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As nutritious as a McDonald’s Happy Meal, but hopefully a good time. Enjoy!

Thanks to Michael ‘BanyaBat’ for the edits.

Samuel

  1. Exploding someone else’s car by driving through them in Rocket League. Ooh yeah!
  2. When a talking NPC or you get turned into gibs - thrillingly transgressive (yes I’ve been playing Half-Life).
  3. When you see The Flood turn dead bodies of humans and elites into new Flood enemies in Halo 3. Ooh yeah!
  4. When you fuck off into hyperspace while you’re being shot at (Star Wars Outlaws, Starfield, X-Wing).
  5. How it feels when you pop out a DS or 3DS cart. Cor!!!
  6. Tesla Coils zapping lads in Red Alert, or Prism Tanks/towers teaming up to zap someone in Red Alert 2. Honourable mention for the concept of Tanya also.
  7. Turning up after two squads have fought to the bitter end in Apex Legends, and stealing the win (also the worst when it happens in reverse).
  8. When a griffin flies off with you still stabbing it in Dragon’s Dogma 2 - and being taken to the other side of the map.
  9. Shooting limbs off in Dead Space.
  10. All-Out Attack animations in Persona 5.
  11. When a potato-headed bloke looks dazed after you punch him in real life in Thrill of the Fight VR.
  12. Incomprehensibly long summon animations in Final Fantasy games (especially 8 and 10). Bahamut. Anima. Eden. I had nothing but time on my hands when I was 15.
  13. Using a thunder attack in a Pokemon game on a water or flying creature - you just know you’re fucking that thing’s shit up.
  14. When the numbers speed up in Balatro because they’re incomprehensibly high and that flame is roaring on the total.
  15. Setting off a singularity bomb in Red Faction Guerrilla.
  16. Kicking a missile back in slow motion in Viewtiful Joe. Still the defining interaction of that game for me.
  17. Pressing both attack and aim together in Resi 6 then instantly shooting whichever enemy is closest to you to buy some space.
  18. Using the Blade weapon in Einhander to slice through loads of ships.
  19. Mark and Execute - Splinter Cell Conviction, Star Wars Outlaws.
  20. Watching Tails drown but you’re okay (Sonic 2)
  21. Using the blaster and saber combo in Jedi Survivor, then Indiana Jonesing someone.
  22. Matrix dodging a bullet in Superhot VR.
  23. Escaping from CPU-troubling explosions in an exploding Broforce level.
  24. Running over enemies with Ghost Rider car in Midnight Suns.
  25. Alec Guinness’ voice in Rogue Leader as you blow up the death star.

Matthew

  1. Using the sound of the cylinders to crack a safe in The Last of Us without having the combination.
  2. When the end credits is a minigame you can play (Smash Bros, Wonderful 101, Astro Bot)
  3. Really good snow displacement (Indiana Jones, Rise of the Tomb Raider)
  4. Naming a squad in Worms after school friends/teachers/celebrities and it adding a bit of extra drama to their deaths.
  5. When you get to own a house in a game (BOTW, Fable, Wind Waker, Starfield)
  6. When a voice shouts the name of the game on the title screen.
  7. Visor effects in Metroid Prime: water drops, seeing Samus face reflected in it.
  8. The ‘you got it right’ animation when you solve a professor Layton puzzle.
  9. Seeing a Perfect Dark level from a different perspective in Counter Operative mode.
  10. The Ryu Ga Gotoku opening ident that riffs on Marvel but is full of average looking middle aged men. Nanba in his smelly coat.
  11. Fist fighting side quests in RPGs - Witcher 3, Indiana Jones, KCD2, Cyberpunk
  12. Collecting the enemy’s mines and then using them on them (MGS, Fallout)
  13. An air launcher move that pulls you up into a tasty aerial combo in Bayonetta, Devil May Cry 5.
  14. Solving puzzles on the DS by closing the lid (ANother Coe, Last Window, Phantom Hourglass)
  15. A bullet cam that follows a sniper bullet (Max Payne first time I saw this)
  16. When you select your name in Forza Horizon and the satnav calls you by it for the rest of the game.
  17. When you go underwater and the music changes to an underwater version in Mario Galaxy/Banjo Kazooie (see also 2D retro transitions in Odyssey)
  18. When fire spreads naturally in games - RDR2, Far Cry 2, Teardown.
  19. Hitting 1000 KOs in Dynasty Warriors Origins and it having a special screen to celebrate it.
  20. The Kiryu bot in Astro Bot dropping props from Yakuza minigames and fights every time you hit him.
  21. Someone throwing a pokeball in Smash Bros and it’s a useless Goldeen.
  22. That move in Spider-Man 2 where you make a giant web slingshot and then fire yourself over the entire river.
  23. Tricking sight-impaired Garradors into chopping up their mates with giant metal claws in Resident Evil 4.
  24. Getting a phone call through the Wii remote in No More Heroes or Silent Hill, despite it sounding like a singing birthday card (see also: PlayStation controller sounds)
  25. The 3DS eshop download animation - those weird balls dropping into a box.