40. Billie Jean – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The moment you get into your first car/bike in Vice City and ‘Billie Jean’ is playing on the radio is one of the coolest in video game history. With the neon lights of the surrounding bars reflecting off of the streets, pedestrians clad in gaudy ‘80s attire and the ocean glistening in the distance, Vice City’s Miami Vice aesthetic was a far cry from the concrete jungle of Liberty City, and hearing the familiar tones of the King of Pop was a perfect accompaniment to your first moments spent inside the game’s garish world.
39. Wheatley Turns Evil – Portal 2
Throughout most of Portal 2, Wheatley acted as your lowly sidekick. But then, in a strange twist of fate, he suddenly found himself in control of the testing facility while previous antagonist GLaDOS’ intelligence was transferred… to a potato. The speed in which Wheatley transforms from your idiotic companion to a God-like supercomputer is hilarious, and the repartee between him and GLaDOS is further evidence of Valve’s infamously witty writing.
38. He’s Behind You – Slender: The Eight Pages
Slender: The Eight Pages came from out of nowhere in 2012 to remind us what survival horror used to be like, before Resident Evil 5 came along and spoiled everyone’s fun. Slender’s popularity can be attributed to its claustrophobic atmosphere, as you wander through its desolate forest setting, fearing that you may find yourself face-to-featureless-face with the ‘Slender Man’ at any given moment. Slender is the video game equivalent of a good slasher film – the villain is constantly behind you, lurking in the shadows, and you just know that he is eventually going to get you. Eventually, the game was followed by a fully-fledged sequel in the form of Slender: The Arrival, which made The Eight Pages’ core concept even more unsettling thanks to its improved visual fidelity. Still, nothing can compete with the first pant-dampening thrill of running away from Slendie.
37. Chop Chop Master Onion – Parappa the Rapper
Parappa the Rapper has one of the catchiest original soundtracks in video game history, and chief among these tunes is his duet with Chop Chop Master Onion. “Kick! Punch! It’s all in the mind!” bellows the onion-headed karate teacher, and we’re inclined to agree.
36. Kefka Poisons Doma – Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI’s evil antagonist Kefka cemented his place as one of the most sinister villains in video game history after dumping poison into the river of Doma, effectively killing the entire population of the castle, save for the Samurai Cyan Garamonde and a Sentry. This genocide was one of the most tragic moments in a series famed for them, but it was how Kefka relished the suffering of those whom he had sentenced to death that made it so disturbingly memorable.
35. The Whale – Sonic Adventure
Sonic the Hedgehog’s transition into the third dimension has been notoriously hit ‘n’ miss, but when Sonic Adventure first hit the Dreamcast, many were optimistic that the Sega mascot had just as bright a future in 3D as Mario. Although Sonic Adventure hasn’t aged as well as Super Mario 64, it was technologically impressive for its time, with its Emerald Coast level in particular being visually striking. A bright, colourful island environment, Emerald Coast sees Sonic whizzing across a wooden bridge, before the camera pans behind him to reveal a huge killer whale, crashing through the planks as he speeds across them; one of very few highlights in Sonic’s post-Genesis/Megadrive career.
34. Getting the Gravity Gun – Half-Life 2
Chances are that when you first got your hands on the Gravity Gun in Half-Life 2, your jaw sank to the floor a little bit. We hadn’t seen anything quite like it before and, as we pulled enemies towards us only to send them careering back into their buddies with all the force of a bullet, we wondered if we’d ever want to use a standard gun ever again.
Unfortunately, the concept of the Gravity Gun hasn’t been picked up by many other developers, but maybe that’s for the best. Half-Life 2 was special for a lot of reasons, and no matter how often it has been emulated, it has rarely been bettered – obtaining the Gravity Gun was just another exceptional moment in an exceptional game.
33. The Cow – Earthworm Jim
During the first level of Earthworm Jim, you encounter a cow standing precariously on a tree branch. After whipping a refrigerator dangling just above the branch, the cow is propelled into the air. “Cow Launched!” reads the text that pops up onto the screen afterwards, and you’re left scratching your head bemusedly. Throughout the game, the cow can be seen hurtling through the sky in the background, until you meet once again following the final boss fight. After rescuing Princess What’s Her Name, Jim prepares himself for a celebratory smooch, when the cow appears from out of nowhere and lands on top of her. Jim sulks his way off screen, and thus ends the funniest plot twist in gaming.
32. Sword in the Skull – The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
When it was first announced, The Wind Waker’s “cutesy” art style was heavily derided by fans of The Legend of Zelda series. However, despite featuring a more cartoon-y art style than the likes of Majora’s Mask and Ocarina of Time, its ending ranks as perhaps the most brutal in the series’ lengthy history.
After engaging Ganondorf in an epic one-on-one swordfight, Link directs a beam of light cast forth by Zelda into the eyes of his archenemy, before swiftly leaping into the air and driving the Master Sword deep into his skull. It’s a shocking scene, not least because Ganondorf remains alive enough to spout a few lines of dialogue while the sword is lodged in his brain. And people said this game was for kids!
31. Fighting Pyramid Head – Silent Hill 2
Pyramid Head has become the face (or “gigantic triangular piece of metal”, if you will) of the Silent Hill series, and for good reason – he’s terrifying. When you’re forced to go one-on-one with him in an enclosed room in Silent Hill 2, you wonder how you’re ever going to come out of there alive. While you can’t defeat him, you can wait for him to simply leave you alone. So you wait. And wait. Finally, the air raid siren sounds and he skulks away, dragging his sword behind him. It’s one of the tensest boss fights, and one of the scariest moments in a series famed for them.
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