Best Game Openings

[Bells]

a Thread for all those game opening sequences that just makes the game Worthy of your time!

Linkage of the Game's opening is Approved :D Youtube is there for it!

Ridge Racer TYPE 4 (I Just LOVE this song and the Opening)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-7sG8MeQZI&search=ridge%20racer%204

Soul Edge (Because Back then, it was AWESOME )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdcUG4edLww&search=Soul%20edge

[Eltargrim]

I'm rather fond of Tales of Symphonia's opening, myself. FFX's opening piano track is something I rather enjoy, as well.

[Regulus Tera]

Sora battling Marluxia (http://youtube.com/watch?v=tPPsVte4n9E&search=Kingdom%20Hearts%20II%20Opening): The Win!

[Zesty]

This opening just rocked my world first time i saw it.

Plus, someone's gonna post it eventually, I might as well do it m'self.

Katamari Damacy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y26CpWPI2K0&search=Katamari%20Damacy%20Opening)

[Mac]

Sora battling Marluxia (http://youtube.com/watch?v=tPPsVte4n9E&search=Kingdom%20Hearts%20II%20Opening): The Win!

This opening just rocked my world first time i saw it.

Plus, someone's gonna post it eventually, I might as well do it m'self.

Katamari Damacy

I agree 10 fold. That and Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of time.

[Mondt]

Umm, nobody mentioned FF8's opening FMV (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vl3gnlzrTEY&search=ff8%20opening%20fmv). I mean, it should be first on this list. It's my favorite XD

I mean, the music matched with the video brilliantly, in my opinion. Plus, the fight between Seifer and Squall is very, very awesome.

[Fifthfiend]

Chrono Trigger.

As ever shall it be.

You can keep your trillion-bit FMVs that taunt you with the merest taste of realities that never quite come to be.

A 16-bit pendulum, a fading-in logo, and a fanfare that makes a promise - no, a covenant - that wonders await for those who proceed.

And that is all you fuckin' need.

[MetalPsycho]

Devil May Cry 1 and 3's openings.

Dante is suck a badass. :B

Zone of The Enders 2 was pretty good as well.

[Eltargrim]

Zesty, what in allmighty hell is that?!

[Mondt]

Speaking of Chrono Trigger, fifth, did you ever see this (http://youtube.com/watch?v=6GbJ8WU-nLI&search=chrono%20trigger%20%20snes)?

Well, Magus looks a lot like Jak, but...

[phil_]

I have a soft spot in my heart for the opening of Starcraft.

"We are approaching the derelict space-craft."

Ah... memories. Memories of being a stupid kid in middle-school with stupid friends and turning the word "derelict" into an insult. Fun.

[CelesJessa]

I personally like the opening to Chrono Cross a lot. Mostly because of the music. Very cool opening.

Also, I'm fond of KH2's opening. ^^ (once again, great music)

[Dark Seraphim]

Suikoden III

PS Chrono Trigger anime opening

[Krylo]

I'm fond of the three WA openings I've seen.

1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISSAZrUU9aU&search=wild%20arms%20opening)
2--First (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsOIclP2H3g&search=wild%20arms%20opening), Second (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGxVKesK194&search=wild%20arms%20opening)
3--First (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x12_ubnctbk&search=wild%20arms%203%20opening) Second (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95Em6_8R4o&search=wild%20arms%203%20opening) Third (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B2C67soK38&search=wild%20arms%203%20opening) Fourth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD8YjSwQbHw&search=wild%20arms%203%20opening) Fifth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSdRq5qHP4Y&search=wild%20arms%203%20opening)

[Mauve Mage]

Both Kingdom Hearts and KH2 had great opening movies. I liked the opening gameplay for the original better than the sequel, since the original was "Let's have Sora be lost in a dreamlike otherworld full of cryptic floating messages, glowing stained glass floors and dark empty voids, and pit him against a giant Heartless!" whereas the sequel was basically "Let's put Roxas in an ordinary town and have him do ordinary things for a very long time!! Oh... and then we'll shove him into the dream world for a second where he can fight a boss using nothing but the triangle button."

[Lucis]

I liked Earthbound's opening.

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/5459/earthboundopening0fx.jpg

The opening gameplay was great, as well. You just can't go wrong with Earthbound.

[The_Bear]

Super Mario 64 has one of my favorite openings. It's simple, short, and it gets you right into the action. The Golden Sun games have good ones as well. Same goes for Skies of Arcadia.

[Mirai Gen]

Easily Chrono Cross. I happened to like it (Most CT purists don't) quite a bit, and the ethnic backbeats along with the slingin' violin coupled with CGI damn straight from the game...just...damn, man.

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

Chrono Cross (http://youtube.com/watch?v=CGwmJRSriiA&search=Chrono%20Cross%20Opening) - already mentioned alot so i won't go on about it

Front Mission 4 - not link, sadly, so i'll have to use words. giant, beautiful robots air droping into a city, knocking over cars and getting into running gun fights. missile barrages set to a drumline. fucking awsome.

Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War (http://youtube.com/watch?v=eRacq5H5tiU&search=Warhammer%2040k%20Dawn%20of%20War) - jesus. the chainblade to the stomach and the Dreadnaught snaping that orc like a twig is one hell of a way to get people pumped up to play a game.

[Novasol]

I can't be the only one who was stunned at the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker's opening. The art style, the way the music strums along, and how it sets up the plot really had me itching to dig into the game.

[Flarecobra]

I second the Dawn of War opening. Brought back memories of the opening scenes from Saving Private Ryan. And I've been told, and agree with, that the Space Marine Sargeant that rushed up the hill after the Dreadnaught was destroyed, that was worthy of the term "Marine".

[Robert Paulson]

When it comes to best game openings, you can't beat the opening to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. You just can't.

But you can come close. Other awesome openings are the openings to Starcraft: Brood War, Full Throttle, Sonic Adventure, FF8, Chrono Trigger (both the SNES CT AND the PS1 CT.), Metal Gear Solid 2 and Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War.

EDIT: Not one of you thinks the intro to Warcraft III is the best game intro ever? And not one of you also thinks that the intros to Starcraft: Brood War, Full Throttle, the first Sonic Adventure and Metal Gear Solid 2 were spectacular? Man, I am so alone in the universe.

[CallmePrismatic]

Ok, I've seen some pretty good openings presented thus far, but how can you overlook the ultimate combination of badassitude and prettiness that is Onimusha 3's opening (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ_cEw2RFeI&search=onimusha%20opening)?

[Regulus Tera]

Zesty, what in allmighty hell is that?!

That, my dear friend, is God. Learn to love it, and he will make the sky fall over you in return.

[ElfLad]

I second Wind Waker. I love "The Legendary Hero" (I believe that's the song that plays during that time)

And the SSBM video was pretty awesome the first time I saw it.

[Zesty]

That, my dear friend, is God. Learn to love it, and he will make the sky fall over you in return.

Couldn't have put it better myself. It is Katamari Damacy, Eltargrim. Triple-distilled, oak barrel aged awesome in a friggin' sippy-cup made of pure joy.

[Fifthfiend]

We Love Katamari (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ5KpPCbP5I&search=we%20love%20katamari%20Opening) was also pretty delightful.

[The Wandering God]

Damn, all the good titles are already taken, so I'll be reiterating a lot (in no particular order)

Chrono Trigger (both versions)
Onimusha 3
Both Katamari Games.
Final Fantasy VIII
Chrono Cross

and for new contributions
Xenogears (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBWcZNCithc&search=xenogears). While others may have gotten me psyched up more (FFVIII another personal fav) or been really cool (Onimusha 3), only Xenogears intro actually made me care about the story of the game and want to find out what happened.

Oh, because I'm a big ol' softie really, I have much love for the PS1 opening of
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-wbd69eFik&search=lunar%20silver%20star%20story)

And I guess you could disagree. If you are entirely lacking in that thing us humans like to call, "a heart".

The Wandering God

[ThePumpkinKing]

i'm not going to bother going through all the posts to see if anyone mentioned it, but devil may cry 3 had a kickass opening.

[OctoberRaven]

I always liked the opening sequence to Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem myself. The opening monolouge by Edward, Alex' dream sequence and finding about Edward's death, BRILLIANTLY done. Gave it a whole horror movie feel, too.

Mind you, the entire movie was an excellent display, but the opening...well, nothing can top it. NOTHING. Oh sure, it didn't have characters with 30,294,504 polygons or rendered eyelashes or any of that fancy stuff, but graphics are definately not everything.

I couldn't find THAT FMV on YouTube, sadly, but here's a couple of the cutscenes for those who never played the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYTn6s7ro8k&search=Eternal%20Darkness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtaLaW9nOWQ&search=Eternal%20Darkness%20Sanity

EDIT: This isn't the sequence I'm talking about either, but this is what you see if you don't press anything when you boot up the game:
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/video_player/popup.php?pid=913957&sid=2871512&tab=related

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

aha! found it. FM4 intro is here: "Cutscene of coolness" (http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/573/573997/vids_1.html)

[Dwarfburg citizen]

Im actually obsessed with a few old school ps1 games and I dont know if they count as openings but here goes:

1. Brave Fencer Musashi ( the original not the non-existant sequel that does not exist :shifty: ) Running through a river destroying everything in sight until you get to the tower and engage in an Indiana Jones-esque running sequence.

2. Castlevania SotN- Walking through that first hallway with amazing music.
Nuff said.

And here are my agreements :D

1. the katamaris!
2. Chrono Triggers
3.Stracraft

P.S. Im fond of the orchestra music in the DQ8 opening movie

[BlackMageGirl!]

1. Brave Fencer Musashi ( the original not the non-existant sequel that does not exist :shifty: ) Running through a river destroying everything in sight until you get to the tower and engage in an Indiana Jones-esque running sequence.
"Woah, jump....Woah, jump!...WOAH, JUMP!"

That and FF8 I'll throw my votes in for. They just make me happy.

[Bells]

i know that this dosent QUITE qualify... but i just loved this trailer so much...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2ZMmMwDjA0&search=Kingdom%20Hearts%202

[Solid Snake]

Have any of you guys seen FFXII's opening?

Holy sweet mother of God, that was sweet. From a wedding to a funeral. I've never experienced so much character development in such a short, beautiful span of time. Not to mention the epic feel of the battle.

[Regulus Tera]

You mean this one (http://youtube.com/watch?v=GzgS9Djv-wU&search=Final%20Fantasy%20XII%20Opening)? Clearly the best FF Opening ever.

[Mondt]

I love how people in FF games can make levitating self-thinking robots, but can't invent some decent hand-held projectile weapons.

Edit: I don't necessarily mean FF12, just in some of them. That video reminded me of it.

[Mac]

That video reminds me of FF9 a bit. With the unique races and all the Airships, it had that feel.

[Solid Snake]

I love how people in FF games can make levitating self-thinking robots, but can't invent some decent hand-held projectile weapons.


I think the idea is that the existence of magic has rendered traditional projectile weaponry obsolete, or at least, equivocated short-range and long-range weapons on a battlefield.

The way I think about it is this; a single shot from a bullet does less total damage than a single swing of a sword. The sword as a weapon is more lethal assuming close-range combat can be achieved.

In a world without magic, like Earth, guns beat swords because it's all about the distance. The fact that a bullet does less damage (assuming you don't happen to hit a perfectly aimed shot straight to the heart) doesn't matter much because there's no healing magic that's going to make a relatively minor wound that less painful than a more fatal one that cleaves your body in half.

Furthermore, in our modern Earth, because we're not all professional soldiers, utility of a weapon is important. It's easier for an average joe to wield a gun than a sword, hence guns are used rampantly today and swords are pretty much worthless unless you can easily lift and dance around with large metal objects.

On the flip side, in a world where magic is prevelant, all the advantages a gun has on Earth are stripped away. A gun is a distance weapon? Well, so is a fireball or an ice projectile or any other magical blast. For that matter, magic can teleport and thus eliminate the distance between potential targets. A gun has greater utility? Well, in a fantasy setting where war is a considerably larger threat, everyone's going to be buffed up -- and magic can help buff folks up. A gun can be shot rapid-fire style, sending bullets en masse? Yes, but given a bullet's relatively small size, they can also be easily deflected by any sorcerer (more easily deflected or destroyed than, say, the mass of a sword.)

If a sword is imbued with magic itself, then in this hypothetical fantasy world, I'd actually give an advantage to swordfighting over gunplay. And since the technology required to produce guns is more expensive and requires more finesse, it doesn't surprise me that many fantasy worlds have high-tech robots and whatnot but swords are still chosen over firearms.

[Mirai Gen]

Well, shit. There, again, Solid Snake shafts what I was going to say. That fucker's eloquent.

The advancement and existence of magic would slow technology. It's easier to practice a few gestures and chuck Magic Missile than try and push for advancing any sort of 'replacement' like a gun.

[Mondt]

But they don't even use magicly-enhanced guns, such as exploding bullets, extra velocity, homing bullets, hell, even guns that shoot said fireballs or ice. Seriously, magic users could imbue guns to do that, so that non-magic users could shoot magic projectiles.

[Zesty]

But they don't even use magicly-enhanced guns, such as exploding bullets, extra velocity, homing bullets, hell, even guns that shoot said fireballs or ice. Seriously, magic users could imbue guns to do that, so that non-magic users could shoot magic projectiles.

I think the point being made is that the guns wouldn't have been invented. There are no guns to magically enhance, as the ability to conjure a fireball/lightning bolt/etc has resulted in the niche for a long-range hand-weapon not occuring.

[ElfLad]

Well, guns do offer distance without the problem of MP usage. And gun-users in RPGs that do exist aren't the scrawny little mage archetypes you see so often.

Really, if you think about it, with magic, swords shouldn't have been invented in the first place.

[MetalPsycho]

Not entirely true. All wizards need a meatshiled, right? So let's give said meatshield a big fuggin chunk of metal we happened to sharpen, so he can do an even BETTER job of meatshielding by also being a reasonable threat to the enemy, making the enemy distracted into killing him so their precious meats don't go flying away.

As for guns...well, there are some in some FF games. FFVII, FFVIII, and FFTA, and probably a few I've forgotten.


Oh, and here's my list, in no real order.

Oblivion
FFVII
Shadow Hearts: Covenant/New World
Chrono Trigger
Phanatsy Star Online
FFIX
Disgaea
Makai Kingdom
KH/KH2
Pokemon

[EVILNess]

Wild Arms 3. To bad the game goes steadily downhill from there.

[greed]

I throw my support to TLoZ WW's and FF7/8's intros.

On the guns subtopic:
In FFX and X-2, Yevonites wield primitive bayonet rifles.

On why they're fairly rare and comparatively weak, there's the argument that in order to make magic guns effective you'd have to enchant or runify every single FUGGIN bullet,shell, cannonball etc. Doing so would require massive mage assembly lines. And if you in BM's words (http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=010505) have this kind of power and outlook:
"Why, it would take some kind of insane megalomaniacal fiend to take pleasure in wielding the tapestry of creation to focus pure energy into reality through nothing more than my own will, the rush of electricity through my being, the power--my God, the power! IT'S THE ONLY TIME I FEEL ALIIIIIIIIIVE!"
Getting you to work in a sweatshop would be somewhat difficult, let alone hundreds of you.

[ElfLad]

Yet I can typically buy up to 99 magical staffs at any given store, should I so choose.

Definitely an example of surplus.

[greed]

99 staves < 1,000,000,000 bullets. Plus scribing magic symbols on something as small as bullets would be alot more labour intensive than staves. There's also that mixing small amounts of spell components or whatever is needed wouldn't cause problems with staves but would probably screw up bullets, explosive coated bullets wouldn't work for example, or runes might screw up the aerodynamics or structural integrity causing it to not even reach it's target by going off target all the time or breaking up mid-air.

[Kenryoku_Maxis]

Suikoden II and III have top notch intros. Special in the fact that they actually show you most of the key points in the game, but you don't know what they are until after you play the game. The other Suikodens did this as well, but the intros themselves weren't anything special. Or maybe my standards are just too high after II and III...

And then there's the usual like FFVI and VIII and Crono Cross. I can't really think of any more right now but I know there's some real old school games that have really good intros I'm forgetting.

Castlevania III has a damn good intro, but its mostly due to the music.

[Fifthfiend]

Makai Kingdom

I am one BADASS FREAKIN' OVERLORD!

[Mondt]

you'd have to enchant or runify every single FUGGIN bullet,shell, cannonball etc. Not entirely true. You could do it like that, but how do you think that, in games, staves/wands are able to shoot magic? (i.e. World of Warcraft). I meant that pulling the trigger would activate said runes as however you would shoot a wand. The result: Fire coming out of a (hopefully) flame-resistant barrel.

[Kitana Paladine]

I add my votes to FFVII, FFVIII, Lunar:Silver Star Story Complete(the PS1 game) and KH. I also wish to mention that Xenosaga Ep 1 had an amazing prologue (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpAHn3TUZrU&search=pitylessenvy) and opening sequence (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh139BxGkm8&search=pitylessenvy). Plus there's a third FMV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=115KYDZlx48&search=pitylessenvy)that shows the start-up test for KOS-MOS, before you get to start playing.

[Krylo]

The way I think about it is this; a single shot from a bullet does less total damage than a single swing of a sword. The sword as a weapon is more lethal assuming close-range combat can be achieved.False. It may cause more trauma, however it doesn't do more damage.

Assuming a shot to the central body mass, a double tap is usually more than enough to kill someone. Any hit to central body mass.

Further, any wound from a bullet is rather like a piercing wound from a sword, except a whole lot more vicious.

To put this into context, people could normally survive slicing and slashing attacks, however, piercing attacks tend to be considerably more deadly. Even shoulder wounds could prove fatal as infection took over the body.

Then you have the destruction trail of a bullet and how it grabs organs, blood vessels, and muscles to leave a MUCH large exit wound. Getting shot with a decent caliber weapon has an exit wound multiple inches in diameter.

And then there's the ricochet factor, where a bullet ricocheting off of bones in the body will fly around in there and turn flesh to fluid.

Further, there's armor piercing, a sword won't cut through steel armor, at best it might dent it and wear out the person within.

A bullet on the other hand will fly right through the armor and do just as much damage as normal.

Plus... Sawed-off shotguns will do more damage than a properly wielded zweihander. The big-ass sword might cut someone in half, but a sawed-off shotgun will disintegrate a portion of the body into little bloody chunks and STILL cut the body in half... just in a much messier way... that generally does fatal or near fatal damage to the guys behind him too.


On the flip side, in a world where magic is prevelant, all the advantages a gun has on Earth are stripped away. A gun is a distance weapon? Well, so is a fireball or an ice projectile or any other magical blast.Yes, but fireballs are outdone by RPGs, bazookas, or even grenade launchers, and more conventional fire arms can fire off a sixteen rounds before a mage can cast a single fireball. A gun has greater utility? Well, in a fantasy setting where war is a considerably larger threat, everyone's going to be buffed up -- and magic can help buff folks up.So there are no peasants or villagers in fantasy worlds? What books/games are you reading/playing. There's just as many untrained people there as there are here. A gun can be shot rapid-fire style, sending bullets en masse? Yes, but given a bullet's relatively small size, they can also be easily deflected by any sorcerer (more easily deflected or destroyed than, say, the mass of a sword.) Untrue. A bullet, though it has less mass, has FAR greater velocity, which means FAR more energy. It's far harder to stop a bullet through any means than it is to stop a sword.

If a sword is imbued with magic itself, then in this hypothetical fantasy world, I'd actually give an advantage to swordfighting over gunplay. And since the technology required to produce guns is more expensive and requires more finesse, it doesn't surprise me that many fantasy worlds have high-tech robots and whatnot but swords are still chosen over firearms.The only advantage a sword will ever have over guns is that you can parry with them.

Also, the same skills used to make robots could be used to make guns. Robots would actually require far MORE finesse.

[B_real_shadows]

swords are chosen by said hero because said hero was a retard when he chose his sword over a gun. PLUS the game developers have more fun creating the images and animations and such for said hero when he has a sword than say a bazooka. Wouldn't you say? Guns still win in strength for all reasons krylo said.

also hence, the GUNblade in FFVIII

[Mondt]

also hence, the GUNblade in FFVIIII thought that you could actually shoot bullets with those for so long... It's very misleading.
Edit:
That, and as Advent Children has shown, people in fantasy settings can survive gun shots.To the chest, no less. Seriously, it's like he didn't even feel pain.

[MetalPsycho]

That, and as Advent Children has shown, people in fantasy settings can survive gun shots.

[Bamboozehound]

To the face, even.

I liked Knights of the Old Republic 2. Not because it was stunning or impressive, but it very bluntly told me they added the only thing the first game lacked: the ability to manipulate of your entire party. When I'm good everyone loves me; when I'm bad nobody whines.

That, and the opening movie to Project: Breakdown (http://breakdown.namco.com/enhanced.php). It's the only one in the whole game and it's also the only time you will see the main character from a third person perspective; the entire game is first-person from start to finish.

[B_real_shadows]

I thought that you could actually shoot bullets with those for so long... It's very misleading.

I'm gonna assume that means that you still don't think that gun shoots. In the beggining of the game when it explains how to use Squalls sword, it tells you that if you press said button at said time, you'll do extra damage, like with anyweapon, but they also mention with Squall's gunblade, as well as Seifer's that when said extra damage is done, it is done because you fired off a round from the Gunblade during the slash into your opponent.

Atleast thats how I understood the gunblade works.

[greed]

As I understand it, it detonates a round of gunpowder in the base of the blade making the blade vibrate, causing substantial extra damage, it's the idea behind the high-frequency blade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrosword#Vibroblade) concept, except instead of using a constant sonic generator, it uses the force of a explosive detonation in the blade, hence the timing element.

[Flarecobra]

Allmightey mods, since this has no hope of returning to the topic at hand, and since it's close enough to 60 posts, can we please see the lock put upon this thread?