Inception Gaming

Wednesday! Which means it is time for me to make this week's list. So what was my decision of what to do it on? Well have you ever been playing the game you were playing and then just got sidetracked playing the game within the game? Well that is what this week's list is all about my favourite games within games. So here we go.

5. Chocobo Racing - Final Fantasy VII

So yes there was a purpose so you could get Knights of the Round, but then it was also so much fun to keep racing again and again to see how much you could push yourself. To this day I always spend way too much time doing this when I do my runs through VII.

4. Triple Triad - Final Fantasy VIII

Anyone who has ever played FFVIII knows that you can log onto this game with a purpose and then all of the sudden realize you have been playing cards for 3 hours. While you were having fun you also realize you never accomplished anything.

3. NES Games - Animal Crossing 

So there is games within games and then there is a collection of games within a game. Animal Crossing had just that where you could play a wide variety of NES games during your adventure.

2. Lost Viking - Starcraft II Wings of Liberty

This was a nod to of course The Lost Vikings one of Blizzards original games, but it was also something to pass the time while you were chilling during Starcraft II WoL campaign. Oh the fun!

1. Geometry Wars - Project Gotham Racing

So there are great games within games and then there are games within games that then outsell there original game when they are released by themselves. Geometry Wars did just that.

There you have it my favourite games within games. Did I miss one? Probably and I am sure you will let me know about it.

Just Another Stupid Story By A Boring Adult

Keeping with the school theme since it really is the first week of school almost everywhere I figured for this week's list I would do one based on schools. You know those places of "learning" we always find in video games. So here are my top 5 schools in gaming.

5. Midwich Elementary School - Silent Hill

There are not much things scarier than an abandoned elementary school and that is exactly what you will find in this classic horror game.

4. College of Winterhold - Skyrim

Show me some magic in this place in the north and you will have a good time learning a whole bunch of new things. Leave it to Skyrim to make a frozen Hogwarts 

3. The Heroes Guild - Fable

So let's meet some friends and have fans within the guild all to impress the guild master. This truly Fable expierence gives you all of that and more

2. Bullworth Academy - Bully

So maybe not your normal everyday boarding school, but who wants that in a video game. This place is the extreme of everything you ever came across in high school and that's why it is a whole lot of fun to be a part of.

1. Balamb Garden - Final Fantasy VIII

So this place is not only massive, but has tons of things to do. All so you can learn to be an amazing mercenary you were born to be. This school though has something all the others don't it can fly all across the map!

There you have it my choices for the best schools in video games. Agree/Disagree let me know some way or another.

I Really Shot The Hell Out Of That Guy, Huh?

Wednesday! Yes your week is right in the middle of it again. Which means if you are not sure by now it is time for a list. Now when thinking about what I was going to do for my list this week I thought about what time of year it was. That being getting close to school starting itself up again. So what about if I went with my favourite teenage characters. Originally I thought this list was going to have not that much of a good selection, but with more thought it was the exact opposite. So tough choices aside here is the list.

5. Squall - Final Fantasy VII

The guy who didn't need anyone, well at least so it seemed. Many argue is the foundation for the best cinematic story of all the Final Fantasy games. Game just wouldn't be the same without this character.

4. Sora - Kingdom Hearts

So for a game that when I first played I assumed it was going to be a joke turned out to be tons of fun. Also a game I love replaying again and again because of Sora and his journey.

3. Little Mac - Punch Out

Who doesn't love Little Mac? A story which is all about the underdog making his way up it just is impossible not to cheer for this guy to be the champ.

2. Jimmy Hopkins - Bully

Everyone who knows video games looks highly on the game Bully. It doesn't have all the cheese of the GTA games, which takes away from the actual story trying to be told. Jimmy Hopkins isn't only one of the best Teen characters out there is one of the best in general.

1. Ellie - The Last of Us

For one of the greatest games of all time you have to have one of the greatest characters of all time. Elle isn't just some secondary fodder to Joel is the important piece to the story which keeps Joel focused on maintaining what is left of his humanity. Joel is a really amazing character, but without Elle there he wouldn't be so.

There it is this week's List. Agree of disagree as always let me know what you think. Happy arguing!

Man At Arms

So when I was sitting around thinking about what I would decide to show you all when I realized I have never Showcased Man At Arms. You see Man At Arms is a show done every other week where they blacksmith weapons from all the games we love along. It really is something to see some of these iconic weapons come to life. The one I am sharing with you is not only one of my favourite builds, but probably was their most requested piece. So have a watch!



I know it's amazing

So Where Do We Go From Here Huh?

Well here we are in the middle of the week when we only have one thing to do besides shovel because of all the snow that ended up on the driveway last night. What is that you ask? Well that is make a list. Now I have got a lot of flack about how I have never done a couples themed list ever. So do you know what well I am going to do it now. Now I want to make a couple stipulations one being games where you can make your own romances. Looking at you Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Other than that everything is fair game. So here are my picks be prepared to bitch.

5. Mario and Princess Peach - Mario Bros Series

I don't think you can ever make a list such as this and not include these two. Sure she seems to always get captured and Mario is always doing the saving. Except for that one game which name escapes me when crying could be used as a weapon. Maybe one day she will learn to avoid capture.

4. Squall and Rinoa - Final Fantasy 8

Out of all the Final Fantasy there is one which stands out as being perfectly made that it could be seamlessly be made into a movie. There just isn't anything to like about the two of them. They play off each other and make the game fun to play each time you do.

3. Link and Zelda - Legend of Zelda Series

Just like Mario and the Peach it would be hard to make a list without these two. Through all of the games we have met many incarnations of them and how it all plays out. Skyward Sword being my favourite of the bunch.

2. Tidus and Yuna - Final Fantasy X/X-2

Sure this one might be slight cheeseball. Especially when remembering the whole laughing incident. The reason why I rank this one so high is that the girl doesn't seem like an addon and really is just as important if not more so. Also it isn't the happy ending one expects and to me that gets more props for doing so. Now if you played through X-2 you get that happy ending, but still those who played would understand.

1. Drake and Elena - Uncharted Series 

I really don't think there is much competition for these two. Mostly because most gaming relationships either seem forced to be part of the story or they really don't play out as one in the world would. Uncharted does it completely different. This seems exactly how a real couple would play out right before you and to me is one of the real reason I love the series itself.

There are my choices. Agree or disagree those are them regardless. Now I must shovel.

How Imaginative

So there comes a time when all of us have our moments when we just have to release our anger and throw out insults. It happens all the time, sometimes we mean it sometimes we want to hurt people and sometimes we can't even say them without laughing. This only holds true in the games we play. Sometimes the characters do the same and spit out insults we will remember forever, and this is what this week's list is all about. My favourite insults from gaming.

5. "Chicken-wuss" - Seifer Final Fantasy VII

This insult may seem tame, but the best part of it was Zell's overreaction and how he kept calling me it again and again. I swear I cannot play this part without laughing like crazy.

4. "You're an inspiration for birth-control" - Duke Nukem 3D

Now Duke has always had the epic lines even if his games have been lackluster at times. This one is just one of my favourites of his.

3. "You look jet lagged and by that I mean you look like shit" - Battlefield 3

When I first heard this I am pretty sure I kept saying it over and over for about a week.

2. "Looks like the Good Lord got your ass and your face mixed up" - Red Dead redemption, John Marston

Pretty sure when this happened I spit out my drink and wanted to high five the screen.

1. "No, let me clarify  if you don't watch it, I'll be wearing your ass for a shoe" - Fallout, Vault Dweller

So many great insults from this game I could have made a best Fallout insults list. I am sure anyone who has had the pleasure would agree without question.

There you have it. I know there are a bunch more I could have added to the list and surprisingly this was a much harder list to narrow down then you would think. Enjoy the rest of your day, who knows maybe you will even hear one of these directed towards you!

Hell, It's About Time

So here we are 1 day into Watch Dogs, but I will do my non spoiler review on that tomorrow. Today though is supposed to be all about lists. Now with Watch Dogs coming out yesterday with what many have called the most anticipated game of the year. So that begs the question, what really makes a game anticipated? What makes people want to play it? Then I thought to myself, what really are the games which have been the most anticipated games of all time? Well I figured I would take a shot at it, with what I believe are/were the most anticipated games of all time.


5. Duke Nukem Forever

The game which seemed to be delayed and in the making forever you were wondering what actually was going to be the result. What was it? A game which seemed to be stuck in a time wrap and was so bad it is now the punch line to jokes.

4. Starcraft II

Brood War was a game which really proved gaming itself could be competitive on a massive scale. For years we kept hearing about Starcraft II and Blizzard even joked about the waiting process with the opening cinematic "it's about time"

3. Final Fantasy VIII

Even wasn't even a true sequel, but after what is known by many as the greatest game ever made there was massive excitement to what could possible come next. The game was a masterpiece in itself but is viewed as many as a disappointment because honestly no game could ever live up to the hype it was given.

2. Diablo III

For years we were unsure if we were ever going to see another Diablo game again. When it was finally announced it was happening the build up was something of legend. With what probably was one of the longest beta periods in the history of games. When the game was finally released the servers exploded which will forever be known as Error 37

1. Half Life 3

This game still isn't a thing. It has become a running joke if it ever is going to happen or not. I suppose one day it will but then how could we ever imply something said really meant Half Life 3.

So there is my list. What do you think? Agree or disagree let me know as you always do.

No Old Friend, You Have Freed Us All

So here we are in the middle of the week where I was just sitting around and thinking. I know can be a dangerous thing to do at times. I wasn't really thinking about this  week's list, but then it did come to me making a decision about it. I was thinking about how cinematics have become just an important part of the gaming scene. It used to be it was all about the credits and what you would see before the final "The End" showed up. Now we don't just have cinematics at the end of games they are all throughout. So with that I thought about what are my favourite cinematics of all time? Are they ones which served for great story telling? Ones which just had the epic feel? Or Ones that just made you want to play the game? Well let's find out shall we?

5. Letter To Claudia


One of the best intros to a game you will ever find showcasing the skills of one of the best characters ever in gaming history. This cinematic shows what it truly means to be an Assassin and really makes you appreciate what you did in previous games to get to this point, this revelation.

4. You Cannot Judge Me


Tyrael is one of the most beloved characters from the Diablo franchise and seeing him as a mortal is extremely weird and feels off once you find out it is him. This cinematic really is the definition of epic and has the line no one will ever forget even if they forget everything else about the game itself.

3. En Taro Tassadar


There are few cinematics which give you "dem feels", but this is certainly one of them. I have not known anyone who knows even the most minuscule knowledge of Starcraft who doesn't love Tassadar. There are characters in games who would do anything for their people, but would they give the ultimate sacrifice for everyone because they knew it could only be them.

2. Final Fantasy VIII Intro


Without a doubt the greatest into to any game, and I challenge any game to top this. This game cinematic is one that introduced a countless gamers to the world of RPGs. Every time I watch it I want to start of a game of Final Fantasy VIII. Even though I know everything about it. It still has that power, which really is remarkable 

1. Grom Kills Mannoroth



You see Tassadar was basically a God amongst mortals. He could do anything and chose to sacrifice himself because he knew it was the only way. Grom was nothing like that. He was the Orc who started the demon curse, which lead to enumerable horrifying acts. Some would save he doomed the Orcs to the life they found themselves in. This is not only the moment of his redemption it is the moment which allowed the Horde to exist. Lok'tar Ogar Grommash Hellscream.

There you have it my favourite Cinematics. There were so many to choose from and realyl I feel bad about leaving some off the list, but 5 means 5. Let me know what you all think, which would you have included?

Endure and Survive

So last week for the list I went over what I thought were the best movie or television to game conversions. When I was making that last it really got me thinking. You know now there are quite a few games to movie conversions some of them good and some of them not. So if I could pick any game and make it into a movie what would I choose? This sounds a lot easier than I thought when I started to make a list. I had about 30 games which I would love to see made into a movie. I did though lower the amount to my trademark five. So here is the list I came up with. Also there may or may not be spoilers but the games are old enough it shouldn't matter

5. Heavy Rain

The story of Heavy Rain plays out so well and leaves you guessing. It makes you feel for Ethan every step of the way. You want him to find his son no matter the cost. Now if that doesn't scream Hollywood blockbuster don't know what does.

4. Uncharted 2

This game isn't on my short list of greatest games only because of the ganeplay. The story is beautifully done and action packed from start to finish. It has everything a movie could ever want to keep you on the edge of your seat. Unless of course you actually played the game. I have heard they are thinking of making an Uncharted movie so we may actually get to see it one day.   

3. Warcraft: Arthas' Story

There are many stories in the Warcraft universe but I don't think any would convert to film as well as Arthas' story would. From beginning to end it is a story of joy and sadness. A story you cannot help but watch and be drawn to till the very end, and isn't that what a movie is supposed to be?

2. Final Fantasy VIII

There have been 14 different stories created with the name Final Fantasy. So how do I come to choosing this one. Well it isn't the best game and I also don't think it the best overall story, but what I do believe it is the best which would translate into a movie. There are love stories in games as there are movies and I believe you would be hard pressed to find many which have a better one then this game.

1. The Last of Us

The greatest game in my books has the story to back it up. The time everyone fears when you are not only afraid of infection but what others will do to survive. A story of a journey and a struggle to save the world. Truly a masterpiece and which could also make one of the greatest movies ever made.

There it is list all put together. Like I said this was a lot tougher than it seemed and I left off a few games I thought were sure things when I first started writing them down. So what do you all think do you have some you would like to see?

I Dreamt I Was A Moron

Middle of the week already? That is the first thing I thought about when I started to throw ideas around for this week's list post. Then it got me thinking how some things in a game are so obvious and thrown out there you wonder how so many people never pick up on them. It is like they cannot see what is right in front of them. You then get into arguments with them how this and that is not true or that never happened, or there was never any proof. This is when having the conversation with myself turned into how I have to make a list about this. My top 5 obviously things in games people never picked up on. Now if you haven't played these games there is some spoilers here so keep this in mind before you go complaining about spoilers.

5 Vlad Is A Vampire - Magicka

So this one is rather silly and obvious but some people think it is a joke and not actually true. Even after the whole must kill the vampire level. Setting the record straight for everyone Vlad is a Vampire.

4. Drake and Elena are Married - Uncharted Series

So this one is a little less obvious, but the writing is on the walls the entire time. With the "ring" that mattered along with being separated along with the scene I chose for the picture. Everything points to this without it actually being said. Anyone who thinks otherwise honestly makes me facepalm every time.

3.  Assassin's Creed Games Contain Real History

You would be surprise how many people argue against this. There is even some stats on how you can learn more about history from Assassin's Creed then in an actually history course. You know tose little pop ups about the buildings you encounter that crap wasn't made up it was true. Along with the people you encounter. This is why the stories seem to make sense and fit in so well because they were created into real history.

2. Haschel is Dart's Grandfather - Legend of the Dragoon

I have had this argument with people over and over. They always quote Albert saying how common a name of Claire is. They also never talk about the singing or martial arts which disprove the whole naming theory. Haschel even figures it out and when his part of the Divine Tree comes he doesn't want Dart to know jsut yet.

1. Laguna is Squall's Father - Final Fantasy 8

This one is less obvious, but the conversation before "the end" is the final push towards this. It is never explicitly stated but signs point towards it. The whole "sis" thing and squall remembering certain things which no one else tends to remember even though they all have memory issues. The way Edea describes everything to him after she is saved. I am sure a lot of you are now having mindblown moments now, but just let it all sink in.

There you have it this week's list. Do any of you know anything worth mentioning? Think of one I for lack of better words obviously missed? Let me know. 

It Has Begun

Middle of the week, and once again it is time to spark conversation and to get up all in people's faces. This week's list is all opening the opening. Not just the first couple minutes, but the time before you even have to pick up the controller, mouse, or whatever else. That time when you first pickup the game and press new game. Some games to the job that have you paying so much attention and are getting pumped up like crazy to play the game. Some games may not have even been liked , but have the most amazing opening sequences. None of the games I picked are like that, but you know them and they do exist. So here they come my best 5 openings.

5. Starcraft II Wings Of Liberty



Starcraft II took forever to actually be a thing so maybe I was so pumped to play this game without even watching the opening. Even still There is mystery and intrigue in the way it starts. Who is this man and why is Mengsk talking to him? What is going on here? Also gives those who are unaware of the whole criminals are marines thing. Also it is a Blizzard CG which we all know are always top notch.

4. Uncharted 2 Among Thieves



So not many games start in this way. Drake is bleeding like crazy has time to crack a joke about it then you realize you are on a train which is falling off a cliff. This is all in the first minute of the game. How could not want to play more to find out what the hell happened?

3. Diablo III Reaper Of Souls



This game isn't even out yet, but Blizzard did realease the opening cinematic. I have said it before and I will say it again. WOW! I so want to play this game. Not only the CG itself but the music is masterfully placed at each moment. You are litterly at the edge of your seat watching this. Beyond intense.

2. Assassin's Creed Revelations



First of all we have an Ezio voice over of a letter he was writing to his sister about a trip he was about to make. We are seeing this trip unfold to epic fashion. Ezio being Ezio. This to me is not only one of the best opening sequences of a game but one of the very best clips in a game in general. It gives you everything you could ever want. Leaves you at the edge of your seat and gets you pumped up to play.

1. Final Fantasy VIII 



In my mind Final Fantasy VIII might not even make it in my top 5 FF games. That takes nothing away from this opening sequence. There have been many of my friends completely against playing any Final Fantasy game then see this opening and follow it up with I have to play this game. It gives you a taste of everything the story entails without giving you enough to know exactly what will follow. This in my mind is what makes it the perfect opening. It has those edge of your seat moments along with the teasers. The opening upon which all others are measured to me.

There you have it this week's list. Tell me what you think. What openings do or have you enjoyed?