Gaming's greatest moments

Substack's games writing community weigh in on the parts of videogames that are burned into their brains.

When a 40-year old videogame moment transcends and becomes a meme. Source: YouTube.

For Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Donkey Kong, Mario, and many other loved Nintendo brands, the worth of a videogame often comes down to its key moments. It doesn’t have to be complicated or overly cinematic either. Even the earliest Mario games threw players a memorable curveball when they first learned that the princess is in another castle.

While it’s difficult to pin down an exact quote in all the interviews he has given over the years, the sentiment remains the same: Great games should evoke emotion, challenge the player to want more, learn more. And many designers over the years have diligently followed this ethos.

We’ve run four of these greatest in gaming articles, but this has to be my hardest callout to date. Through a combination of gameplay, visual and sound design, moments in games can outshine even the most famous scenes in movies and iconic lyrics in songs. There are so many to choose from too. It seems like every game these days attempts to have at least one section that inspires emotion and sticks in your brain.

Yet, Substack’s game writing community delivered, picking scenes and segments I’d never even considered. (Keep in mind, there are some minor spoilers below, which I’ll attempt to flag). Here are some of their most memorable moments from the games they’ve played.

Raphael’s House of Hope fight, Baldur’s Gate 3

By Mike Piggott, Twisted Wonderland

In 2024’s Game of the Year, Baldur’s Gate 3, a fantasy RPG set in the world of D&D, you meet a character early on, a devil named Raphael. If you steal from his house in the Nine Hells, what results is one of the greatest boss fights in gaming. Upon entering his lair, if you’re sharp-eared you’ll hear subtle musical notes which play as you explore. These occur whenever Raphael appears in the game, and are a nod to Raphael’s Final Act, a song which begins with this fight.

This gothic and dramatic melody plays during combat, and is a delightful Disney villain-esque number, performed by actor Andrew Wincott (Raphael) and classical singer Mariya Anastasova. With the wonderful lyrics: Hell, Hell, Hell has its laws / Hell, Hell, effects and the cause / Curtain falls, but hold your applause / Squirm, squirm, for now down here come the claws!

An unforgettable moment.

Encountering Bowser for the first time, Super Mario 64

By Peter Monks, Late to the LAN Party

In the beginning, games were in 2D, and life was good and flat. But we were always yearning for the third dimension, and the early 90’s brought us the pioneers of 3D gaming. One of the biggest was introducing a famous mustachioed plumber to a whole new world. And what better way to do that than to have him fight his nemesis in a way we had never seen before.

Bowser now towers over Mario, huge in every way. Lumbering towards him, there is no hope of jumping on his head this time. Instead, we can now go around him! Grabbing his tail, the brand new Nintendo 64 controller invites us to twirl the analog stick around, faster and faster. We see bombs surround the arena, the inevitability hitting us in the head. All we need to do is aim, let go, and watch the fireworks.

So long, Big Bowser!

Arriving in the Village, Resident Evil 4

By Evan, Everything Unimportant

The opening sequence of Resident Evil 4 is a slow trickle of mounting tension that eventually explodes into a massive battle in the main village square. Leon Kennedy is blitzed with murderous villagers as you have no choice but to run around evasively and take shots when you can with limited ammo. There’s no end in sight, no hope that you could possibly take all of these enemies out before you’re overwhelmed. It’s already challenging enough to balance maneuvering and shooting to stay alive in the horde, but then…

…you hear the revving of a chainsaw. If the droves of sadistic villagers coming to tear you apart wasn’t enough, you’re faced with an enemy wielding a chainsaw that can kill you in one swing. The feeling of panic that you feel any time you see this enemy running towards you is enough to get your palms sweaty, and they tank a ton of ammo before they go down for good. Only the sound of a church bell tolling gives the player a chance to catch their breath as the horde is drawn away from you in a trance, but only after your blood pressure has been adequately spiked.

It’s an absolutely iconic opening and enough to let you know that Resident Evil 4 is in a league of its own.

The stand-off over Synth M7-97 and blind betrayal, Fallout 4

By Dusty Gamer, Dusty Gamer’s Substack

If you’ve spent any time in the wasteland, you know the Brotherhood of Steel is a complicated beast. I’ve been in a “it’s complicated” relationship with them since the original games, with Fallout 3 coming the closest to winning me over. By the time I was climbing the ranks in Fallout 4, I was all in until the moment I handed that network scanner tape to Proctor Ingram.

The confrontation over Synth M7-97 is one of the most layered, tactile narrative sequences in the series. The dialogues with Elder Maxson are haunting; the zeal in his voice is unmistakable. It’s a moment that feels eerily prophetic today, as Maxson’s fear of uncontrolled technology echoes our own modern AI anxieties.

This stayed with me because it’s more than a plot twist; it’s a masterclass in agency. It taught me that with hope and a bit of silver-tongued diplomacy, you can navigate the wreckage of betrayal and the collapse of someone’s life mission and purpose to find a place where something entirely new can begin.

Facing Endsinger at the end of an epic journey, Final Fantasy XIV Online

By The Game Enjoyer, The Game Enjoyer Substack

If there’s anything that online RPGs excel at above every other type of videogame, it’s their ability to make the world feel alive and deep beyond what the player sees. When Square-Enix gave Naoki Yoshida the job to rescue Final Fantasy XIV, nobody expected its original story to last for 8 more years.

Over that time, players adventured, fought terrible foes, bonded and formed communities. When, at the end of 2021, the story that started back in 2010 and had converged with every expansion came to an end, it wasn’t a solo moment. Facing the Endsinger next to 7 other players, we were all at the same point, the final fight after years in Eorzea. When the enemy was felled, there was not the usual collection of loot, “gg” messages and leaving. Everyone stood there, knowing there was no going back: the story was over. Then I realised what an epic journey it had been all along.

The unscripted rollercoaster of each surface run, Arc Raiders

By InGameScientist, Just One More Turn

Heading Topside in Arc Raiders is dangerous business. The elements, robots, and sometimes other players all conspire to prevent you from making it back home safe. But it also gives birth to epic sequences of thrill, uncertainty, and finally, relief.

On one occasion, I went through the emotional rollercoaster of hiding from a haelstrom of rockets unleashed by one of the game’s most feared enemies to fighting against said enemy with fellow players, then losing some of those players to a downpour of rockets, and finally, escorting a downed player to safety.

The great thing is, I can look forward to and experience something unique and epic every single time I play the game. It’s the reason this is the only game I’ve played for the past several months: I get an epic 100+ hour RPG story experience condensed into an action packed 30 minutes.

Revan’s reveal, Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic

By Cat, Cat’s Controller Corner
*Spoilers ahead*

Star Wars is known for one of the biggest reveals in cinema history. Knights of the Old Republic made that into something personal. Something that you had your own say in. In it, Revan wasn’t your father, the reveal was that they were you. Nothing is more quintessential to gaming.

This moment meant a lot for me as a kid because it was what really solidified my love for videogame stories. Not only was I seeing them happen, I was a part of them. It showed that those stories can be complex and have depth. It made me replay the game again and again because it was so impactful and fun. I sat through the same reveal time and again and each time I got chills. It was monumental for me and for the industry at large.

Also you can go to Korriban, the Sith academy planet, after finding out you’re Revan and tell everyone there and no one believes you and the fact that you can do that at all is fantastic.

The Coin, Legacy of Kain

By ROP, ROP’s Passions

Legacy of Kain is a saga built on revelations. With each conversation, what you believed to be truth fractures and reforms. History rewrites itself; like when Raziel or Kain introduce a paradox and the world reshapes to accommodate it. The Coin discussion is one such moment: deceptively simple, yet… a moment that remained ingrained in my memory of the Series.

“Suppose you throw a coin enough times… suppose one day, it lands on its edge.”

The coin represents choice, yet both of its faces promise ruin. Two outcomes, same Fate. Two paths, both foretold. And then, you realize… Raziel became that coin when Kain cast him into the Abyss as a calculated wager. And this wasn’t a gamble on prophecy’s design, but on its flaw: the impossible third outcome!

By the end, Raziel might not escape Fate, but… the edge wasn’t about evasion—it was about Defiance. Through acceptance, Raziel chose to live by shaping the lives around him in the best way possible and to show us that Free Will can exist even in a reality ruled by insurmountable Fate.

And therein lies the revelation: The Coin landed on its Edge!

Stepping out into Hyrule, The Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild

By Christena Maurer, Tunesdays With Mauer

The Legend of Zelda series is known for presenting stories of grand adventures. Each iteration of Hyrule promises heroic quests and valiant battles, from the music to the characters to the world design itself.

However, few moments capture the scale of the quest set before Link quite like the opening of Breath of the Wild, which had me staring in breathless silence on my first playthrough. Waking up from a hundred years of slumber in the Cave of Resurrection, Link finds some ratty old clothes and a Hylian-Tablet ahem “Sheikah Slate” before venturing outside.

Until this point, the sound design is understated and the colors are relatively dark. However, as Link squints into the sunlight and steps forward, the music swells and the camera pulls away to show the vast beauty of the world of Hyrule spread out before him.

And the fate of this world rests on his shoulders.

A Leap of Faith, Shadow of the Colossus

By The Videogame Storyteller, The Videogame Storyteller

Ever since Jumpman began leaping over barrels in 1981’s Donkey Kong, jumping has been among gaming’s most iconic mechanics. And yet, I struggle to think of a more exhilarating single use of the jump than when it was deployed early in the battle against Avion (the fifth colossus) in Shadow of the Colossus.

Not that Shadow of the Colossus is known for its intuitive leaping. The game’s notorious physics mean that Wander’s jump feels more like an ascending stumble than the effortless nature of Mario’s springs. This means that when the flying colossus Avion swoops down towards you like a gigantic bird of prey, you hardly feel confident in your pressing of the “triangle” button.

It’s a heart-in-your-mouth moment in gaming where danger is fast approaching and you must react. And just like with Donkey Kong’s barrels, there is really only one option. You must jump. So, you do. You jump, grab onto Avion’s wings, and then take to the sky.

Waking up in Tibet, Uncharted 2

By Evan C Moore, Play Moore

Nathan Drake woke up dazed. A stranger spoke to him in an unknown language. He bid Drake drink, stand, dress, and follow. We later learn that this stranger is Tenzin. Over the course of several minutes, Tenzin guides Drake through his hometown. I will never forget it.

The scene is calm, easy, and nonviolent. Drake’s only urgency is Tenzin’s encouraging voice to follow him. All the pleasantries and delights of Drake’s explorative nature are still present: the expansive views, the sheer beauty of this remote land. We are forgiven for thinking it a moment of peace.

But the scene is still hectic. Drake himself is recovering, and he does not know where he is. He doesn’t speak Tibetan. Outward beauty and inward strife.

That contradiction sticks with me. How can we enjoy a steady breeze or the image of children playing when the threat still looms over us? What greater moment can there be, but one of confusion in the face of peace?

When you suddenly end up playing as a ring, Kid Icarus: Uprising

By Calvin Barrett, Retro Journal
*Spoilers ahead*

Kid Icarus: Uprising was a far more innovative game than the general public gives it credit for. The narrative was perfectly interwoven with the ongoing gameplay as the gods of the world joked, argued, and bickered with each other as you desperately fought off hordes of demons in an attempt to just stay alive. But in chapter 18, after Pit had apparently died, the character suddenly takes control of... a ring. Yeah, with no introduction, you’re playing as a ring now. Passing from the little girl who discovers you, to a dog, and even Magnus, and a tank of a human that you met in the first chapter of the game. The world is entirely different now: Palutena is the antagonist, and the world has been plunged into darkness, just moments after you thought you were poised to save it.

Everything, and I mean everything, about the game is changed from this moment onward, down to the themes of the menus and the goddess who controls your flight path. Such a bold decision and such a drastic shift in momentum changed how I viewed not only Kid Icarus: Uprising, it became the standard for every narrative-driven game I’ve played since.

Encountering The Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough, Dark Souls

By Joe, The Saved Game

Those perturbing names from Dark Souls quickly became etched into my mind from the moment I first stepped through the fog and witnessed the shockingly beautiful cathedral within the depths of Anor Londo.

That grim boss fight and the unnerving atmosphere inside the otherwise ornate cathedral resonated with me. It was the beauty mixed with the challenge, the relief following the trial, and the powerfully epic music that made this moment stand out to me. My heart pounded as I faced them, my hands tightly gripped the controller as I dodged their attacks, and my soul became weary in exhaustion after I fell many times. However, the immense relief of victory made the pain worth it when I finally defeated them and received the Lordvessel from Gwynevere!

Years later, that ruthless duo set the bar for me when it comes to an incredible boss fight — with it becoming one of my greatest gaming moments of all time!

The death of Aerith, Final Fantasy VII

By Kamikaze Worm, Kamikaze Worm’s Gaming Adventures
*Spoilers ahead*

It’s 1997 and my little brother and I are aged 7 and 10 playing Final Fantasy VII.

Your team discovers Aeris praying and believes you are about to be reunited as a group when the unthinkable happens, and Sephiroth descends and kills Aeris with his sword.

Everything moves into slow motion and we watch as Aeris’ hair ribbon twirls to the ground and a glowing orb of materia tinkles down into the water below. Aeris theme begins to play and our tears begin to fall. We barely register the battle between our team and Jenova, so enraged we are by this turn of events.

We believed it wasn’t possible for us to lose one of our beloved team and we sat open mouthed as Cloud carried Aeris and gently dropped her body into the depths.

It remains the most emotionally charged scene from a game for my Brother and I that has been unmatched in the last 30 years.

Boss fight, or a moment of remembrance with Great Grey Wolf Sif, Dark Souls Artorias of the Abyss DLC

By Taylor V, Taylor V Substack

There are so many moments from video games that have stuck with me, but none of those moments compare to the Great Grey Wolf Sif fight from Dark Souls. If you ventured through the DLC (which took place in the past) you had the opportunity to save puppy Sif. If you did, then that one action transformed her boss fight into an emotional piece of storytelling.

As soon as she leaps off a giant tombstone she protects, your character falls as she stands over you. She takes one sniff and her eyes shift from anger to sorrow. Then she somberly walks over to her sword. That alternate scene always gives me chills. And that’s not all. Once her health gets low, she begins to limp and her attacks get slower. She is still the only boss that I hated to beat, but the storytelling aspect has always stuck with me.

When a mouse’s letter ends a cat’s pursuit, Post Mouse

By Systemfehler: Ich?, Systemfehler: Ich? Substack
*Spoilers ahead*

Post Mouse is a tiny, free puzzle game about a mouse delivering letters through an abandoned, ruined mansion. For hours, you’ve been piecing together hints about the people who once lived here –strange paintings, lives left behind. The game never tells you what happened to them.Then, in the basement, a black cat with glowing yellow eyes stalks you.

She’s fast and looks dangerous. You stumble, the letter falls open. You begin to read aloud: “Dear Irene, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Mom’s been muttering your name... I really hope you don’t hate me still.” The cat stops. She sits right in front of you and listens. The letter is from her sister. An apology and invitation to come home.When you finish, the cat – this creature you feared – looks at the letter and whispers: “Someone sent a letter... to me?”You smile while you nod ,she lets you go and as you leave, she bows her head over the letter and says, quietly: “...and thank you.”

That four-hour game? It was worth it for this one moment.

Tifa nearly meets her end at the Mako Reactor, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

By Harrison Polites, Infinite Lives
*Spoilers ahead*

Twenty hours in, just when you start to think Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is a straight rehash of the original, it throws you a curveball. Out of nowhere, Tifa -- one of the game’s most beloved and iconic characters -- is knocked into the Mako Reactor in Gongaga by a confused Cloud Strife, manipulated by the game’s big bad: Sephiroth. It’s a segment that smartly subverts the player’s expectations: we spend the whole game bracing for Aerith’s death — the most iconic moment in the original — only to see Tifa nearly meet her end midway through instead.

There are whole conspiracy videos about the significance of this scene, revolving around how Tifa — not Cloud — is perhaps the ultimate foil for Sephiroth’s plan for his new timeline. Sephiroth makes a concerted effort to remove her from the equation here, more so than in the original game. That reads to me as a setup for a much larger role in the third game — and I think we’ll look back at this moment accordingly. It had me glued to my chair, yelling at the TV, and it’s not one I’ll forget any time soon.

There’s plenty of moments that haven’t been mentioned here. Tell us about your favourites, or discuss the ones featured here in the comments below.