I don't have any grandiose paragraphs to type for Pokemon. All I can say that it is the epitome of my childhood, and the reason I play video games to begin with.
Smash in general is just "Friendship: The Game" to me. Didn't matter if you knew how to play or not, you could still pick up a controller and have a grand time. I'll never forget all the countless games I've played over the years.
Undertale. For starters, this game reminded me that sometimes you just need to jump in and try new things outside of your comfort zone. Additionally, despite playing this game awhile ago, it's still firmly in my mind, and probably will never fully go away. The ways that it could make you reflect on all the past games you've played, how you've treated both NPCs and enemies was magnificent. That it could make you, even for a second, think that the characters in its world don't deserve to have their lives tampered with is extremely impressive. Where it presents to you that rare moment in gaming where you get to see yourself as the villain, the one everyone is rightfully terrified of. What's worse is that you don't have to be that villain. But nah, the game knows all too well how you think. How most gamers think really, namely their inability to just simply let things go. In a way, it's even kind of scary how much the game understands the type of person you are. In a way, the game is just one big test, one that gives you multiple opportunities to pass it. And yet, it knows full well that so many would willingly choose to fail it, to willingly choose to have "that bad time." But yea, it really puts things into perspective, to put it lightly. I'm still in awe that such a magnificent experience cost me less than $10.
The Last of Us is the first thing to ever truly make me consider what it means to be a parent. If I ever have a child, do not fuck with me lol
The Gravity Rush (GR) series is just joy incarnate to me. For one thing, the gravity powers and the whimsical setting easily reminds me what I love about gaming. I love the absurd possibilities regarding the gameplay and settings; the more out there it is, the more likely I am to want to play it. But more importantly, the two games, with the sequel being a recent experience, just put a consistent smile on my face. I am, to put it simply, happy when I play Gravity Rush. Which feels weird to say, because of course, I've played many wonderful games that have been great experiences. But those moments of awe and excitement are more... fleeting, for lack of a better word. Where I would have some particularly great highs, but then I would quickly go back to a state of indifference/neutrality. Whereas in GR, just simply moving about in the air makes me feel good. The protagonist Kat (who is practically incapable of being mean) in particular is an utterly sincere joy to play as in a way that few protagonists have ever matched for me. Nearly everything about the series just feels like the primary goal is to repeatedly give you that warm, fuzzy feeling in your stomach, and it pretty much effortlessly does so. Additionally, this game came out in the U.S. on a very dark day in American history, January 20th, 2017. So yea, definitely came at a good time... =P