Best Video Game Moments is a series about memorable moments and mechanics in video games.
“You caught me” …For Shovel Knight
Year: 2014
Shovel Knight leaps into the air to catch a falling Shield Knight.
This one is brilliant.
During Shovel Knight’s original campaign (now called Shovel of Hope), players occasionally see the eponymous hero dreaming about their fallen companion, Shield Knight. During these sequences, players are treated to a mini game of sorts where they’re prompted to catch Shield Knight before they fall to the ground.
These sections always end with Shovel Knight waking up, but towards the end of the game, Shield Knight falls once more, only this time it’s not a dream. Players get their control restored as the sequence starts, and with so much practice doing it beforehand, they’ll surely catch Shield Knight for real this time and reunite the two heroes at last.
Flourishes like this are what make Shovel Knight better than most nostalgic platformers, and it even prompted me to nominate the adjoining boss fight as one of my personal favourites of all time.
Toppling the Eiffel Tower …For Twisted Metal: World Tour
Year: 1996
The Eiffel Tower is blown up in Twisted Metal 2.
Grab your remote bombs because Twisted Metal: World Tour has interactive 3D structures for you to destroy with some very outlandish combat vehicles. The Eiffel Tower on the Paris map is the most impressive example, as a series of triggered explosions will collapse the famous landmark into a makeshift bridge leading to a new area containing power-ups.
This spectacular slice of 32-bit mayhem may seem quaint by today’s standards, yet I never got bored of my childhood friend showing it to me on his PlayStation back in the day.
Little wonder I named Twisted Metal: World Tour my game of the year for 1996!
Flamethrower …For Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Year: 2001
The flamethrower burns red hot in Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
Video gamers love a good flamethrower. Their complex particle physics and lighting requirements are likely to give any programmer a headache though, which is why these weapons were a rare sight in early 3D shooters. Both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 had their respective flamethrowers cut due to time constraints, and Halo’s like the best game ever!
I vividly remember the first time seeing the flamethrower in Return to Castle Wolfenstein because it felt like a team had really nailed how such a weapon should look and behave. That little stem of blue fuel ejecting from the ignition head looks so authentic, as does the way the fiery payload travels as the wielder moves around.
Level 0 …For Toejam & Earl
Year: 1991
Toejam enjoys the hot tub at Level 0 in Toejam and Earl.
I’ll never forget the first time I found this delightful secret, unassisted, in one of my favourite 16-bit games.
Level 1 of Toejam & Earl is a tiny island surrounded by a vast ocean. It acts as a holding area for players to get their bearings and experiment with the controls, but if players return to this area once they’ve acquired a few specific power-ups, they’ll be able to cross the water without drowning.
Beyond the ocean is a chasm leading to Level Zero; a fun little resort where Toejam and Earl can enjoy a health-replenishing hot tub with the ladies, and a free lemonade stand which gives them a delicious extra life.
As a kid, I remember going to Level 0 with the sole purpose of just messing around. The safe environment lets players make their own fun, whether by dropping a boombox to enjoy some tunes, or by starting a 2-player food fight with a present full of tomatoes.
Jammin’!
Dice Palace …For Gunstar Heroes
Year: 1993
The sinister Dice Palace in Gunstar Heroes.
Speaking of 16-bit favourites, here’s one of the Sega Mega Drive’s bona fide gems.
Gunstar Heroes is so full of great moments, it’s hard to pick just one. Seven Force was close, and yet the Dice Palace level governed by the villainous trickster, “Black”, gets my nod because of its fun and innovative design.
The Palace is laid out like a board game where our heroes must reach Black by throwing a die numbered one to three. Each space they land on has a different situation they must rush, from impressively-rendered boss fights and timed platforming challenges, to the occasional bonus room and other bizarre encounters.
Just don’t be unlucky and land on the space that sends you back to the beginning!
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