5 Games That Changed Gaming

Most of the games we see today try to ape the games of the past. By the looks of it, everyone can point at Final Fantasy and gleefully say every other role-playing game is based on it, or rather, Final Fantasy is a game that started off a new genre in gaming altogether.

Keeping that in mind, there are few games that have revolutionized the gaming industry in totality. MensXP puts on its best gaming face and presents games that changed the way you gamed!

1. Grand Theft Auto Series

Games That Changed Gaming - Grand Theft Auto Series

Games prior to the GTA series had a set road that you could take without giving you the slightest possibility to deviate from your mission. A racing game did not allow you to step out of the car, or a First-Person Shooter restricted you to get out of a building. The GTA series changed all that by bringing in the concept of open free world. The ability to do anything and everything you desire in a city completely at your disposal was unheard of, and GTA achieved just that. Right from driving around everywhere to shooting pedestrians to breaking into any house, you could do it all. Today, every game has incorporated this strategy and the impact clearly shows.

2. The Sims Series

Games That Changed Gaming - The Sims Series

Games in the ‘90s were strictly based on the point-and-shoot module where you were given a preset character and you had to aimlessly guide it like a hapless zombie. The Sims series changed that. Giving you the ability to create a character all by yourself from scratch was something unheard of. Right from choosing the apparel to the appearance that included the hairstyle, the skin color and practically everything else, Sims gave you the ability to create and nurture a human all by yourself. And nurture you did. You had to keep a tab on the diet, the bowel movements, moods, emotions, and practically everything else. These traits stood out, and as of today, they are seen in practically every game out there, right from Role-Playing Games to First-Person Shooters.

3. Mario

Games That Changed Gaming - Mario

A game adored by millions and one that has survived the test of time, dishing out one franchise after another, Mario is loved by one and all, and it definitely flipped the world of gaming. Set in a simple 2D world, the story was simple; the princess is kidnapped and you are supposed to save her. The task was daunting and expected you to jump over obstacles, kill evil turtles and eat magic mushrooms that made you grow. The game, a classic, was simple to play and completely addictive, and had the whole family hooked. Prior to Mario, games lacked a storyline, or a backbone; Mario filled that void by adding the right amount of mesmerizing element, and the rest is history.

4. Wii Sports

Games That Changed Gaming - Wii Sports

Nintendo Wii, although equipped with sub-par graphics was a groundbreaking innovation lauded by all. Gesture controls polished, Wii allowed people to physically do a particular motion in order to execute it on-screen, and the gamers gladly complied. Wii went a step further and added Wii Sports, a set of games that allowed gamers to play any outdoor sport right in the confines and comfort of their hope. Something revolutionary and unheard of, Wii Sports soon became the rage and what followed was a new path paved for gamers and game developers all over the world!

5. Guitar Hero

Games That Changed Gaming - Guitar Hero

There are many among us who have always wanted to play a guitar, or learn a new musical instrument but have failed to do so. Either the urge to learn has dwindled, or you find it downright daunting. Guitar Hero was the solution to just that. A game that came with a dummy guitar, it allowed a gamer to emulate a song of their choice while the game guided them through a crash-course in playing the dummy guitar. Revolutionary, Guitar Hero turned you into a bedroom Rock-star, giving you the ability to rock out in their own comfort zone, allowing you to live a childhood-fantasy of playing the guitar for a band. Simply put, Guitar Hero was the next level of air guitar-playing, and what followed was an array of games for drummers, vocalists and many other!