The first time I completed level 9/5 in B-Type Tetris on the original gameboy. I was about fifteen or so. Sitting in my room alone at night, I had played well, well past any reasonable bedtime. I had made about a million fruitless attempts at the level, was tired and no longer actually concentrating on the game at all, when I suddenly heard the level-end fanfare and thought "What? This couldn’t be. I must have played 9/4 by accident. Then off went the Russian orchestra to serenade me, and it was only then that I could believe it. And when the big rocket launched in my honour and “Congratulations” was spelled out on the screen, I was like “This is too much. All this graphical splendour.” 
I have since repeated the feat hundreds, if not thousands of times, but that magical first time still remains a vivid memory.
Definitely the climax of both portal games.
Looks cool, thanks for the tip!
The portal games are beyond great. Some of the greatest achievements in gaming.
I loved reading your story, it brought back so many good memories playing tetris on my game boy when that old gray brick was new and my dearest belonging 
Thanks for sharing!
Glad you liked it! Us old hands, we are the last generation to remember how awesome it was to have a portable gaming machine to ourselves, or any gaming machine, for that matter. 
The ending of Mad Max (2015).
I was desensitized after all that violence in the game. Then, in the last missions I was hit in a way I never expected. Won’t make any spoilers, but that was fuc**** sad.
A few off the top of my head,
- The reveal of the first zombie in Resident Evil. i was six years old when i saw that scene and it left an impression!
- Trying the Missingno. glitch in Pokemon Red and making the game get really weird
- The end of Telltale’s The Walking Dead Season 1
OMG, at that age, I couldn’t sleep after reading The Three Investigators. I think seeing that zombie would have meant three weeks of nightly wakefulness. 
That is one of my most unforgettable moments, too. I mean, I knew immediately what I was going to do, but wow. I couldn’t believe they were actually having me make that choice. Powerful.
Metal Gear Solid 4 - Microwave scene.
Before boss battle we have to go through hallway filled with microwave. Oh, not “go” - “crawl” is better word. Player has to press the button fast, and hopelessly watch this agony. And there is splitscreen - with baked Snake on bottom and cutscene of our friends fighting the enemy outside (getting their asses kicked).
I’ve heard good things about Mad Max, is it worth playing? I’m a bit short on time at the moment, need to be pickier than I want to at the time being
The closing of the Winnie the Pooh book in Kingdom Hearts and when I saw Sora holding hands with Pooh on the cover, I saw myself there. Hit me hard as I grew up with Winnie the Pooh and my life has been kind of bound to it (my birth certificate was printed on a Winnie The Pooh card when I was born).
SPOILERS FOR SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS:
The moment when the player controlled Wander at the end where the vortex was sucking him in while struggling to reach the body of his deceased girlfriend. GOD, WHAT A MOMENT. I felt helpless, betrayed, and torn apart. Everything I worked hard for was for NOTHING. Wander will never be able to see her again. He is reborn as a baby and the girl comes back to take care of baby Wander, but it is still a SAD MESSED UP ENDING (who wants their mom to be their lover!?).
The moment in Undertale when Asriel hugs the player in the final battle of the Pacifist Route ending. I just felt like the game loved me. Its STUPID but the game felt ALIVE like it CARED for me. It was surreal and strange, I just cried.
MOTHER 3 SPOILERS:
Mother 3, the final battle against the MAN IN THE MASK. I don’t know when specifically this comes up, but a memory flashes after or during the battle between beloved brothers where both of them are in their cribs as new born babes while Flint and Hinawa ponder about the future of their sons. How they will be when they grow up. Knowing the tragic fact that the brothers are now fighting to the death, their mother gone, the world about to end, and that Claus will never grow up wrenches my gut inside and out.
ABZU, when the player gets to ride spirit of the great white shark in the gold and white environment, was so visually spectacular I almost cried.
The blackout in Luigi’s Mansion freaked me out as a kid so bad, that I resorted to a walkthrough for the first time because of it.
The title screen for Super Mario Galaxy was so cheery and memorable for me, but also just wandering around the observatory and marvelling at the artistry and music was great.
The walk at the ending of Earthbound where Ness takes Paula home. The walk itself was just filled with atmosphere as you passed all the locations you visited on your journey while Smiles and Tears played on. Then when Paula says goodbye was really emotional and reminiscent of the young love that can never be found these days (they’re 13 it happens).
Kirby AirRide’s opening cinematic. Just really impressive, with the action and music. Nostalgic for me.
Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald’s opening, with the bicycle riding and the theme song, is just a joyful memory. Whenever I hear the song, I can visualize and feel the Gameboy in my hand.
The world map for Donkey Kong Country has that little tune that reminds me of all that fun levels to be found in such an amazing game. The jingle that plays when you beat a level and seeing the dots appear on the screen was satisfying.
I have so much more that I could talk about but those were the ones at the top of my head. I could write more, but maybe I’ll do that later. I hope to have more gaming experiences that make me happy and sad and wonder and remember games more fondly.
I’m currently playing it. It’s a fun game, with lots of stuff to do, but it gets repetitive over the time, and you find yourself repeating the sort of same tasks over and over again… I started playing other stuff in between because i was getting bored
Nemesis ambushing you in front of the police station
the surprise of what awaits one who climbs up a vine in SMB 1
the music that plays while looking over the edge of the map in Facing Worlds in Unreal Tournament
Everything leading to the end of Fallout 1
Everything about the beginning of Half-Life 1
The tension of that final dialogue scene/choices in Alpha Protocol
the voice of terri brosius in system shock 2
the beautiful girls of doki doki literature club
the game show host of smash tv
intro audio, visual text, and first one and a half levels of Super Castlevania IV
the smooth, rich framerate of Alucard running with his cloak whipping behind him in pure 16 bit perfection with PSX hardware enhancement (Castlevania Symphony of the Night)
the convenience store music and the capsule toy machines of shenmue
losing in sonic spinball!
winning in goldeneye64
hardcore ragequit in diablo 2
the funky bomb in scorched earth
For me its
The endings of
Undertale(good one)
OneShot(Niko one)
Claw(End cutscene)
Super Mario Galaxy (where world is reborn cuz stars)
Braid (where the princess explodes ,so does my mind)
I am really digging the Castlevania vibe in your post.
Theme of Simon Belmont! Incredible track.
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realize who is Kaine, the first Vampire, in Vampires: Bloodlines
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pulling Morte out of the Pillar of Skulls in “Planscape Torment”
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face your destiny in “Red Dead Redemtion”
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the train ride in “Uncharted 2”
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visiting the Ishimura for the first time in “Dead Space”
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reveal the plot twist in “Gemini Rue”
A big one for me was the first time I played Dragon Age Origins. I had just finished Inquisition in March 2015 and as it was my first game in the DA series I decided to go back and play Origins. I had the PS3 version with the expansions and DLC so I had everything from the start. Let me tell you - this game was a roller coaster for me.
I played as an Elven mage romancing Alistair. At every turn there were parts of this game that shocked me - that my party could so strongly disagree with decisions I made and they’d actually get mad at me over it. That quests actually had consequences that could affect other quests down the line (circle mages to arl of redcliffe for me). But the biggest moment came for me with the final battle against the archdemon.
I had successfully romanced Alistair but convinced him he should take the throne, so we weren’t “together” at that point. However he still had feelings for my character and since I didn’t force the ritual with Morrigan, he ended up sacrificing himself for me! I legitimately cried because it was so unexpected and I had fully gone into the battle prepared to sacrifice myself, but he gave me this whole dialogue about “you act like I’m giving you a choice in the matter” and promptly went off to die instead.
I was stunned for the rest of the ending because this video game had actually taken the choice from me, and I fully felt what my Warden would have felt in that moment. The heartbreak, grief, everything. I’ll never forget that moment.
“The game show host of smash tv” made me laugh out loud 
.