There’s a definite sense of pride that comes with playing a game well, whether it’s scoring a crucial goal, hitting a particular score or simply making your way through an enjoyable narrative. Which gaming moment stood out the most for you in 2013?
As gamers, we play for the fun — and sometimes the frustration, which in itself can be fun — of games, and the sense of satisfaction that comes from those experiences.
But which one stood out for you in 2013?
This shouldn’t be limited to games of 2013, because, let’s face it, the “best of 2013” list is, by now, not just done and dusted, but most likely being sprayed with toxins by the local council to stop it spreading further.
Indeed, my own proudest gaming moment isn’t from a game from 2013. Or even 2003. Or 1993, for that matter.
I’ve got to go all the way back to 1986 for my proudest gaming moment, which means it’s sat in my pile of shame for quite some time now.
Some time back — I don’t even think it was this year — I got the idea to play through all the Legend Of Zelda games in release chronological order. I’m aware that the historical order is all kinds of messed up, so the order of release seemed to make the most sense.
Then I hit a problem.
The Legend Of Zelda — the 1986 NES original — isn’t exactly the friendliest game to ease yourself into the series with.
Everything is brutal and bleak, a design factor that at the time had to do with the limitations of the technology, but in the modern context one that makes for a rather lonely and isolated experience.
So I’d start The Legend Of Zelda, go through a few dungeons… and then stop.
2013, though, was the year where I decided that enough was enough, and I sat down and in a solid few sessions of gaming made my way through The Legend Of Zelda, completing every dungeon and taking notes along the way.
That sense of isolation now pervades the game, and while it does lay down the framework that all the following Zelda games work through, it does so in a way that gives off a distinctly different emotional vibe.
I was happy when I finished the excellent Link Between Worlds, but rather melancholy when finishing The Legend Of Zelda, if only because it’s a game that feels like Link’s stuck not in Shigeru Miyamoto’s imagined world of friendly nature, but instead in a hostile and isolated world of danger.
It’s not a game that helps you along the way; it’s a game that cheerfully kills you, sends you in the wrong directions and leaves you back at the starting point time after time. It was a grind, but it was a grind that very quickly consumed all my gaming time until it was done and dusted.
That’s why finishing The Legend Of Zelda is my proudest gaming acheivement of 2013. What’s yours?
Comments
29 responses to “What Was Your Proudest Gaming Achievement Of 2013?”
Blind fire blue plate special from the enemy base to their flag carrier coming up from the other side of a hill a little ways away.
One of the very few fluke shots I managed to record.
If you’re looking for actual achievements. Not gaming as such, but dropping two HD7950s in m machine certainly felt achievement worthy to me.
Heh. Mine only happened yesterday – beating Battletoads in one go. No game overs, no continues.
I had the NES out because I was messing around with some stuff, and I decided I’d have another shot at beating Battletoads. I’d managed to do it once before, but it was a hard slog and I barely made it with only a life or two left on my final continue. This time though, I seemed to be going a lot better and thought that it actually seemed possible to do it in one. Funnily enough, both times it took about two days to get there in the end.
You sir get a salute from me!
I was never able to get past the stage where you had to outrun the orb while holding onto the handlebars. Not sure if there was much to go after that, hoping I can say “near the end”
That one’s the second last level, Clinger-Winger. There’s a boss fight with the orb at the end, then afterwards is Revolution followed by the fight with the Dark Queen (which is actually rather easy, I found Big Blag to be much harder).
I beat it when I was 10, along with Punchout and TMNT. I tried playing BT a few years ago but alas, I’m a shadow of my former skills. Modern games have made this old gamer softer than fairy floss. I did however finish getting platinum medals on all the Trials Evolution DLC tracks, having already platinum’d all the originals last year.
Quitting league of legends
Wha?, My proudest moment was when i decided to change my name to little Bischu.
100% AC4 Black Flag last night. That was pretty cool.
probably rank that up there as mine too
I was headed for 100% but I lost patience. It’s not exactly labour of skill, but one of time.
True. Was enjoyable though.
It was the only game I had on the Xbone and I played it daily for about a month and then burnt out on it. But now after getting Dead Rising and Ryse, I’m feeling like I might come back to AC4 and finish it off, I needed a break from it.
100% in Mark of the ninja
Finishing Tomb Raider on hard, using only the bow
This.
PRAISE THE SUN.
Good Lord!
Killing Trevor. Psychotic son of a bitch! 😀
Buying an Xbone. It took some fierce budgeting and saving.
In the games department, nothing really, I didn’t find any games challenging this year.
League of Legends. making it to Silver League.
Pikmin 3 campaign complete with 0 Pikmin killed or otherwise!
I also cracked 248 000 In Donkey Kong (Arcade/Mame) this year (not that great I know, but love the game.)
Just 2 weeks ago I played Journey.
I’ve been berating myself ever since as to why I took so long to play it.
I’ve not played a game in a long time that just drew me in and kept me there smiling, frowning and enjoying every moment.
getting the platinum trophy on the PS3 version of Diablo 3.
Getting stuck into KSP, and all the amazing things that you can make in the game.
Papers, Please is up there as well.
My first platinum trophy… And it was for skyrim… Many game hours!! Some of the best ever!!
I’m a ‘shy’ gamer: not shy IRL, but I’ve always played solo due to my insecurities in being tagged a n00b/ not hardcore enough etc (I have TWO friends on psn and ONE on xbl). I picked up FFXIV: ARR and forced myself to expand my horizons.
Now I’m organising group activities for my FC (guild), helping new players run dungeons and generally meeting gamers from Hawaii to Iceland. We always hear about pimply teenagers hurling insults at your mother all the time but in most cases, the gamer at the other end of the screen is a pretty cool human being who is interesting, thoughtful, appreciative of my skills and tolerant of my flaws.
so my proudest gaming moment isn’t only a personal one but ‘social’ gamers in general who welcomed me to their world. thanks guys and girls!
I had some really crap group experiences – I think that it’s the risk you take in any MMO – but generally I found that FFXIV: ARR’s playerbase is a lot more welcoming and tolerant than I’ve seen in other MMOs. Probably a number of factors are involved with that. It eases new players into the content well, a lot of the more veteran players are people who stuck out the awful 1.0 release and have the patience of saints to begin with, and there’s a fair number of Japanese players who are often a lot more polite and friendly.
Finally finding a gun in DayZ.
I broke 30 million over an Adventure mode in Peggle. I’d been chasing it for months and then what do you know? A 31m point playthrough. I celebrated.
First I thought it was going to be finally beating Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, which was a nice accomplishment due to how some of the bosses bent me over and paddled me with what can only be described as a feeling of evil glee. Then I downloaded the Resurrection DLC and found that I was but a piece of meat for the tenderization process that is the final boss battle with the Forgotten One. Defeating him was a true achievement.
100% Skyrim
All the achievements
Only took about 11 Months