RetroGaming

There are many games that I loved and would enjoy playing for the first time, but I'm going to pick Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga. My reason being that I spent the vast majority of the game waiting for it to morph into a spiritual successor of Super Mario RPG back when I first played it, rather than giving it a chance to stand on its own as a unique and hilarious game. My preconceived idea of what I hoped the game would be really hurt my initial enjoyment of it.

For a runner up, I'll mention Kirby's Dream Land 3. In the days of Blockbuster rentals, I'd rented Kirby Super Star first, so it took me a while to get used to the more traditional Kirby powerup system where copied abilities only do one type of action each.

Skyrim. After 200 hours, you start becoming really aware of the "seams" and the clunkiness of the Creation Engine. Although, while you're still working your way through the quests, and every stat isn't at 100 yet, it's pure pure pure bliss. To have that original feeling back. Gah!

That Zelda is on my list for sure. I'd add super Mario world as well, just like Zelda did, it introduced so many new mechanics and the maps were so HUGE you could spend absolute weeks trying to unlock all of certain areas.

NBA Jam on SNES.

Wolfenstein or Doom first time really seeing a 3d game. Being absolutely terrified of the ambient noises in Doom.

Half-Life for sure. Relatively intelligent soldier opponent tactics, puzzling real puzzles in 3d for the first time not just point and shoot.

Goldeneye 007. Trying to figure out how to aim, so slowly and ineptly. Then one of your friends says let's try multiplayer and 4 years later...

Warcraft 2 on dial-up with your friend across town.

GTA 2. Discovered almost by accident and the top down view was so great. Never cared much for the rest of the series.

Super Bomberman.

Are you aware of the Zelda: ALLTTP randomizer? https://alttpr.com/en

Minecraft, specifically Beta 1.7.3.

Ultima Online. It was my first MMO. I could own a friggin house that other people could visit! I've been chasing that high for 20+ years now.

Learning Team Fortress 2 for the first time as a teenager was such a crazy fun experience.

If I were to experience it as I am today (and judge it versus games with modern graphics etc), I'd pick Ori and the Will of the Wisps. It quickly became one of my all-time favourite games, and I finished it three times in a year when I discovered it. Beautiful in so many ways.

Half-Life is probably the game that has had the biggest impact on me, though, so that would be my pick if I experienced it as I did around 1998.

Wings for Amiga, flying in WW1 and a cool story between missions. Everything I know about ww1 air battles, I know from that game :)

Hotel Dusk.

Homeworld

Bioshock. I am sure you can just replay it. The twist at the end... I wish I could relive the surprise again.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

The story has so many great twists and turns even up to the very end. There was a distinct point about 75% of the way through when I came to the realization that I had to binge the rest of game. Even if it meant I got zero sleep that night, I had to see how it ended.

It was so good I wish I could experience it again blind.

I have seen no mention of Planescape Torment, so there you go.

Half-Life 2 and Shining in the Darkness.

That'd have to be Metroid: Zero Mission and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Two of some of the only games I actually 100%.

Spyro the Dragon as I was back in the day. That game has always been so magical for me.

I agree with lots of what's already been said and haven't got much to add to those extant conversations, so let me try to add in some that I've not seen:

RuneScape is a candidate. I started way back with RS Classic (the sprite-based one!).

Oh, and Dwarf Fortress too. That began in 2009.

Achaea and/or Lusternia are way up there but I don't imagine anyone but me can share the experience.

Oh, as well, Mount & Blade: Warband. Quite the adventure(s).

I don't really game anymore. But this thread did dredge up some memories, old and new.

Thank you.

Space Invaders

Asteroids

Pitfall

Read dead redemption 1. A masterpiece.

Might and Magic 3

F-19

Wow

Half-life

Dishonored

FF6, FF9 and Links Awakening

Quake 3 Arena. Or more specifically OpenArena + baseq3 and other mods like ratmod. Most fun I have had playing a game ever.

Morrowind but it wouldn't matter because I don't have enough time to get immersed in it anymore.

Silent Hill 2

I've replayed that game so many times but the first playthrough hits different