From my experience...
Gen 4: I started playing video games through this generation so I have four moments that I remember fondly.
- Playing my first video game, Sonic the Hedgehog, on the Sega Genesis. I was immediately hooked by seeing how fast Sonic was running. It was a "WOW" moment.
- Playing Super Mario World was another "WOW" moment for me as I played the SNES for the first time.
- NBA Jam. I love basketball and it was my first basketball video game. Of course, the over-the-top dunks and "He's on Fire!" moments blew me away.
- Playing Pokemon Red/Blue for the first time. I was immediately transported into the world of Kanto almost like the way my character was. Seeing these strange but powerful monsters, capturing them, and building my team to be "Very Best, Like No One Ever Was" made me a fan of the franchise to this day.
Gen 5: I have four moments here, with the N64 and Game Boy Color.
- Playing Super Mario 64 for the first time. Just toying around with Mario and exploring Peach's Castle. The sense of freedom and movement Mario had back in 64 was amazing.
- Defeating Ganon in Ocarina of Time and seeing the ending all the way through. In all honesty, this was the first time (outside of Pokemon) that I completed and saw the ending of a video game. The scenes, the graphics, the sound, the music, etc., all blew me away. Though it took me forever to defeat Ganon at a young age because I didn't realize the tail was the weak point. :P
- Fighting against Red for the first time in Pokemon Gold. I felt this was like an ultimate test. In a way, I was fighting against myself and, at the time, the concept was awesome and I appreciate that moment.
- Star Fox 64's dialogue. The dialogue between the Star Fox team and its enemies was so memorable that I remember some of the lines after many years. Of course, the gameplay was also awesome.
Gen 6: Mostly played PS2 and GameCube, along with the Game Boy Advance.
- Playing Smash Bros. Melee for the first time. The jump from Smash 64 to Melee was huge to me.
- Watching DVDs on the PS2 (was not really interested most of the AAA games the PS2 had at the time)
Gen 7: I remember more of these video games as I was in high school at the time..
- Super Mario Galaxy. The gravity mechanics, the orchestrated music, and the level design all blew me away.
- Mass Effect 2's Suicide Mission. An incredible experience. Fighting alongside the teammates you've built relationships with over the course of the game and having to deal with a life-or-death mission together was truly something special.
- Batman: Arkham Asylum. Took me back when I was watching Batman: The Animated Series. The setting, the graphics, the combat, and the voice acting made me feel like I was playing an actual Batman game.
Gen 8:
- Playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the first time. Whether it's finding my first horse (who was a 3 star), overlooking the world of Hyrule after getting out of the Cave of Resurrection, getting out of the Great Plateau, connecting the memories, discovering and losing to the first Lynel I saw, discovering random locations, or killing my first Guardian, the game just invited me into the HD world of Hyrule and I eagerly took it. Unforgettable.
- Seeing Cloud confirmed as the next Smash Bros. DLC fighter for Smash 4. I was utterly shocked when Cloud was announced back in November 2015 during the Nintendo Direct at the time. I've heard a lot about Cloud from FFVII and their importance to the gaming industry and the history behind Square and Nintendo's breakup post-SNES. Now that FFVII is coming to a Nintendo console, for the first time ever, on the Switch, I think it's fitting.
