castle
Thanks to joclo for the tip!
