*UPDATE!*
Time for a May update, and we have three very notable completions to add to the list! Gerardo Exber, Trench Mace, and TDL finished their chosen Essentials, and gave us some great answers to my stupid questions. Go take a look!
Game on, participants! You only have SEVEN MONTHS TO GO!
As gamers, we hear a lot of about "essentials." The classics, the greatest of all time, the trailblazers. The Game Informer staff posted their own list of essential gaming experiences, as many publications have done over the years. There comes a time in every gamer's life when they will be confronted with the phrase "What?! You haven't played (fill in the game)?!" Now, the time has come for a small group of former and current Game Informer Online residents to step up to the proverbial plate and cross off some of those "must play" titles they have neglected during their histories with video games. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present and host; The Essentials Challenge!
The purpose of this challenge, as you may have guessed, is about playing Essentials (as they shall be henceforth called) that we haven't played or finished yet. Some of the gamers participating in this challenge have not had the opportunity to play their respective Essentials because of console restrictions, while others have simply had no interest until now. Some of us have attempted to play an Essential and found themselves unable to finish, either from a lack of interest or enthusiasm, or unusual circumstances. Whatever the excuse, the time has come for us to put an end to the endless "ERMAGERD WHY HAVEN'T YOU PLAYED (fill in the Essential)?!"
Official Event Rules: Pick an Essential Game You Haven't Played/Finished and Complete it by the End of 2017
The Participants and their Chosen Essentials:
C$ (aka Clutch, aka 100% Deplorable) - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Thunder Warrior - Final Fantasy VII
Zack Burrows - Final Fantasy X
Alfred - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Nightcrawler Ash - Mass Effect Trilogy
The Darkest Link - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
CPU Xl - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
RWolfBY - Banjo-Kazooie
This World Begins - Dark Souls
Father Titan- The Last of Us
Demon Hunter - DOOM
Attack Cobra - The Legend of Zelda
The Fool Arcana - Red Dead Redemption
Z Bad 805 - Cave Story
Trenchmace - Fallout: New Vegas
Starter Pack - Portal 2
Schlomie 101 - Super Mario 64
The PN3- Metal Gear Solid
Widdowson- Eternal Darkness
Green Panda - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Rezident Hazard- Grim Fandango
Aaron Bivens - Devil May Cry
We'll each be playing at our own pace, just so long as we're finished by the end of this year. When each of us has finished our respective Essential game, yours truly will post an interview with each participant, recapping their experience with the game and engaging in merry discussion. It's gonna be super great.
If YOU would like to get in on this, we definitely wouldn't mind more people joining in! Simply comment here on this blog, or send me a message. For those of you simply wanting to follow along, we welcome your thoughts and opinions, be it advice for the participants or suggestions for more Essential games. You can also join us on Discord to discuss all this in a more real-time fashion. Hoo Ha!