Every one who plays videogames has his favorite moments. What I want to know are the plot twists, catchphrases, scenes, plot-weaving miracles, and any other game moment that has touched you in some way. Which made you laugh or cry or just sit there smiling, dumbfounded. We all know that these are rare moments but that they do happen sometimes.

I'll start with two ones.

In the end of Castlavania: Aria of Sorrow. [spoiler]In the best Castlevania fashion, the game goes on if you beat the "final" boss the right way. What's awesome about this particular game is that after you beat the missionary who claims to be Dracula reborn, you find out that Dracula reborn is actually... you. And Dracula's evil energy slowly starts to consume your body, granting you even a new portrait with a slightly insane look on your eyes.
It's amazing how it was well-done. It's the mix of how well it leads into the real ending sequences and how the whole thing is actually optional that makes this particular moment (i.e., between you find out you're Dracula and the end of the game) so awesome.[/spoiler]

The second one happens in the beginning of Suikoden 2 for the PSX. This one left me laughing dumbly at the ceiling for minutes.
[spoiler]You come back to your home town and are captured by soldiers of your country who think you're a traitor. So you go to prison. And you're told you're going to be executed. And then there's a number of scenes leading up to the execution, including one of you being taken hopelessly by soldiers while crossing the town square, with everyone looking at you. Then you get spanked and whipped by the soldiers... and you even get the chance to call a jerk the captain who brought this unto you. Believe me, the whole thing is so well-done the only reason I thought I wasn't going to actually die by the hands of the captain was because you can't kill off a main character. And that's one hell of a weak reason. Also because I couldn't think of any character that could rescue me.

But someone indeed came to the rescue... a couple of mercenary leaders who had captured me themselves a while back (I had escaped). "You are our prisoner, we can't let you die that easily." I had such a great surprise at the sight of my rescuers that I fell back on the chair laughing. Really.[/spoiler]

I know, it doesn't sound that good when it's written down. =] The only thing I can do is say: play Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Suikoden 2 to see incredible plot-weaving feats. Seriously.

What are the scenes that struck you the hardest when you were playing?

The huge twist at the ending of Jak 3.

In FF7 when Aeris [spoiler]is killed by Sephiroth and cloud is holding her. I though that was a touching moment for a video game.[/spoiler][/spoiler]

Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion - I wish I had recorded some of my epic battles on the fields. Some bandits/goblins/etc. have all attacked me, and the battles seemed to be suicide, but instead I would play out the scenario. I battle bravely, and the charge I get from using actual defense with a shield and countering and flinging spells on the go at a horde of like 4 goblin bandits who wanna kill ya. Also, to come out with barely a scratch because you had a mean gameface on while taking them on gives me a great sense of accomplishment. I will forever love you Oblivion...

Oh yeah & Arch Mage Traven offs himself for the greater good of the guild in front of your very eyes. Funniest thing I've seen in a game in a long time.

I have two, both from Lufia 2:

[spoiler]This first is the scene where Maxim and Selan get married, and the various scenes afterward that show the birth of thier son and their life together.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]The second, which is probably the saddest and most amazing plot twist ever to be created, was where after killing the last boss, Selan dies and tells Maxim to take care of their son. (Selan is, as I see it, the second most important character in the game.) Then, Doom Island begins to fall towards the city where their son is at, and Maxim must stop it. Well, in order to stop it, Maxim had to use the rest of his energy, killing himself. Thus, the first time I've ever seen the main character die permanently in a video game.[/spoiler]

I must agree with myoki on the second part in Lufia 2 that he described, ... although at the same time I must also say that I found the first part myoki mentioned seemed a little too corny - not to mention predictable - to me. ^_^ ([spoiler]Besides, what's up with the plot's just dismissing poor Tia like that; she was the one who was at Maxim's side all this time, not that poorly dressed barbarian Selan![/spoiler])


... Still, one scene that stuck out to me was the one about halfway through Xenogears, whereupon [spoiler]Maria faced off in her highly awesome gear Seibzehn against her father, alone[/spoiler]. And whenever there's an epic battle in an RPG like this one with the music theme to match its atmosphere, for some reason I always get this particular feeling of satisfaction in having won that fight on my first try, without the music having been interrupted by the humiliating game over screen that we RPG fans have come to know over the years and utterly detest the unpleasant feeling of complete failure that it bestows upon us.

If I may also add this little side note -> Seibzehn rules every last one of you.


EDIT: ... I suppose it would help if I placed a spoiler tag around the text that I intended to hide instead of putting the words in bold print.