Coolest Game Openers

[Zieg Rauros]

My friends and I were discussing the other day, and what game do you think has the coolest opener? My opinion rests with either FF8 for the graphics, music, and how it starts off the game, but I also enjoy Legend Of Dragoon because the graphics were far ahead of its time, the voice acting was good (the characters seemed to fit their parts) and it gave a cool effect to what the game was.

[hitogoroshi]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

Either Taiko: Drum Master or Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

[Caciss]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

Oh yeah, the LoD voice acting... top notch.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

I can list plenty.

Super Mario RPG. Not the actual intro when you star the game (though Exor's entrance is pretty cool), but the sequence before the title screen. Very much like a cartoon, where it shows a bunch of events from the game (though a lot are inaccurate), introducing the characters, and ending with Mario looking over vista hill at the menace that starts the chain of events in the game. And the music is catchy.

Chrono Trigger, PS1 anime intro. The bad framerates for Chrono Trigger's anime sequences kinda hurt, to the point where you kinda miss a few things easily during some of the frame jumps, but otherwise the intro is very much cool.

Final Fantasy 4. The airships flying over the land to Cecil's demotion, to when he and Kain leave on the quest with Final Fantasy playing with all its first-generation SNES music.

Final Fantasy 6. Opening credits. In a video game. FF5, 7, and 8 had opening credits, too, but they were sequences that you saw before/after the title screen, and not when you actually start the game. Plus, the music that played during the opening sequence was awe-inspiring, including that lightning storm over Narshe.

Final Fantasy 7. The starry view for that near-minute makes me scratch my head, but when you see Aerith and the camera zooms out for a view of Midgar with the loud symphony that plays at the camera's heigth, one can't help but be impressed. And then it zooms back down for some rocking music in a bombing mission.

Final Fantasy 8. Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec. I don't need to say more than that, but I will. This is probably the best opening to a Final Fantasy game. Even though it didn't include opening credits like FF6, well, I feel that putting in credits during that opening sequence would've ruined it.

Final Fantasy 9. Actually, this isn't that great of an opening. I just really liked the second FMV with Vivi and the airship entering town.

Final Fantasy X. Otherworld.

World of Warcraft's opening FMV. It seemed to present the different races pretty well.

Soul Calibur II. Minus the narrator.

Paper Mario 2. I like the music.

Smash Bros. Melee.

Banjo-Tooie. Overall, I didn't like the game, but the long opening was a treat to me.

Dragon Warrior III, on GBC. That opening did a good job of setting up the main story, I felt.

RPG Maker 2. Not a cool opening, but notable in that it made a whole lot of people wish that the game shown in the opening was playable. Plus, it's the only RPGM released here that even has an opening.

Out of all these intros, I would have to say my favorite is FF8's.

[Kefka Jr.]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

All the Final Fantasy games have fantastic openings. I also second Super Mario RPG and Smash Bros. Melee.

I'll raise you Vagrant Story, Chrono Trigger, Sonic Adventure, Threads of Fate, Kingdom Hearts, Namco X Capcom, and The Link to the Past prologue about the history of the Golden Land.

[Magus]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

Metal Gear Solid.

[Smurf Taco]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

I loved FFX's. That song still is too badass for a Final Fantasy game, but somehow it worked. Even with Tidus.

[Zieg Rauros]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

You got me with Threads of Fate, one of the best Squaresoft games that wasn't Final Fantasy in my opinion. Awesome intro! I forgot to add Sonic CD, from your sig. I loved it.

[John Mora]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

I second Vagrant Story and third FFVIII.

[Magus]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

I THIRD VAGRANT STORY AND FOURTH FFVIII

[JLaCroix]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

Final Fantasy VI: The opening with the Magitek Armor, destroying everything in your path, was an opening that was there to show you that FFVI was not going to be like the previous games, but something on a different level. Reinvented, if you will.

Final Fantasy VIII Demo: I thought the demo opened up better than the finished game. Opening up with the attack on Dolet was a MUCH better idea, and the music was better, also, but this tune was completely removed from the finished product. The scene from the demo itself was moved in the final release to after exploring the Garden.

Before the game was released, that was how it opened. The fight between Seifer and Squall was right after that scene when they returned from Dollet, which led into exploring the Garden, Seifer being jealous of Squall's performance in Dollet. (According to PSM magazine). This was completely rearranged in the final release at the last minute, which to me starting with exploring the Garden was a much slower way of opening the game. However, Final Fantasy VIII is still the best in the series, to me.

Castlevania: SOTN: Playing as Richter was badass. At first, it seems like your average Castlevania game that was done a zillion times, but then they strip all that away from you and then give you control of Alucard. That was great.

[Denmo]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

Yeah, I did like the Demo scene better than the same scene from the game.

Dark Cloud 2 has a really nice opening. It's a shame the story goes to crap as slowly and surely as the game progresses.

[JLaCroix]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

I forgot to mention the opening of FFIVA. The simple tweaks here and there really did go a long way.

[OrinMaxden]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

Wild Arms: cool anime and Great music

Xenosaga I: Just till when the Zohar appears

[Garr123]

Re: Coolest Game Openers

Warhammer: Dawn of War's opening is an awesome movie quality sci fi battle.

Half-Life 2, the entire train station part.

And yeah, Vagrant stories was amazing.

X3:Reunion gets a mention from me because it's constant use of Ka'Hok, Say that out loud. It's the name of the enemy. They say stuff like "We must search out and destroy all Ka'Hok." and "His injuries are as mysterious as the Ka'hok that left him this way."

THEY SAY C*CK LIKE 15 TIMES.