"Hall of Fame" moments in gaming, what are your picks?

Simply put, what do you feel are some of the most outrageous, over-the-top or just plain awesome bits from any videogame that deserve to be immortalized?

Here's my picks:

Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES) - Stage 4, the sequence where you jump from missile to missile in an attempt to take down the warship. Nothing could possibly have prepared you for that moment the first time you played it. I know I was caught by surprise. The Mode-7 napalm launching plane in Stage 1 was enough of a surprise, but this was just totally wild. A lot of the later Contra games have attempted to repeat this, but none of the attempts have packed the same kind of surprise.

(Posted Image)

Edono Kiba (SFC) - Admittedly a somewhat mediocre game, this cross between Ranger-X and DJ Boy by the makers of the Valis series does have one absolutely over-the-top bit which caught me by surprise: a sequence in Stage 6 that has you riding an ICBM up through the stratosphere, and you must use your sword to destroy the other ICBMs that you're chasing. For this stage alone (that, plus it has catchy music and it's really not all that bad, just middle-of-the-road), I'll hold onto this.

(Posted Image)

Splatterhouse (AC/TG16) - Of all the surprising moments in Splatterhouse, none affected me more than the appearance of Biggy Man (followed closely by the Jennifer boss fight). Here you are, fighting your way through a forest in a thunderstorm, when all of a sudden the music changes to this fast & crazy theme, a chainsaw starts whirring - then he storms onto the screen. That was one of those "HOLY SHIT!!!", nearly drop the controller moments for me. Yes, the Jen boss fight was unexpected, but this was just so abrupt that for me, it tops Jen. It was also the moment that made me say "I MUST OWN THIS."

(Posted Image)

So how about you guys?

Pffff, getting a part of stage 4 of Contra III in the first post. Taking the opportunity away from all the rest of us :lol

Let's see, my all-time favorite moment in gaming is probably the Act IV boss fight in Metal Gear Solid 4. Having had the original MGS be a fairly significant part of my earlier years, that fight felt like a childhood dream come true. I still remember how incredibly happy I was playing it... It's probably the only game in years to really bring back the sheer feeling of joy I had playing games when I was younger.

If you wanted to do it, you should have made this thread first. :rollin

For me, it would be.....

Resident Evil 2-Game B, where you meet Mr. X for the first time. He's strong as hell, out for blood, and can take several shots and/or knife wounds before going down. Throughout the game, he will follow you, proving to be the same pain-in-the-ass of a silent juggernaut as the previous fight. He comes at you, knocking big holes in walls, kinda like Abobo, pounding on you if you're not careful, and ignoring pain.

I never did see that guy, but the way you describe it he sounds like the prototype for Nemesis in RE3.

Here's another one:

Radiant Silvergun (AC/SAT) - The fight against Xiga, the last boss. Still pictures don't do it justice, so I had to link to a video:

BE ATTITUDE FOR GAINS

1. BE PRAYING
2. BE PRAYING
3. BE PRAYING

Besides being the highlight of Radiant Silvergun, this is one of the greatest boss fights ever conceived. Everything about it is just phenomenal. When he first appeared my jaw hit the floor and didn't come back up until it was over. Not only does it look incredibly awesome, the score suits it perfectly.

Streets of Rage 2 Finally managing to get to Mr. X you deal with his bodyguard whilst he sits there watching and laughing, then a silent moment before he gets up, cracks you in the face with the butt of his machine gun and starts charging around shooting shit up, including his weak peons. Great end boss.

They are rather similar, with only a few differences.

1-Mr. X looks somewhat human, (Thoughbeit a gray human.) whereas Nemesis' face looks a lot like a cenobite's.
2-Mr. X doesn't use a weapon. Nemesis eventually gets his hands on a rocket launcher.
3-Mr. X evolves into a Tyrant, much like RE1, toward the end of the game. Nemesis sheds his jacket and evolves tendrils.

@ Fox - That is a good one. I need to play through that again sometime soon.

@ Crazy - Hmm, they still sound kind of similar. Perhaps Capcom had Nemesis in mind and wanted to see how the concept would work.

Here's a couple more:

Castlevania Bloodlines (Genesis) - This may not seem like much, but remember Stage 2? There's a bit where you have to smash masonry to move on. The one in particular I'm thinking of is a giant statue of a woman, and when you smash it, the whole head falls off. I wasn't expecting that at all, and it's a testament as to what the Genesis could do.

(Posted Image)

Gunstar Heroes (Genesis) - Speaking of testaments to what the Genesis could do, seeing Bravoo Man for the first time and watching how Treasure made the Genesis sit up and beg for them (rotating each little cube on a system that has no built in hardware capacity to do that), was mind-blowing.

(Posted Image)

Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars

(Posted Image)

In a word, the goat. That infamous goat puzzle should stand out for everyone who's played the game without a guide. The solution is not apparent at all and it clashes with the mechanics used to complete puzzles before it which usually involved using an item stored in Stobbarts bottomless pockets. It took me days to stumble upon the solution.

Resident Evil

The dogs in the hallway. If you've played the beginning of the game you know what I'm on about, lol. No warning, and no hint that it's even possible in this game so far, zombie dogs smash through windows as you walk down an empty hallway inducing panic and tearing you a new airway in the space of seconds if you don't react appropriately. Classic.

Resident Evil 3

The first appearance of Nemesis is suitably built up. You meet a beat up S.T.A.R.S comrade who hints that it's hunting members of the unit down in Raccoon City. You can discount it as just a cowards ramblings until you meet him again in an FMV where he gets some tentacle love from the big bad himself.

Just after the cutscene ends though is an interesting way of building tension you don't expect from the series. You're given 3 seconds to decide if you want to run or fight, and any hesitation can make the gap to react in a fight shorter and more dangerous. If you run Nemesis begins smashing on the door, but doesn't break in. You're allowed a false sense of security in the game mechanics thinking he can't pursue you properly so it's just a case of running away and conserving ammo.

Later on though he breaks in through a window like the above mentioned dogs in RE1. If you're skillful you can avoid his rockets, another surprise, but just after you catch your breath in the next room as it loads, as soon as you take a step forward Nemmy turns up again through the door behind you, and if you flee again, he follows. Great way of shaking up your expectations from the game having likely played RE1&2 for hours on end, I'm sure he caught everyone off guard.

Arsenal Gear, fighting with Snake in MGS2. Definitely a favourite.

Granted, Emit or Continent is a bit annoying.

The lead up to that fight is more memorable IMO, though it is pretty good. You don't ever get to fight alongside Snake again in the series.

"I need scissors! 61!"

Yeah, GWs crazy messages are pretty cool.

And sneaking through Arsenal Naked is a bit tricky, since I wasn't sure exactly where to go. Two levels and two sides each, of course I tried the proper way last.

FFVII The 'Escape from Shinra' Motorcycle chase. Everything about this scene rocks. The FMV, the music, and then possibly the best minigame ever. A sort of Road Rash style game where you ride your motorcycle behind the truck carrying your friends and have to protect them from an onslaught of motorcycle guards.

Shadow Of The Colossus This game is the very definition of epic, and is easily one of my favourite games of all time. Essentialy a Zelda-esque game, but with no treasures, additional weapons or secondary characters. Just you, your horse, a sword and bow, a deserted island, and 16 F****** HUGE Collosi to find and defeat.
Each Colossus is an epic battle in itself worthy of mention, but the best bit has to be when you see the first Colossus.

Resident Evil 2 The first time you see a licker. Nuff said.

I can definitely get behind that one.

Virtually every encounter with a 'boss' character in Contra: Hard Corps was memorable for me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1EqF5kWz6Q

Ninja Warriors Again (SNES) - When you get to the end of the second stage and the boss decides to open the door with his chainsaw.

Strider - Stage 2's Hill of Explosions. It's an amazing, cinematic moment that happens during the game and not in some cutscene or those stupid Quick-Time/push-the-button/Laserdisc Revival moments.

Final Fantasy 6/III - the Escape from Figaro Castle. There's something about the way that scene was paced that felt more movie-like than a lot of cutscenes in current games. There was an Indiana Jones skin-of-the-eyeteeth feeling of them getting out of that situation that always gets me. There are more moments like that in the game including the creepy "Oh HELL naw" appearance of final Kefka but the escape is a personal favorite.

Mega Man 2 - Seriously, that dragon coming out of nowhere was a great "WHATTHEHELLOHCRAPGETTHEFUDGEOUT!" moment especially at a time when you didn't see many big enemies like that in NES games.

Mortal Kombat - The first time you see Sub Zero or Scorpion's fatalities.
Resident Evil - The first zombie, the first Hunter, the zombie in the closet that bursts out while you're reading the diary.
Twisted Metal 2 - Blowing up the Eiffel Tower.
Silent Hill - The first enemies in the game are the babies with the knives and you hafta let them kill you. When you don't know that, you start freaking out, trying to get out of the area and finally give up, die, get pissed off and then realize that it's what you need to do.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo - Akuma
Altered Beast - Turning into the Wolfman for the first time.

Another moment I thought of....

Resident Evil 4-When Leon goes to the village of Pueblo (Not to be confused with a town in Colorado) for the first time. You not only learn the grisly fate of the two officers who accompanied you thus far, but you also meet a rather large unwelcoming committee. You look for many places to hide from them, but none of them do any good. Your only chance is to fight off the villagers until "Church Time." Just pray you don't end up meeting Bagman, because that chainsaw is a guaranteed one-hit kill. And even if you do kill him, you're likely to run out of ammo at the worst time.

And one more....

Splatterhouse 3-I probably mentioned this, before, but I'd say it fits in this thread. Somewhere on stage 3, you'll find a piano room. Wait there a few seconds, and a girl's ghost will appear, playing the cutscene music for stage 4. Approach the ghost, and she turns into a giant, hideous ghost head, letting out a low, loud growl. It really doesn't make a difference whether or not you lose all your time in this stage, so give it a try.

Great moment you described (seriously, the opening to RE4 is one of the most memorable), but I don't think you discover what happens to the second officer until later (when his body gets thrown into the lake).

Let me attempt to think of a few, despite having just arisen from bed.

Mega Man X: When Zero sacrificed himself and faded away, I was about ready to tear Sigma a new orifice. It was at this point that I realized how truly grimmer MMX was compared to the classic series.

Final Fight: Entering the ring with Sodom. All those punks cheering in the background while this iron-faced death machine rushes the hell out of you. I always did really like that fight, even if Sodom was borderline hax.

Forgotten Worlds: The effin' God of War. You want a gigantic boss? Gaze at the bastard as you take several tense seconds to scroll up his body, then behold his mighty fists and eye lasers afterward!

Metal Gear Solid: There are a dickload of moments that make themselves known here, but perhaps the most infamous was the torture sequence, where death in this case forbade you from continuing. However, I remember it for a bit a... faulty reason. I got to the moment of torture and prepared to mash the hell out of the circle button, only to... have it end about as soon as it began. I found out quite a bit later than Meryl was dead because I had failed in my torture, apparently somehow having accidentally grazed the select button! I... was confused and bewildered, to be frank, but either I had royally screwed up, or my controller had diabetes. I couldn't argue too much, as I picked up the stealth camo at the end, but it REALLY made me determined to actually SURVIVE the torture without submitting to it for a second play. I certainly did, and my thumbs are all the sorer for it.

Half-Life 2: The helicopter fight in the gunboat defined epicness. I thought the boat scene had lasted perhaps a bit longer than it should have, but this grand finale made it worth it. It was a tough fight, though. When the bastard flew by and dropped... like, a hundred mines, I just about shat myself. I later found out that this mine spam was due to a programming error that the developers decided to leave in!

Super Metroid: Simply stepping into the "red area" of Brinstar for the first time overloaded me with fear. I had transitioned to a botanically pleasant sector of the planet into this horrific and organic sector where the plants wanted to eat me now. Also, BEST MUSIC EVER playing during this area.

Rocket Knight Adventures: The beginning of level 3 impressed the hell out of me. You're in a crystalline cavern with a flow of lava rising up and down, and while this lava can kill you, it is necessary to survive! In an impressive technical feat, the lava actually reflects everything above it, essentially creating a mirror image of Sparkster. This mirror is needed to actually see Sparkster, as the crystals overhang in the foreground and obscure your vision. However, you are able to see everything in the reflection of the lava! This just about damn near exploded my mind into melty chunks.

Awright, that's all for now, more to hopefully come in the future.

Great moment you described (seriously, the opening to RE4 is one of the most memorable), but I don't think you discover what happens to the second officer until later (when his body gets thrown into the lake).

Oh, yeah. Kinda got the gist of it from seeing that one cop burn at the stake, though. The other one ending up bait wasn't a much better fate. That reminds me....

Resident Evil 4-The giant fish. Armed with only harpoons, you have to take on a whopper that could feed an army for at least a week. Let me tell you, no wall can mount that monster, except maybe the Great Wall of China. And even if you do beat the giant fish, there's a chance it could take you down with it. Especially if you suck at button-mashing and don't have a turbo controller. For fun, I used to shout, "You just got Ahab'ed, bitch!"

^ What he said.

Also... Grey Fox beating the shit out of Metal Gear in MGS. Turning the tables on the damn Dahaka with the Water Sword in POP:WW. Evading your "victory candescence" in Portal. Crono busting out the Luminaire for the first time in Chrono Trigger. Omnislash kicking Sephiroth's ass. Flying through space to put the definitive beatdown on Dr. Robotnik in Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The duel in Earth's upper atmosphere between Hiryu and Wilhelm in Strider 2. Pulling off a TATE in Shinobi for the first time. Jumping onto the hawk Colossus in Shadow of the Colossus. Tearing up the Elder God with the purified Soul Reaver in Legacy of Kain: Defiance (that bitch had it coming for 4 fucking games now).

SPLATTERHOUSE 2: In the beginning of the first boss, where you see the last zombie rather than getting splattered by Rick, chooses to get eaten by that muamua blob thingy.