Five that pop into my head:
Metal Gear Solid 3: the whole have was amazing but from the time you fight the Shagohod to the final credits--THAT feeling is the reason why I'm a gamer.
Chrono Trigger: Finding Chrono-- first this I ever saw a main character did in a game. The party goes on without him. Changing past and finally getting him back was incredible. With the team together, it was time to fuck Lavos right in the booty hole.
Gears of War 2: finding Dom's wife. Maybe it was the extra "umph" of seventh gen realism plus some genuine emotion in the acting but that one really hit me. Plus, at the time my gf was named Maria.
Final Fantasy VIII: Bought the grand just in time to go to bed. I only had time to watch the intro. I couldn't even sleep, I was so excited!
Super Metroid: Samus was being destroyed by mother brain. I couldn't think fast enough to figure a way out of the situation. Suddenly, the baby Metroid I saved in Metroid 2 comes in and sacrifices itself to save me. I jumped out of my seat because it was just so awesome!
